7 years ago, we all became suspects
On the 11th of September 2001, the world changed abruptly when airliners were used as weapons, killing thousands, impacting the life of millions, and shaking the whole flying world. Passed the first shock, many things remained. Airport and airline security entered a new age – the way passengers and staff are screened when accessing “sensitive” area have nothing more in common with what we knew before. Do you remember the time where pilots were greeting the passengers themselves during boarding ? Nowadays, pilots remain locked in their cockpits, behing a shielded door. Some of them are carrying guns. Before the attacks, it was easy and possible for light aircraft pilots to climb to the tower, and visit the controllers. Don’t even think of it nowadays.
On some airports where the tower is located above the terminals, the air traffic controllers and other staff have to go through the waiting areas on the way to their workplace. Some special passages reserved to staff existed, to allow for a quick passage. These “quick” channels still exist, but they now includes metal detectors, x-ray screenings, and “full macarena” body search if deemed necessary by the security staff. Crew have to go through the same kind of screenings, just as the ground staff managing boarding, the employees of the duty free shops, bars, cleaners – no exceptions, we are all suspects.
The life of general aviation pilot also got more complex. Accessing tarmac is now like a hurdles race. Shall one of your passengers forget to bring an identity document, he’ll have to remain on ground. My projects included getting a US license, to be able to rent N registered aircraft in Europe. This is postponed – if not cancelled – because such conversions is no longer possible without going in the States in person. Training and flight examination is still possible, but identity checks by the TSA is no longer possible outsite the USA…
Another important change can be seen on the VFR en-route charts. Restricted and prohibited areas appeared everywhere. Nuclear sites, city centers, symbolic places, politically sensible spots, they all got VFR traffic restrictions. Some of them existed before September 11th, but their size and number grown continuously since then.
Did all these changes improved the global security ? Was the aviation world too naive ? Is the actual level of security controls too high ? I’m not really in a position to judge that, and I don’t want to start an argument today – the victims and their relatives do deserve a moment of consideration, respect, and silence.
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