[gonzo]

"...Several hundred private and chartered jets are scheduled into Houston this weekend. There is no security for them in either boarding, screening or baggage..."

"...These concerns were with us during last year's Superbowl and amounted to nothing. But our enemy is patient and we cannot let our guard down..."

Never fear, nevergore. There IS security in place, and it starts with the filing of a flight plan, a required item for a private jet of any kind.

Nobody could get near the bowl location without a working transponder, and no-one gets 'under' the radar.

I expect the folks at the game will have quite the high-altitude air show............FRegards

[nevergore]

Sorry Gonzo...As a commercial instrument rated pilot I know the system well.... a filed flight plan doesn't provide security just a path and destination...file it to any airport surrounding Houston...once you are within 20 nautical miles of the Superbowl, deviate your flight plan...180 seconds away from impact at full throttle.

The transponsder is turned on and off by the piolt and is part of the preflight. Again, just turn the switch off...

FAA radar doesn't cover to the ground but usually several hundred to a thousand feet above the ground. The radar on military jets get's confused with ground clutter and is somewhat ineffective in trying to identify targets close to the ground. A visual identification for target aquisition is darn near impossible with the time constraints.

Heck, Departure Control in Atlanta (ATL)doesn't even pick up my transponder until I'm amost 1200ft out of Cobb County Airport (RYY)....

About the best defense we could put in place is a Patriot Missle Battery around the Superbowl perimeter and hope for a quick reaction from the crew.

There is NO security for private aircraft. If you feel secure then the feeling is based on faulty data.

NeverGore