Four men were arrested last night in New York for attempting to use a car-bomb and shoot down military aircraft at an Air National Guard base. They conducted surveillance at the base and obtained a surface-to-air missile.

The defendants, in their efforts to acquire weapons, dealt with an informant acting under law enforcement supervision, authorities said. The FBI and other agencies monitored the men and provided an inactive missile and inert C-4 to the informant for the defendants, a federal complaint said.

This goes to show that there is a clear and present danger to the aviation community. And general aviation is at risk too. Every pilot is part of the larger aviation community. For pilots, our airports are like our neighborhoods, and we need to protect them just like we would our own homes. Pilots are the first to know when someone doesn’t belong at the airport or that some activity is outside normal routines. So it is up to all of us to monitor and look for ways to prevent incidents from happening. Or, someone else will step in and tell us what we must do, regardless of cost or how difficult it is to implement.

Police departments will tell you that the best protection your home can have is an alert neighbor. The Aircraft Pilots and Owners Association (APOA) Airport Watch operates just like a traditional neighborhood watch. The people on a neighborhood watch know their neighbors’ habits, when they are on vacation, whose car belongs where, and they can spot trouble, often before it happens. AOPA has brought the same concept to AOPA’s Airport Watch. We want you to heighten your attention at the airport. Get to know your fellow hangar tenants, pilots, and aircraft owners. As a part of AOPA’s Airport Watch, the Transportation Security Administration has partnered with AOPA to provide a simple, easy-to-remember nationwide toll-free reporting hotline. It’s 866-GA-SECURE (866-427-3287).

When in doubt, check with

airport staff or call

AOPA’s Airport Watch at

1-866-GA-SECURE

Use your eyes and ears to keep our airports safe.

Lock Up.

How to be more secure:

  • Become familiar with and practice existing airport security procedures.
  • Utilize aircraft door locks at all times when the aircraft is unattended.
  • Consider the use of auxiliary locks to further protect aircraft from unauthorized use.
  • Consistently lock hangar doors and close security gates to prevent unauthorized access or tampering.
  • Properly secure ignition keys separate from aircraft.

Look Out.

Here’s what to look for:

  • Anyone trying to access an aircraft through force without keys, using a crowbar or screwdriver.
  • Anyone unfamiliar with aviation procedures trying to check out an aircraft.
  • Anyone who misuses aviation lingo-or seems too eager to use all the lingo.
  • People or groups determined to keep to themselves.
  • Anyone who appears to be just loitering, with no specific reason for being there.
  • Out-of-the-ordinary videotaping of aircraft or hangars.
  • Dangerous cargo or loads-explosives, chemicals, openly displayed weapons- being loaded into an aircraft.
  • Anything that strikes you as wrong-listen to your gut instinct, and then follow through.
  • Pay special attention to height, weight, and the individual’s clothing or other identifiable traits.

 

Report suspicious activity:

call 866-GA-SECURE

If danger is imminent, call 911 first.

Don’t take risks with your own safety!

Remember: Don’t give criminals or terrorists a chance to make your airport or aircraft a target or a weapon. Make access difficult for people who don’t belong. Criminals and terrorists won’t want to hang around an airport full of people who are alert and aware of their activities.


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