"This AD is a Security Controlled Airport" Really??

[BigPete]

Last Narromine I stopped at Griffith on the wy home to Echuca. Taxied to the aircraft parking area across from the Griffith Aero clubrooms and went inside to have lunch and a cuppa (as did half of the Narromine crowd on their way home). :thumb_up:

 

I don't think I spotted a single ASIC card on display. :confused::confused:

 

So my qestions are:

 

1. do I assume that if I leave the airport thru the RPT loung/access point I will need an ASIC card to get back thru the Passenger Terminal to my aircraft?

 

2. Have I (and many others) allready broken a law (by not having or displayed an ASIC card? Although I didn't leave the area?

 

3. Is this a similar scenario at other airports? (your airport?)

 

regards

 

 

[Kaz]

1. do I assume that if I leave the airport thru the RPT loung/access point I will need an ASIC card to get back thru the Passenger Terminal to my aircraft?

Legally, yes.

 

2. Have I (and many others) allready broken a law (by not having or displayed an ASIC card? Although I didn't leave the area?

Yes

 

3. Is this a similar scenario at other airports? (your airport?)

I expect it is, smaller airports are less likely to have AFP turn up checking ASICs so people don't follow the rules.

My opinion to anyone in this situation, if you don't wear your ASIC, be willing to take responsibility, pay the penalty and not whinge about it later. There are a lot of stupid laws out there but it doesn't mean we can pick and choose which ones we follow.

 

If you don't have an ASIC and you want to land at a security controlled aerodrome there are ways to get around it. They just require a little pre planning.

 

 

[BigPete]

And that Kaz - is why I started this thread :big_grin: - how do you get around the ASIC with the pre plan bit?

 

regards

 

:big_grin::big_grin:

 

 

[Kaz]

The legally correct way woule be to contact the airfield managers before hand and arrange an Airport Visitor Card. The holder of an Airport Visitor Card must be sponsored by a valid ASIC holder, demonstrate a lawful purpose and produce photo identification. The holder of an Airport Visitor Card must be supervised by an ASIC holder at all times while in the security area.

 

The "good second choice" way would be to arrange to be met by any ASIC card holder and get escorted directly to and from your plane by them. I'm not sure if this is legal but I would hope any offical person would see it as a responsible thing to do if the first option isn't available.

 

 

[Guest Flyer40]

I haven't read the legislation, but I get the feeling we've all (airport operators included) been misled into an overly strict but false interpretation of the rules.

 

I read all the correspondence that was mailed out in the lead up to the introduction of the new ASIC regime. Then I looked at ERSA and saw where it said "This AD is a Security Controlled Airport". It was easy to conclude that it meant the entire AD was security controlled 24/7. But AFAIK it never actually said that.

 

But maybe that's not the case. Maybe the security control only applies to the RPT area, and, only when an RPT operation is in progress. In which case, non-ASIC holders should be enjoying significantly more freedom than they currently are.

 

Does anyone have a link to the actual legislation?

 

 

[Matt]

Link to the DOTARS ASIC details...remembering this is a DOTARS mandate, not CASA.

 

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/transport/security/aviation/factsheet/fact13.aspx

 

 

[Kaz]

Get back to work Matt!

 

Have fun reading Flyer!

 

The legislation relating to the ASIC scheme is the Aviation Transport Security Act 2004, the Aviation Transport Security Regulations 2005, the AusCheck Regulations 2007 and the AusCheck Act 2007.

 

A brief summary in dot point form would be good!

 

 

[Guest Flyer40]

Oh boy, I'll get around to that some time soon.

 

Thanks for the links.

 

 

[BigPete]

After reading the DOTARS ASIC document it occurs to me that I (and others) may not have broken the law as reported in the above post(s).

 

Quote 1.

 

"An ASIC is required to obtain unescorted access to the secure areas of security controlled airports that have regular public transport (RPT) services."

 

As I don't believe I entered a secured area at the Griffiths airport, then I don't need the card. BUT - how are secured areas defined - signs? Painted lines? coloured areas?.

 

Is there a standard method of defining secure/restricted areas at all airports wth RPT? (and if not, why not?)

 

It seems to me that if I can be trusted to fly into places like Griffiths, Narandera, Parks, West Wyalong. etc - and all I want to do is refuel, have a whizz, stretch my legs and have a bite to eat (usually accomodated by the local flying club) then what is the problem?

