So it might be a good idea to make the security screening an optional item available through the handling company?
In France, as far as i know, airports are declared “open to PUBLIC air circulation” it means by law, only a custom officer can check you (even not a policeman)
Others had a commercial transaction (company flight ticket for passengers, working contract for commercial pilots) which force them to follow airport rules. But strictly speaking not a Private pilot. Often security check is not to heavy so private pilots let it be without noise.
We all have funny stories :
On time I land in an airport, where they don t exactly what to do and they perform a full check to allow me to get OUT of the airport… I think they were reversed, may be a big party the evening before.
An other time, I passed the security control (no shampoo, no metal …) and on the apron because I had a generator problem I pick up my plane battery and I was walking all around with my battery to find a way to fill it ! A guy walking with a big battery and everybody was very kind with me…
PPG
There is a huge number of totally comical stories going around.
Probably the most common one is that wearing a uniform works wonders. The more “south” you go in Europe, i.e. the closer to get to Africa, the more militarised the countries get and the more people become automatically obedient when presented with some form of authority, and a uniform is the starting point. It’s also cheap; it used to pay for itself the first time you got a duty- and VAT-free avgas refill (that trick doesn’t seem to work anywhere in Europe anymore but it worked great in France and Spain).
There is a guy on here who can tell great stories e.g. one about pushing a trolley stacked with avgas jerrycans right past the airline check-in security point, while wearing a uniform.
At big airports like Gatwick there used to be really obvious doors whereby you could totally bypass security and get airside if you wore a uniform. That obviously ended a while ago…
Peter wrote:
more people become automatically obedient when presented with some form of authority, and a uniform is the starting point.
Works a treat in the UK – just wear a high-viz vest and you’re good to go. Anywhere. I’ve got some pretty amazing (IOW – scary) first hand stories.
