Turn Your Trnasponders Off!

Geico266

Geico266

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Jun 15, 2008
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19,136
Location
Husker Nation, NE
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Display name:
Geico
Okay, I'm ****ed off. :mad:

I flew to Denver to look at an 8. VFR all the way, contacted Denver approach 80 miles out, flew under "B" into Centennial, one of my better landings. :D

Looked at the plane, refueled, departed using ATC, and departure asked where I was headed and I told them. They knew where I had been, where I was going, and who I was.

I landed and here comes the gas monkey twit (use to be a friend :rolleyes:) and he jumps out of his car runs up to my plane and writes the "N" number down and says "Homeland Security" called and wants to know your N number, that I was traveling at 180 knots ( it's an RV :dunno:) and breaking the rules. :eek:

I stop and get the number of the calling guy and call "Wilson" back to find out what the problem was. Wilson starts lying and studdering about why he called and I said "Get me your supervisor".

The supervisor gets on the phone and now says they are with "Border Security" . Lies! More lies!

I asked him why he didn't check with the FAA or Flight Following to see what planes where inbound to my airport, and he said he did not know the FAA did that. More lies!

How is it the FBO's place to become law enforcement.

Turn your transponders off when outside the mode "C" veil.
 
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Are you saying your FBO pretended to be Homeland Security?
 
I'll give you a call in a few Larry - curious about the specifics. I've certainly heard of some things but not something that fits the above profile.
 
The FBO was complicit in getting the nuke bomber glider to land on behalf of the cops. Not surprised an fbo would play patsy. Fly black no talky no squawky.
 
Seriously? Homeland Security is now looking to give speeding tickets?

HSD = possibly Bush's biggest mistake. Definitely in the top 3.
 
SteveR said:
Seriously? Homeland Security is now looking to give speeding tickets?

HSD = possibly Bush's biggest mistake. Definitely in the top 3.
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Are you buying that Homeland Security has anything to do with this?

Sounds to me like it might be a prank.
 
??? The speed limit below a B is no longer 200 kts?
 
How about you show us the phone number so we can figure out just who it was?

In any event, please, please, please don't turn off your transponders in flight. Too many collision avoidance systems and methods are negated when you do that, and we don't need to make collision avoidance any harder than it already is.
 
It may have been border security. IIRC from the recent AOPA web briefing, they are behind the recent rash of full assault team GenAV pilot stops under the pretext of fitting a drug-running profile. I guess now a speed bust is the latest excuse. Considering the tension between the feds and CO over legalized marijuana, I can easily see the feds going over the line in their zeal to build a case for a nationwide prohibition.

I'm not sure it would help, but you might relay your experience to AOPA.

And is there another FBO at your home drome? I'd even move airports just to get away from bull**** like that.
 
Start turning in malicious FBO’s and such? 1-800-GA-SECUR
 
DJTorrente said:
Considering the tension between the feds and CO over legalized marijuana, I can easily see the feds going over the line in their zeal to build a case for a nationwide prohibition.
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I don't think they need to do anything to get nationwide prohibition, it is already prohibited at the federal level.
 
I suspect the NSA has been reading your posts in the SZ.
 
MAKG1 said:
Are you buying that Homeland Security has anything to do with this?

Sounds to me like it might be a prank.
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Far from a prank.

The FBO got a call asking for my N number. They told the FBO that they were Homeland Security. The gas twit at the FBO came driving over to write down my N number. This is my home base! I've been here for 12 years! :mad2:
 
Larry - tin foil hat off -

now that you have calmed down - EXACTLY what did everyone say - not what you think they said . . ..

Then we can have an opinion . . .
 
Geico266 said:
Far from a prank.

The FBO got a call asking for my N number. They told the FBO that they were Homeland Security. The gas twit at the FBO came driving over to write down my N number. This is my home base! I've been here for 12 years! :mad2:
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How do you know some neighborhood jerk didn't call the FBO and say "This is Homeland Security. Can you write down the N number for that really noisy aircraft that just landed? He was breaking 'the rules.'" That may be illegal, but I don't see how it can be excluded from the information given. It's not possible to show a badge over the phone.

There are a handful of people who I could see making calls like that to scare away noisemakers.
 
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Get a hold of Daniel Bernath for representation.
 
Geico266 said:
Okay, I'm ****ed off. :mad:

I flew to Denver to look at an 8. VFR all the way, contacted Denver approach 80 miles out, flew under "B" into Centennial, one of my better landings. :D

Looked at the plane, refueled, departed using ATC, and departure asked where I was headed and I told them. They knew where I had been, where I was going, and who I was.

