jshawley
Pre-takeoff checklist
Knowing that many airports are creating documents to control activities therein, a question has arisen at our local 'drome, to wit: Assume a person builds/purchases a new, state-of-the-art LSA, which has folding wings (I noticed the new Icon is one of them, and there is a folding wing option for the Zenith high-wing planes, along with many others).
Bubba, who has/has not a genuine, with Wilbur and Orville portrait pilot's license chooses to go this route, and purchases one of these planes, along with the trailer to go with it. Many of these new documents prohibit TTF operations, citing FAA, TSA, DHS, ABC, DEF, GHI, ASPCA, and SBC directives and, according to our local airport officials, towing a trailer "through the fence" would be prohibited. "Would unloading the aircraft outside the fence, then pushing it inside the fence and unfolding the wings be a TTF/prohibited action?" The answer was emphatically in the affirmative.
So, with not much further ado, I appeal to Spike, David, and all other sorts of legal gurus: What say you? What about gliders? How do these play in the grand scheme of regulatory excess (my personal opinion)?
Not to worry, though: We will still be able to drive up to our hangars (this was in jeopardy under the proposed "Rules and Regulations") at this strictly general aviation airport, with no carrier traffic, no ticket counters (no restaurant anymore either), and passenger scanning. But the Gunny Sergeant with the heart condition who used to just sit in his white Ford pickup and smoke his stogey won't be allowed to--it has been classified as "loitering"--little matter he and I would sometimes just visit and watch the planes come and go.
Well, opening this can of worms (and it's coming to an airport near you, if the international amalgamation of brotherhood of city administrators has its way), I eagerly await your collective wisdom.
BTW, one can, based on the conversations at the Airport Advisory Committee meeting the other night, unfold his wings at home, take off on his city street (avoiding all the power lines and CATV coax), then land at said airport. Somewhere in that logic has been installed the idea that there won't be any kind of terrorist bomb in said folding wing LSA if it merely lands at the local 'drome--but that is not assured if it is trailered in.
Bubba, who has/has not a genuine, with Wilbur and Orville portrait pilot's license chooses to go this route, and purchases one of these planes, along with the trailer to go with it. Many of these new documents prohibit TTF operations, citing FAA, TSA, DHS, ABC, DEF, GHI, ASPCA, and SBC directives and, according to our local airport officials, towing a trailer "through the fence" would be prohibited. "Would unloading the aircraft outside the fence, then pushing it inside the fence and unfolding the wings be a TTF/prohibited action?" The answer was emphatically in the affirmative.
So, with not much further ado, I appeal to Spike, David, and all other sorts of legal gurus: What say you? What about gliders? How do these play in the grand scheme of regulatory excess (my personal opinion)?
Not to worry, though: We will still be able to drive up to our hangars (this was in jeopardy under the proposed "Rules and Regulations") at this strictly general aviation airport, with no carrier traffic, no ticket counters (no restaurant anymore either), and passenger scanning. But the Gunny Sergeant with the heart condition who used to just sit in his white Ford pickup and smoke his stogey won't be allowed to--it has been classified as "loitering"--little matter he and I would sometimes just visit and watch the planes come and go.
Well, opening this can of worms (and it's coming to an airport near you, if the international amalgamation of brotherhood of city administrators has its way), I eagerly await your collective wisdom.
BTW, one can, based on the conversations at the Airport Advisory Committee meeting the other night, unfold his wings at home, take off on his city street (avoiding all the power lines and CATV coax), then land at said airport. Somewhere in that logic has been installed the idea that there won't be any kind of terrorist bomb in said folding wing LSA if it merely lands at the local 'drome--but that is not assured if it is trailered in.
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