DHS to invade our airport; Drone use

Let'sgoflying!

Let'sgoflying!

Touchdown! Greaser!
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west Texas
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Display name:
Dave Taylor
They plan to apply to the FAA to operate UAS from our airport to recce the border.
It involves a trap wire, launcher on the runway and closing the airport for 2 one-hour periods per day.
No TFR, they will close the airport and airspace for an SSI (special security initiative).
They will also SSI the route to and from the border, and along the border.
Some kind of structure 30' from taxiway. Vehicles roaming about.

No likey.

Should we fight it, get them to use one of the quieter airports (there is a largely unused airport right ON the border) or use a private strip (plenty around here)
Or is there no fighting DHS/CBP?

Will be contacting AOPA for advice too.
 
Fight it unless you want more of it.
 
Fight it. Just not sure how.

Tim
 
Call and email your senators and Congress critters, mayor, governor etc
 
No problem with them using an airport.

HUGE problem with them taking over an airport. Does the federal funding use permit it to be confiscated for use the Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers-SS?
 
Why do they need an airport? Commandeer a long unused road somewhere close to where they are surveilling.
 
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And you thought CBP were friends of rec general aviation? Lol, you re part of their target set, you're one of the "others". Now you know how it feels to be on the other side of kabuki theater. As a member of DOD, those guys are not part of my Xmas card mailing list, let me just put it that way. In a civilian capacity I'm even more antagonized by them, and I have acquaintances both on the AMOC and border patrol side of that self licking ice cream cone. The contempt is mutual.

It's a jobs program, and our hobby is merely collateral damage to them. I'm old enough to recognize some people will never be friends of mine.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
They plan to apply to the FAA to operate UAS from our airport to recce the border.
It involves a trap wire, launcher on the runway and closing the airport for 2 one-hour periods per day.
No TFR, they will close the airport and airspace for an SSI (special security initiative).
They will also SSI the route to and from the border, and along the border.
Some kind of structure 30' from taxiway. Vehicles roaming about.

No likey.

Should we fight it, get them to use one of the quieter airports (there is a largely unused airport right ON the border) or use a private strip (plenty around here)
Or is there no fighting DHS/CBP?

Will be contacting AOPA for advice too.
Click to expand...
Where are you getting this information?

If the UAV uses a launcher and a trap wire, they don't need to operate from an airport. They can operate from any open area.

I don't know where they came up with the SSI, but the only way they can restrict airspace is with a TFR.
 
kkoran said:
Where are you getting this information?

If the UAV uses a launcher and a trap wire, they don't need to operate from an airport. They can operate from any open area.

I don't know where they came up with the SSI, but the only way they can restrict airspace is with a TFR.
Click to expand...


Answers to your Q's:

From the airport manager.
Excerpt from the email explaining the non-TFR:

https://www.textronsystems.com/what-we-do/unmanned-systems/tactical-family
Takeoff via launcher; landing on paved taxiway with arrestor cable
Safety/Collision Avoidance:Special Security Initiative (SSI) restricted areas will work similar to a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR)
Ground-based mobile tracking and command
 
I was thinking it was one of the UAVs that uses a vertical trap wire. I guess the need an hour to set up the arresting system and land the UAV. As for the airspace, it sounds like they might have some sort of sense and avoid system (ground-based radar?) that the FAA has approved them to use. If they want to restrict other users in any way, a TFR is the only legal way to do it.

What are the airport manager's thoughts on the matter?
 
Given the capabilities they are pitching for that system I see no reason to take a public airport out of service to launch or recover the drone. Considering the airspace taken away for the drone TFR in Corpus Christie fight it.

Gary
 
This is something that calling your law makers might make a difference. Get your friends to join you calling your State and Fed Reps. Constituents calling and visiting Member's offices makes a much bigger difference than most may think. Especially if you give to their PAC (which is insane, but that's the game). Just don't talk money when in their office, it's not legal and hollers amateur. I can help you with writing a statement if you start a grassroots effort.