 

Quote 2

 

"Visitors who need to access the airside area or any landside security zone of the airport need to wear a visitor identification card (VIC) and they must be supervised by a person displaying a valid ASIC until they leave that area or zone."

 

Well - fair enough - but that's not me. Unless, of course, the only toilets and food available are in the terminal building. (In which case I'll plan accordingly and try for another airport.)

 

Quote 3

 

"A person must display a red ASIC to access the security restricted area of an airport and either a red or a grey ASIC to access the rest of the secure areas."

 

The magic words are "secure(d) areas" How's this for a fix. If an airport only has one, two or even three RPT's a day then:

 

1. The airport is deemed a security area 30 minutes prior to and after the sceduled RPT event. You could even have pre-recorded messages tellng people to vacate the area unless they have the (ASIC) card.

 

2. Print the times in the ERSA - if they change then use a NOTAM until the new ERSA with the updated times arrive.

 

3. Everyone's happy! (Well we no that aint true, but hopefully most of us will be)

 

anyway - food for thought?

 

regards

 

 

[Guest AusDarren]

Hi Pete,

 

At Moorabbin, the ASIC area is a very small area marked with a painted blue line on the tarmac around where King Island Airlines Pull up.

 

When you fly into moorabbin, you need to exit the tarmac through the gate under the tower, that gate allows you to swipe a credit card to give you accesss to get back to your plane.

 

of course you could exit through a FBO, as long as you planned to go back to your plane when their office was open.

 

Regards,

 

AusDarren

 

 

[Mazda]

I think there are also some unofficial "understandings" - and at Griffith I think the Aero Club has had words with security!

 

 

[BigPete]

This is the kind of information we need. If most airports define their secure areas like Moorabbin, then most of us wll be able to visit and take on fuel etc etc...

 

Can those of us that are lucky/unlucky enough to fly out of a "Security Controlled Airport" please seek a genuine answer from those that should know (like a security officer) and report back to this forum?

 

regards

 

 

[Guest Flyer40]

Count Gold Coast out. They're doing a good imitation of Bankstown and doing all they can to make GA unwelcome. They don't provide public toilets to the GA area, which says it all.

 

The entire AD is security controlled, including the GA area which is not even physically connected to the RPT area.

 

 

[youngmic]

Jandakot airport has a security fence all the way around it (a good thing) but aside from 2 gates which maybe a looong way from where you have parked, all other gates require a unique and specific (to JT) E gate card.

 

You need only pay a one off $20.00 deposit for this card, you must of course present proof of ID, either actual or forged when applying. The deposit will be refunded upon your death when you present yourself again with proof of ID at the relevant controlling authorities counter.

 

I don't think Jandakot airport is a security controlled airport as it was deemed impossible for any terrorists or others to infiltrate airside via the general public open gate under the cover of darkness and remove a $20.00 padlock from the approved security device fitted to all the lighties. But in the extremely rare event that a terrorist or other could negotiate their way through an open gate under the cover of darkness and remove a whole padlock it was then considered highly unlikely for them to inflict their dastardly act upon a sleeping city CBD or suburbia as the distance of 15nm from JT to the CBD is considered outside the capability of a typical lighty.

 

Even in the event that an extremely highly trained terroist could overcome these obstacles probably the worst he/she could do is perhaps steal one of the parked Dromaders and fill its 3000L hopper with a diesel/ammonium nitrate brew, the detonation of which would barely wake the local dogs in a quiet suburban neighborhood, let alone say a heavy sleeper.

 

Now the country airport in Newman, in WA's remote Pilbara region, well that's another story.... a veritable seething cesspit of fundamentalists eager to launch them selves at the occasional overnighting R22 left waiting and unsupervised and ready to strike out at any number of our capital cities on its mission of evil.

 

Hence this airports security controlled designation and the pin coded 3m high barbed wired gate, supported by the 1m high 4 strand sheep fence. In keeping with DOTAR's legislation for security controlled airports the gate pin code will only be handed out to those that request the code by phone or other means from the airport manager and are prepared to give their full name and aircraft registration, such as for example Achmed Bin Liner capt. of VH-ABC.

 

M

 

 

[IanR]

I wrote to the minister a while ago and got a response which seems to confirm the point that an airport can be security controlled at certain times and not others. While I don't have the letter any more I did post on the other forum Parallels H-Sphere