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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 19, 2005 18:56:14 GMT 12
Tonight on TV3's news at 6pm there was a typical hyped up kneejerk reaction to the theft of the plane from Ardmore on the weekend.
They decided to wander in, see what they could get into, and what they might be able to steal. The report showed their reporter hopping into a parked aircraft which he said was unlocked and unattended. he purported that most planes were open and could 'easily be hotwired'.
Despiter the fact HE was breaking the law, by entering someone else's aircraft without their permission, he was also inciting what could become a backlash towards the relaxed atmosphere of Kiwi airports. The report compared our airport's security status with Australia, saying that they are all properly fenced and movement f people is controlled through a gate, blah blah.
So what, some security man at a gate is not going to stop a person who WORKS AT THE AIRPORT from stealing a plane he has DAY TO DAY ACCESS TO.
Saturday's case was not terrorism related, yet the media jumps on the bullshit bandwagon, saying something should be done.
Well, who will pay? YOU WILL. Taxpayers will. And aviators will. And passengers will. Landing fees will rise. Rentals of aviation property will rise. Just so a one off case of a mentally disturbed man who had full access to the site and aircraft anyway won't happen again.
What do you think? Do we NEED to beef up airport security? Are planes being stolen every day like cars? (They probably will be now!) Are you happy to pay for the millions it'll cost to upgrade security on every airfield? I'm not.
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Post by corsair67 on Sept 19, 2005 20:10:23 GMT 12
Typical news media beat-up. We all know that no matter how much security you may have, the really bad people who want to die for a cause will possibly manage to get around it somehow anyway.
For tomorrow night's viewing TV3 should demonstrate how easy it is to steal a semi-trailer unit or a bus, as one of those in the wrong hands could be a very bad thing too!
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Post by Bruce on Sept 19, 2005 20:17:18 GMT 12
Here here! I agree entirely. the GA industry in the USA has already been hit hard by federal requirements such as fences and immobilisation devices etc to calm the media fuelled paranoia against light aircraft - taken to its extreme you have the example of Meigs Field in Chicago that was closed allegedly for security concerns. Perhaps the media may take note of some following facts: 1. Aircraft are not easy to "hotwire" the ignition switches are extremely complex and the right connections must be made to get both magnetos working - otherwise the engine will never run smoothly. 2. Light aircraft would do absoluely minimal damage to modern skyscrapers - examples from Italy and Florida have proven this. 3. It would be virtually impossible to load enough explosives onboard a light aircraft to cause significant damage to a building and actually get airborne. 4. Although most average "joe public" people would be able to take off, sucessfully and acurately flying the aircraft and navigating so as not to arouse the suspicions of the controllers (who monitor the Radar even if you are not flightplanned) takes a bit of skill and therefore training - with training comes access to the airport, so the security measures are pointless anyway. 5. Pre September 11 the most damaging terrorist act on US Soil was the Oklahoma City Bombing - which used a truck. Trucks are also often left unlocked, sometimes running, when drivers are making deliveries. They are easy to hotwire, and drivers would not need much more skill than any average car driver. They blend in with normal city traffic, and no one requires them to file thier intentions, get clearance into particular areas of city or anything like that. They can also carry several tonnes of explosive, should the terrorist wish.When are the media going to break into a truck to demonstrate the critical security risk they pose? are Truckies going to have to secure the trucks behind security fences when not in use - what about filing trip plans? Lets get on the medias case about such stupid, paranoid and harmful "Investigative Journalism."
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Post by corsair67 on Sept 19, 2005 21:30:00 GMT 12
Bruce, the media would never do the same thing with trucks: that might cause mass hysteria amongst the general public and a kneejerk reaction from the Govt! ;-)
Aircraft are dirty, noisy (they put the chooks off laying, and the cows off milking), of no real use to society and are downright dangerous; and the sooner they are banned, the better. Just look at what aeroplanes did to Hiroshima and Nagasaki!
