Travel to GA airports with handgun

Salty

Salty

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Salty
I have a conceled permit and know how to check the reciprocity agreements between states. That's not in the scope of my question. My question is more about landing and leaving an airport with a handgun. Anybody willing to share their experiences and process?

Do I need to unload and lock it up before going through FBO, etc... Is there a difference between a controlled / uncontrolled airport? Do I need to be contacting airport manager for every possible destination to get policies at each one?
 
Salty said:
I have a conceled permit and know how to check the reciprocity agreements between states. That's not in the scope of my question. My question is more about landing and leaving an airport with a handgun. Anybody willing to share their experiences and process?

Do I need to unload and lock it up before going through FBO, etc... Is there a difference between a controlled / uncontrolled airport? Do I need to be contacting airport manager for every possible destination to get policies at each one?
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If you carry, are you familiar with handgunlaw.us? http://www.handgunlaw.us/

It has some good summaries of laws across the US, where are prohibited areas, what has force of law for prohibition, etc.

I check that for the states I travel to, and then research each state individually to determine what I need to do.
 
I've heard it's a bad idea to land in an office park parking lot while carrying. I guess more precisely it's a bad idea to try to take off from said parking lot. However this warning may only apply to certain former CEOs.
 
Salty said:
I have a conceled permit and know how to check the reciprocity agreements between states. That's not in the scope of my question. My question is more about landing and leaving an airport with a handgun. Anybody willing to share their experiences and process?

Do I need to unload and lock it up before going through FBO, etc... Is there a difference between a controlled / uncontrolled airport? Do I need to be contacting airport manager for every possible destination to get policies at each one?
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Some states do not allow concealed weapons to be carried in buildings owned or leased by the state or local government. Certainly possible at some FBO's.
 
I do go to some very rural and small airports late at night but otherwise mine stays in my flight bag in the plane. I do not have a need to leave the airport while waiting on the med crew.

The only thing that makes me a little nervous is when I am at a big airport and someone is walking around the planes with their drug sniffing dog.....
 
If you are carrying and are legal in whichever state you land in. There should be no issues. I know many people that do this. And as stated, if no one knows, no issues.
 
I looked into this years ago. CC Law states you can't go onto federal property strapped, and my concern was if all airports taking grant money are considered federal, in some sense. Finding was, they are not. So if there is no "No Firearms" signs, press on with pride. It is just another building.
 
Salty said:
How do you figure that a bad thing?
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Because now the fact that he plans to fly in/out of various states and airports with a gun is no longer a secret. Or, put another way: he told us, big freakin deal. Who cares? No one will, as long as he keeps his weapon secure, lawfully concealed and doesn't draw unnecessary attention to himself.
 
To to have a ccw and habe flown in and out of ga airports with no problem. Concealed is jist that..concealed. nobody will know but you anyway. Reciprocal agreement in place and fly away.
 
As long as you don't get out-of bounds in some states (like IL, NY, MN, etc), I'd play "don't ask, don't tell." As it sounds like you may be a med-flight pilot, I am very sure any law enforcement officer would give you a lot of latitude in any situation. Fly, and carry, safely.
 
TommyG said:
If you are carrying and are legal in whichever state you land in. There should be no issues. I know many people that do this. And as stated, if no one knows, no issues.
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Being legal in the People's Republik of Illinois means you can't carry on any airport property (sigh). First offense isn't so bad though.......
 
Not sure about concealed permits but I have a somewhat funny story. A friend and his wife were visiting from Chicago. We decided to go fishing for trout in a neighboring town, Hoonah, AK. Well I took Steve and my son over and dropped them off 25 minute flight. Returned to Juneau to pick up Steve's wife. On run up left mag had a 500 rpm drop. This was the 3rd fight after annual.

I taxied the plane over to the A&P's shop and we started to troubleshoot the rpm drop. Several hours later we found he had forgotten to tighten the hold down bolt for the Left mag. Problem fixed. Steve and Matthew talked to us and said they would get ride back to Juneau on one of the local commuters.

When we picked them up Steve said "I put the fish we caught on top of the handgun you gave us, and was hoping no one would ask any questions or search our bags for guns or drugs". We all had a laugh and grilled the trout Steve and Mathew had caught....:)
 
ytodd said:
Being legal in the People's Republik of Illinois means you can't carry on any airport property (sigh). First offense isn't so bad though.......
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Concealed means concealed.

I carry in my aircraft in IL, though I fly out of a private airpark most of the time. I couldn't care less what that portion of the law says, and I have been trying to work with Todd Vandermyde to lobby for a change in the law to specify secured terminal areas/federally secured areas rather than just airports, as we believe that was the original intent of the law.

If you want to be 100% legal here in IL, technically you can "transport" the firearm to your "vehicle" (aka airplane) unloaded and encased.
 
Yeah, they have a pretty dim view of people carrying firearms in Hoonah.....:lol::lol::lol:


One of my favorite memories in Kotzebue was an Eskimo man dressed in traditional seal hunting clothes, well fur, in the Wells Fargo with his rifle across his back.
 
Turningfinal said:
Concealed means concealed.

I carry in my aircraft in IL, though I fly out of a private airpark most of the time. I couldn't care less what that portion of the law says, and I have been trying to work with Todd Vandermyde to lobby for a change in the law to specify secured terminal areas/federally secured areas rather than just airports, as we believe that was the original intent of the law.

