Rwy20 wrote:
I was just about to comment the same! But then saw that you already did. Add me in.
Prob90 syas something about the demographic here: +1 !!
I normally fix thread title spelling errors 
dublinpilot wrote:
The guy before me in the security queue had a box of chocolates in his luggage. They told him it wasn’t allowed as it was classified as liquids!
My Dad got turned away at Liverpool John Lennon airport because he had a halliard for his boat in his hand luggage, which he was taking to Malta. The security person told him he couldn’t take it as it could be used to strangle someone. At the same time at least 75% of the passengers were wearing belts, which would be about 100 times easier to use as a strangling weapon… not a word on belts.
Meanwhile, they don’t care that I take on huge bare lithium polymer batteries for my RC aircraft in my hand luggage which could easily be used to start a nasty fire.
I’ve never encountered nasty security guys in Scotland. But they are at the bottom of the heirarchy, and their jobs aren’t secure. They’re terrified of NOT doing exacty as they’ve been trained, and if any situation for which they haven’t been trained occurs – it’s just like a computer offering 4 options, none of which suit your needs.
So, you land your aircraft somewhere and they let you out at security but not in again. How is that going to work in practise? Will you be liable for parking fees accrued during the ensuing argument. Will they be responsible for damage to your wood & fabric vintage aircraft?
At least within the UK, some of these issues are liable to become a very awkward problem for the airport.
kwlf wrote:
So, you land your aircraft somewhere and they let you out at security but not in again. How is that going to work in practise?
In the US, public airports are generally secured per Federal regulation, and often unattended. Both vehicle and personnel gates for GA are set up for coded entry. Typically the personnel gates have a little sign on the inside to tell you how to determine the code, most often it’s something to do with the CTAF (pilot to pilot advisory) or ASOS (automated airport weather) frequency. This works fine in practice, and requires no people and no badges. I have no idea why seemingly everything to do with GA in Europe defaults to the most impractical and overall ineffective solution. Perfect is the enemy of good.
Silvaire wrote:
Typically the personnel gates have a little sign on the inside to tell you how to determine the code, most often it’s something to do with the CTAF (pilot to pilot advisory) or ASOS (automated airport weather) frequency.
I have seen this at several airports in France…
Coded entry gates disappeared several years ago at Inverness. Single entry point, then Signature were authorized, now Highland Aviation also have direct access airside.
The fact that instructors and students no longer have to walk about half a mile to the aircraft must lead to a deterioration in physical fitness.
At Aberdeen they replaced the code lock with finger print recognition at Signature…
Resurrecting this topic…
For access to a defined “Airside” GA apron via a gate used only by flying club members, at least one Scottish airport issues an “Airport Identification Card” as required by Community law for access to a “Security Restricted Area”.
The relevant Community law includes Regulation (EC) No 300/2008 and Commission Regulation (EU) No 185/2010.
To rub salt into the wound of any club member who lives or works offshore or abroad, or who just has a life outside GA, the airport has recently announced that it will automatically cancel any Airport Identification Card which has not been used for 60 days, whereupon the erstwhile cardholder will have to pay a hefty fee and waste half a working day obtaining a new card in person.
Despite (sadly risible) commitments by the CAA and DfT to eliminate this sort of “gold-plating” of European law, it does seem to be SOP for those same UK authorities to blame “Europe” for regulations which they embellish and squirt out like geese fed on castor oil.
However, by virtue of Article 6 of the above EC Regulation, such embellishment would appear to be unlawful unless it can be shown to be “relevant, objective, non-discriminatory and proportional”.
Question: which other European airports impose a similar 60-day use condition for GA Airside access cards?
If the answer is “relatively few”, it may be hard for the UK CAA and DfT to argue that their stricter controls meet the proportionality etc. requirements of Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 300/2008.