I landed and here comes the gas monkey twit (use to be a friend :rolleyes:) and he jumps out of his car runs up to my plane and writes the "N" number down and says "Homeland Security" called and wants to know your N number, that I was traveling at 180 knots ( it's an RV :dunno:) and breaking the rules. :eek:

I stop and get the number of the calling guy and call "Wilson" back to find out what the problem was. Wilson starts lying and studdering about why he called and I said "Get me your supervisor".

The supervisor gets on the phone and now says they are with "Border Security" . Lies! More lies!

I asked him why he didn't check with the FAA or Flight Following to see what planes where inbound to my airport, and he said he did not know the FAA did that. More lies!

How is it the FBO's place to become law enforcement.

Turn your transponders off when outside the mode "C" veil.
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Why just outside the Mode C veil?
 
Because here is what happened:

The Air/Maritime Threat Coordination center has 210kt squelch and you exceeded the squelch with a tail wind or a crazy radar return - so they 'reacted'

Keeping in mind they only react - they never think - they called the FBO or the tower, identified themselves - no one questioned them [good idea for a prank there] and the person who answered the phone misunderstood what they said and only heard 'Homeland Security calling,' and thats what they told the line man

The line man heard Homeland Security and the game of telephone began. You got a phone number to call, and like the good little citizen you are - you called it. That was YOUR mistake.

You have an absolute right to remain silent. You should have ignored them went about your business because a) they were not interested enough to send someone [as evidenced by the phone call] b) they are clueless about their enforcement limitations and c) forgot about it the moment they made the phone call - as evidenced by the reaction when you called back.
 
You should have known he was lying when he said they had you on radar doing 180 knots in an RV. :rofl:
 
Holy Siht....

Nothing surprises me anymore with the feds.... They are OUT of control..:mad2:
 
JOhnH said:
I suspect the NSA has been reading your posts in the SZ.
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:rofl::rofl:

Seriously, pursue this with everything you have. Get an attorney involved. Get the press involved. If someone is impersonating a Federal Officer they need to be prosecuted. If some Federal Officer is exceeding their authority they need to be fired.
 
Threefingeredjack said:
:rofl::rofl:

Seriously, pursue this with everything you have. Get an attorney involved. Get the press involved. If someone is impersonating a Federal Officer they need to be prosecuted. If some Federal Officer is exceeding their authority they need to be fired.
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This is the age of Obama......

Fed workers who screw up don't get fired.. they get promoted...:mad2::mad:
 
Would have been fun to call Law Enforcement and told them some line guy was showing an undue interest in your aircraft and was harassing you, while ignoring him.
 
Re: Turn Your Transponders Off!

MAKG1 said:
Umm, 14 CFR 91.215(b)(2) and 14 CFR 91.215(c)?

The latter says rather clearly that it has to be on.
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He said he was in G airspace, so those don't apply.
 
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Re: Turn Your Transponders Off!

At least they didn't show up with guns drawn this time.

Would there be a case for slander, since the guy claimed he was flying illegally?
 
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Wow, I am completely cluto about this issue, whatever it may be. So I must ask, what is special/important about 210 kts? Is that with an associated low altitude or something? Not trying to ask for confidential law enforcement info here, so my apologies if nobody can answer that, but what is the issue? Low alt drug runners going "fast"? Last I checked, just about any twin/jet/turboprop can easily go that fast and would do so in normal operation. Am I missing something?
 
200 kts max below class B. It's like a rule or something.
 
Forgot to mention, Cap'n Ron is absolutely correct. It is a VERY BAD idea to turn your transponders off. Those transponders are the only thing on your plane that TCAS systems can see. TCAS has alerted me to thousands of planes nearby and saved my (and the other guy too) bacon several times.

If you too fearful of the government to fly with the transponder on then please just stop flying. The transponder should be ON for you safety and others.
 
Captain said:
Forgot to mention, Cap'n Ron is absolutely correct. It is a VERY BAD idea to turn your transponders off. Those transponders are the only thing on your plane that TCAS systems can see. TCAS has alerted me to thousands of planes nearby and saved my (and the other guy too) bacon several times.

If you too fearful of the government to fly with the transponder on then please just stop flying. The transponder should be ON for you safety and others.
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See and avoid.

Though I believe if you have an operable transponder, regulations dictate that you turn it on.
 
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