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If you are a general aviation pilot and have not heard of the TSA’s (Transportation Security Administration) newest security directive, SD-08F, then I would advise you to familiarize yourself with it before June 1st, 2009. Starting on that day, all GA pilots based at airports where there is air carrier service must undergo a security threat assessment through fingerprinting, and receive an airport badge to have unescorted access to the airport operations area (AOA). The directive states that it only targets those who have regular, unescorted access to the AOA or SIDA (Security Identification Display Area) at commercial airports, and not those just stopping in for fuel. The lingering question is what defines regular? Is it based customers, pilots who fly in daily, or weekly?
It is unclear, but if you visit many of the same airports often, it is likely that you may have to obtain several different badges and be fingerprinted for each one. The costs of this will be passed along to the end user, your company. The approximate cost of a background check through fingerprinting is $150, in addition to an airpot badge of $20.
6 Responses to “TSA’s New Security Directive (SD-08F) Begins June 1st”
Luckily the airport where I hangar my BE58 is uncontrolled with no carrier traffic, otherwise I’d be rather upset about the fees. My neighbor bases his Sr22 at a field with commercial traffic and he hasn’t even heard of this!
Other than hearing about this from AOPA and NATA, I haven’t heard anything about this and I work at an FBO in Orlando… my GM hasn’t heard anything either. It seems TSA is either going to do a surprise attack or is planning to push this back even later.
I’m glad to see it won’t affect those just stopping in for fuel.
I remember when this directive was pushed back in December to June 1st, but it’s been incognito since then. I’m wondering if TSA will even go through with it. If they paid for the fingerprinting I wouldn’t have much beef for TSA, but I certainly do NOT want to have to pay $175 for a badge and background check.
Keep up updated if you hear anything else.
Here is your update, Brian.
http://www.airportchronicles.com/security-directive-sd-08g/
I’m a corporate pilot. I think we should have badges if we are flying in and out of sensitive areas. However; there should be only one badge for the entire country. We all have Medical certificates, we all have pilot certificates. Have the TSA or the FAA figure out a way to clear those of us who request to be cleared. In my opinion the TSA waists a lot of time, (witch equates to money that can be used for the background checks) shaking down little old ladies and gentlemen at airports.
I believe every pilots and a&p mechanic license should have a picture and should be i’d for every airport in the country. Of course each company should have a I’d. The escort policy is a waste of time for mechanics working on company aircraft at differant airports. This costs companies money to have escorts provided to them