[Potstir]Also, depending on what side one is on, this should be either: celebrated as exactly what is expected by the SS to stop the invasion, or used as an example of NIMBY - over reach by the gubment. Discuss.[\potstir]

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk
 
Move to Mexico, plenty of unused airports over there, paid for by taxpayers with all the frills. Maybe you could just fly over, land and demand full benefits and free AVGAS.
 
Is it equally important to contact state and federal reps?

Points to make:
-general impairment of freedoms
-one user of the airport will be commandeering its use for 2/24hrs every day (if several groups did that, soon we'd have no airport)
-more reasonable options exist
-may interfere with air ambulance? forestry aircraft are here every spring spotting fires at night

help me here
 
Reading what Textron wrote, perhaps they are only marking a bit of a taxiway off limits. It says nothing about closing the airport.
 
Kenny Phillips said:
Reading what Textron wrote, perhaps they are only marking a bit of a taxiway off limits. It says nothing about closing the airport.
Click to expand...

This is what we are told:

"Affected airspace would be closed to manned aircraft when active, including corridor from airport to border operations area.
Operations area along the border at altitude 4,000’ to 7,000’ AGL."

Plus the quote earlier about the "non-TFR TFR".
 
This is the same GA-hostile agency that put the friggin Restricted Area for the 14,000' tethered balloon right across the only road (and rail) for many miles in a long stretch of valley in desert hill country. Near the same airport.

Setting up some poor sap using visual navigation in adverse conditions for a problem that could have been completely mitigated by moving the whole operation just a wee-bit SW into the empty scrubland.

:mad2: :mad3:

23iv4b6.jpg
 
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Let'sgoflying! said:
Is it equally important to contact state and federal reps?

Points to make:
-general impairment of freedoms
-one user of the airport will be commandeering its use for 2/24hrs every day (if several groups did that, soon we'd have no airport)
-more reasonable options exist
-may interfere with air ambulance? forestry aircraft are here every spring spotting fires at night

help me here
Click to expand...
Always important to get the local reps going first. They "see" the impact on the community first. The gubment won't see this as a general impairment of any freedom since a reasonable schedule adjustment by the user, or actual emergency, will not cause undue problems. There must be a reason they picked that airport. Observations from the general public will see that KMRF is an under used, over funded, boys club. It would be interesting to find out from the agency why using this particular airport is so damned important. It will probably boil down to access, infrastructure, and easy/lazy. If a little local campaign is started, at least the ball is set in the right direction.

Homework for a grassrooter: Find out the agency that is in charge of this project. Find out where the authorization came from and why this airport (Why when what who how...). Ask the FSDO what will happen to a pilot if flying in the airspace at this time and document the response. See if there are any businesses that actively use the airport at the same times (like, 121, 135, or 91 ops). Also, call the elected Reps and let them know this is happening and how it will affect local operators.

If nothing happens, keep on it. This is kinda the only way stuff changes.
 
Since MRF is a federally obligated airport, you may wish to start with the appropriate FAA Airport District Office. Good chance they may not be aware of what's going on. A federally obligated airport must be made available for federal use, but they cannot shut down all operations when they are using it. I somehow suspect some arrangement can be made that's acceptable to all parties.
 
Might be worth the trip to the FD admin building to find out how many calls were run to the airport for a patient transfer, time, date, etc. Also, a statement from their EMS Chief that might help your case. Maybe get a position from the Fire Chief regarding the use of the airport for aerial firefighting operations.

You might be the guy that causes all these agencies to be required to communicate about when their operations (time, freq, etc.) so much, that they might just say fuhgettabutit and move to get other facilities...or worse case - "Meh, we'll do something about it when something explodes."
 
This is for border patrol. You’re missing a key tactic.

Contact some groups who advocate open borders and the elimination of ICE and solicit their help. They’ll throw more monkey wrenches and raise more hell than you’ll ever do on your own. Be sure local news crews are on hand when the protesters show up.
 
Half Fast said:
This is for border patrol. You’re missing a key tactic.

Contact some groups who advocate open borders and the elimination of ICE and solicit their help. They’ll throw more monkey wrenches and raise more hell than you’ll ever do on your own. Be sure local news crews are on hand when the protesters show up.
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Yes! This! Maybe get both the hard core liberty or death crowd and the pinko commies to come together on an issue!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk
 
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