Bring back the horse and cart, I say! :-)
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 19, 2005 23:15:52 GMT 12
Corsair67, I think this stupid report on aviation also aimed to cause mass hysteria and Govt kneejerking. I think if the result is not that, it has simply highlighted to the criminals how easy it would be to steal a plane for their own means (not terrorism, but joyriding or selling on, just like cars).
The truck scenario made me think, and this also applies to aircraft - why take the risk of getting caught by stealling a truck or aircraft for an acto of terrorism, when you can simply hire either easily, and in the case of an airliner walk onboard as a passenger. Both these methods, hiring the van/truck/plane and entering a plane as a passenger have been used many times by terrorists. How many have actually walked into an airport, stolen a plane, gotten airborne undetected, and managed to commit an act of mass murder? I don't recall any.
TV3 should also show how simple it is (the public MUST know of this danger) to baord a train or a bus too. That's how they did in in London, Palestine, and 'Speed'!
People in this country do not need this sort of reporting scaring them, and possibly causing unwarranted changes at aerodromes. Realistically, we're all in much more danger from speeding motorcades and unanswered 111 calls than terrorism.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 19, 2005 23:42:21 GMT 12
I just saw the report again on the late TV3 news - it has been edited! Not much better than before, but in the early one the report made a smart comment about the Mig 21 at Ardmore and that thiefs had lots of planes to choose from, naming the Catalina as one option. This time round there was no sign of the Cat and the Mig, though on screen, wasn't mentioned. I wonder if (hope) TV3 got a telling off from NZ Warbirds.
Peter Clark (Aviation Writer) was interviewed saying it's "very easy to hotwire an aircraft, just like it is a car, bus or tank". I know Bruce has a lot of experience with maintaining aircraft (and building them) and you say they are not easy. I think I'll believe you - it may be easy to an avionics technician, but not the average joe I'd suspect. And, why did they even bring up hotwiring when the weekend theft was with a key? And I wonder why he mentioned tank - are they that easy to hotwire too?
Generally TV3 are far better than any other NZ TV news coverage, especially on aviation matters, but this report by Rod Vaughn has really dropped the ball. It's only saving grace was it did make mention of the lack of an Air Force Strike Wing being a gap in security.
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Post by corsair67 on Sept 20, 2005 9:44:53 GMT 12
I was being sarcastic with the "mass hysteria and kneejerk reaction" comment; after all, isn't that what most 'investigative' journalism is all about? The media love to grab something and run with it until they've flogged it to death. In 3 months time, there probably won't even be a mention of this incident in the media as something else will have caught their eye e.g. glue-sniffing kids, Banks ripping homeowners off, the price of petrol, single mothers ripping off the Govt, etc, etc.
The news media and goldfish have a lot in common.
Anyway, I'm off to try and hotwire a Tank!
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Post by turboNZ on Sept 20, 2005 13:24:29 GMT 12
I'd like to see them try and hotwire the Mig-21. IIRC the one in at Oz had all of the resources of the RAAF just to get it in the air !!!! Trust them to be filming the big Cat as a terrorist weapon !!! TNZ
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Post by corsair67 on Sept 20, 2005 14:38:21 GMT 12
The Catalina - now there's a real weapon of terror. With a full tank of gas you could circle around, and around, and around for 20+ hours while threatening to crash into something, but the authorities wouldn't know when/where you were finally going to strike: you'd have the country on its knees faster than Helen ever could. ;-)
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Post by turboNZ on Sept 20, 2005 14:52:28 GMT 12
and the Police helo's could keep up with the Cat too with it's paltry 160knot top speed.... What would you be thinking... ;D
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Post by corsair67 on Sept 20, 2005 14:55:57 GMT 12
If you were in the Catalina you'd be thinking "Bugger, where are the auxillary jet engine controls?"
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Post by Bruce on Sept 20, 2005 16:48:35 GMT 12
Either that or "where are the 50 Cal beam guns..."
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