If you want to be 100% legal here in IL, technically you can "transport" the firearm to your "vehicle" (aka airplane) unloaded and encased.
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I never said concealed wasn't concealed., I simply stated that in Illinois, the statute doesn't allow you to legally carry on an airport.
 
JohnAJohnson said:
I looked into this years ago. CC Law states you can't go onto federal property strapped, and my concern was if all airports taking grant money are considered federal, in some sense. Finding was, they are not. So if there is no "No Firearms" signs, press on with pride. It is just another building.
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Airports with federal grants are NOT federal properties. The grants carry with them assurances from the airport sponsor that it will meet obligations associated with the grants, but it does not obligate the airport to conduct itself like a federal facility. You can find those assurances here: https://www.faa.gov/airports/aip/grant_assurances/media/airport-sponsor-assurances-aip.pdf. Local jurisdiction will prevail. Check the airport ownership, such as on Airnav. You'll see whether it's owned by the city, county, airport authority, development authority, private owner, or what have you.
 
You need to check the carry laws of any state you MIGHT land in. Virginia, for example, bans concealed carry anywhere in terminals (even before security) in air carrier airports in the state. You walk through the FBO at Shenandoah, you're in the terminal building and you just committed a crime.
North Carolina has different rules, other than the Federal law the only airport that seems to be a problem is an absolute bar at Charlotte-Douglas. That's a local ordinance that unlike most gun laws in the state isn't preempted by state law (the state legislators here love to preempt local ordinances even on chicken-poop things).
 
Bobanna said:
As long as you don't get out-of bounds in some states (like IL, NY, MN, etc), I'd play "don't ask, don't tell." As it sounds like you may be a med-flight pilot, I am very sure any law enforcement officer would give you a lot of latitude in any situation. Fly, and carry, safely.
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MN is fine. I've carried hunting rifles through an FBO with no issues.

For any state, the key is the secure area. Stay outside the yellow line around any terminal area handling pt 121 traffic.
 
One thing I do when I carry is take my drivers license and my CCP out of my wallet and put it in a shirt pocket. In the plane I include my PPL. That way if LE asks for ID I can show them that I have a permit to diffuse any misconception that might arise if they notice my bulge.
 
We had the TSA out at work one day and they were talking about airport security. I asked him what are the rules for general aviation and biz jets when it comes to carrying a handgun and or guns period. He said as long as you follow local and federal laws everything will be fine. But he said pulling it out on the tarmac or trying to go in the main passenger terminal with it, that would be a problem.
 
Salty said:
I'd rather them think I'm armed than think I'm unarmed.
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Logically that makes sense, however in practice you're a bigger blip on everyone's radar if people know you're armed.

It's also the element of not allowing others with ill intent to assess and plan for your perceived capabilities, if someone wishes me harm I'd rather they plan their confrontation based on the idea that I'm unarmed, vs planning their attack knowing I have a side arm on my right hip. You're more likely to see a more easily dealt with a frontal attack if they don't think you're armed, vs rear attack or something, I'd rather they be surprised than me, if that makes sense. Or at least that's my thought process on it.
 
I think the answer might be ,if there are 121 ops at that airport, having a weapon on the "scanned,safe,secure " side of the airport could jam you up.
 
hotprops said:
I think the answer might be ,if there are 121 ops at that airport, having a weapon on the "scanned,safe,secure " side of the airport could jam you up.
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In other words, don't cross the TSA red line sterile area on the tarmac when carrying.
 
to add. some small airports have scheduled air service with open ,clear access to there area and boarding ladder .one could fly in, in your ga aircraft to pick someone up from above mentioned flight walk over to there area, see your person disembarking the aircraft and walk inside with them to get there luggage than walk out there door setting off a very sensitive metal detector .i know of someone this happened to and he/she just kept walking to his/her aircraft and started up and flew home to his/her own private airport. he/she forgot about a large metal object in his/her pocket .I think he/she carries a largely polly crafted "item" now so as not to set off detectors when going to fly his/her aircraft.
 
I always check reciprocity, but also check the states along the route of flight. If you have to divert to any of the ones that don't honor your permit, you are at risk. It may be a small risk, but still a risk, and a lot of these states LOVE to prosecute weapons charges by otherwise legal permit holders. Yet, the gangbangers get sprung. :mad:
 
Can't imagine flying a plane while strapped. Don't see why I'd need to strap one on just to go into an FBO.

Keep your gun in the bag or baggage compartment. But that's just me. I just don't see the point at all in CC.
 
labbadabba said:
Can't imagine flying a plane while strapped. Don't see why I'd need to strap one on just to go into an FBO.

Keep your gun in the bag or baggage compartment. But that's just me. I just don't see the point at all in CC.
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Why is it that someone always feels the need to comment on this? There's a lot of stuff that people post about that I don't see the point of but it has never occurred to me to spend time writing out a post to let them know I'm not into the thing they're into...
 
ChiefPilot said:
MN is fine. I've carried hunting rifles through an FBO with no issues.

For any state, the key is the secure area. Stay outside the yellow line around any terminal area handling pt 121 traffic.
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Again that is not true for "ANY STATE." You do not want to carry weapons (other than cased and unloaded) in air carrier terminals in Virginia nor the Chartotte-Douglas Airport, as I've stated. You do not want to carry *ANYWHERE* in certain restrictive states like NJ.
 
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