Sacramento-Area Pilot Punished By Feds for YouTube Video
December 24th, 2010Via: News10:
An airline pilot is being disciplined by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for posting video on YouTube pointing out what he believes are serious flaws in airport security.
The 50-year-old pilot, who lives outside Sacramento, asked that neither he nor his airline be identified. He has worked for the airline for more than a decade and was deputized by the TSA to carry a gun in the cockpit.
He is also a helicopter test pilot in the Army Reserve and flew missions for the United Nations in Macedonia.
Three days after he posted a series of six video clips recorded with a cell phone camera at San Francisco International Airport, four federal air marshals and two sheriff’s deputies arrived at his house to confiscate his federally-issued firearm. The pilot recorded that event as well and provided all the video to News10.
At the same time as the federal marshals took the pilot’s gun, a deputy sheriff asked him to surrender his state-issued permit to carry a concealed weapon.
A follow-up letter from the sheriff’s department said the CCW permit would be reevaluated following the outcome of the federal investigation.
The YouTube videos, posted Nov. 28, show what the pilot calls the irony of flight crews being forced to go through TSA screening while ground crew who service the aircraft are able to access secure areas simply by swiping a card.
“As you can see, airport security is kind of a farce. It’s only smoke and mirrors so you people believe there is actually something going on here,” the pilot narrates.
Video shot in the cockpit shows a medieval-looking rescue ax available on the flight deck after the pilots have gone through the metal detectors. “I would say a two-foot crash ax looks a lot more formidable than a box cutter,” the pilot remarked.
A letter from the TSA dated Dec. 6 informed the pilot that “an administrative review into your deputation status as a Federal Flight Deck Officer has been initiated.”
Once again, Janet Incompetano and her band of thugs manage to divert attention from the truth.
I read information about the second video and article already. I showed it to my girlfriend, who hadn’t heard about it yet.
She wasn’t surprised at the DHS/TSA action. Disappointed, but not surprised.
I suppose they would have wanted him to report it internally, and get it resolved. In reality, we both already know that such reports would be taken and then placed in File 13. Hell, they already know their real security sucks. I can’t bring a screwdriver on a plane, but a 16 year old can get onto airport property, climb into the landing gear, and … well … die mid flight, but if a random kid can get into an aircraft undetected, so could the theoretically terrorists.
http://www.boingboing.net/2010/12/10/teen-stowaway-breach.html
Maybe it’s just too embarrassing for the government to admit that billions have been spent in a masquerade of security, and all they’ve really managed to do is annoy the shit out of the general public.
Then we hit the first video. WTF. DHS, now sponsored by Walmart? Her words were “oh, so if the house is getting broken into, we should call our friendly Walmart manager?”
I’ll go back to cleaning my NOT government issued sidearm, just in case Walmart can’t dispatch a security agent in time. If I have to prioritize my concerns, terrorists are way down at the bottom of the list, closer to alien abductions and meteorite strikes, and random thefts by felonious civilians is higher. Of course, car accidents rank above all of those. Yes, I’m more concerned about the average schmuck operating a motor vehicle that does it poorly. Somewhere in between criminal theft and car accidents is false imprisonment by law enforcement.
In my life, I’ve been stopped and questioned by law enforcement more times than I can remember, and falsely charged a few times. I’ve been in 4 car accidents with injuries (my own), because of other drivers. A property I’ve owned or rented has only been burglarized once. And I’ve never had a terrorist close enough to threaten my life.
But dear god, spend billions protecting me from those terrorists.
At least TSA finally got something right. Now I can get molested before climbing on an airplane. It would be nice if they’d at least provide a happy ending. Their skill is very disappointing.
Michael Chertoff thinks things are going swimmingly.