Posted on 01/21/2002 9:18:43 AM PST by expose
Edited on 04/13/2004 3:36:08 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- Federal authorities are interested observers as the big flight school here, with 1,200 aviation students and instructors logging 85,000 air hours a year, begins to install a fingerprint-scanning system to control access to its fleet of 118 airplanes.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
The fiery Ohio Democrat, who is under indictment by the Justice Department, says the FAA sent over 2,800 pilot licenses to Middle Eastern post office boxes with no physical addresses.
Traficant, an outspoken critic of the Justice Department and the IRS, says the corruption charges against him are part of a campaign to silence him.
I remmber the first time I flew into Sarasota/Bradenton. The drug smugglers had just started using planes to fly drugs into the US. The attendant asked me if I wanted to rent a "Prop Chain". A Prop Chain turned out to be a large metal chain that was wrapped around the props and then locked. I asked why I would want to do that? He replied it all depended on if I wanted my plane to be there when I got back. It seems my plane was one the ones that could make it from Columbia to the US with out refueling.
I have never seen prop chains in the north. Most planes on small airports could be easily stolen in a very few seconds by anyone who wants to steal them.
This is like trying to keep kids from gettting beer by puting up ahuge fense around the brewery. The problem is there is a carryout on every corner.
A pilot license is not worth a warm pitcher of spit. It is good for life but it will not let you fly or rent a plane. To do that a pilot has to have a current medical certificate issued by an FAA approved doctor and have passed a flight review by an FAA certified check pilot. Pilots have to be retested based on the type of pilot license they have as often as every 6 months.
As usual Trafficant is fooling the suckers with information that means nothing. With out the other certifications and the certified entries in the pilot's log books a license is worthless.
You don't need any kind of license to steal a plane. But to get one legally you have to have passed the check ride and have a current medical. FBO's that rent airplanes today, call the FAA examiner who signed your log book to check you out. The sign off has to have a valid FFA approved examiners FAA number and name. The airplane rental places check with the FAA to see if a guy is legit before they will rent a plane. Many FBO's will not rent a plane to a guy they have not known for a log time.
It is not like renting a ryder truck and driving it in front of a federal building full of explosives. All that takes is a fake drivers license.
Planes are a lot tougher and Trafficant knows it. He depends on ignorant people not knowing the truth. Be sure to visit Trafficant in prison. They just elimintated his congressional district in Ohio. He has zero chance of staying in congress and he is going to get to move to the big house with his best buddies.
DID THE FAA DO THIS?
But, you can steal a plane and be able to fly it if you've had the training.
FAA mailed thousands of pilot licenses to post office boxes in Arab nations
I can't verify the story, but I can tell you that in Saudi Arabia, virtually every address is a post office box. A mailman delivering to the door might (gasp) see a woman with her face uncovered. For the same reason, there is no pizza delivery even though American style pizza restaurants (minus the pork products) abound.
BINLADIN * TARIK MOHAMMED *, PO BOX 953, JEDDAH 21421, SAUDI ARABIA
Source=FL, $1,469.66 Type:Mature CD's or SavingsBINLADEN ABDULAZIZ, P O BOX 7563 JEDDAL SAUDI AR
Reported By: WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., BERKELEY MAIN OFFICE
Amount: $1,783.00
Type of Property: Savings accounts/credit union Account
"NEW YORK - A detailed FBI list of people being sought for questioning about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks includes Florida residents who shared a post office box in Saudi Arabia, a man with a "LAST-DAY-11" e-mail address and the German girlfriend of one of the hijackers."
By Rick Wiles
American Freedom News
January 18, 2002
Congressman James Traficant Jr. has accused the Federal Aviation Administration of sending official certification to pilot an aircraft to nearly 6,000 foreign nationals. The fiery Ohio Democrat, who is under indictment by the Justice Department, says the FAA sent over 2,800 pilot licenses to Middle Eastern post office boxes with no physical addresses. Traficant, an outspoken critic of the Justice Department and the IRS, says the corruption charges against him are part of a campaign to silence him.
Congressman Traficant sent a letter in late December to David Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, to request an investigation into the licensing procedures for pilots by the FAA.
Although the Ohio Democrat publicly mentioned the accusation on Fox News Channel’s Hannity and Colmes program, Fox News and the other national news media services ignored the explosive charge.
Just days after the September 11th attacks on America, Traficant initiated an investigation of his own to identify loopholes in U.S. rules, regulations, and practices that could place the nation at further risk. A significant national security breach emerged in the databases of the FAA in regard to the licensing of foreign pilots.
After studying the database for over thirty countries, some of which are state sponsors of terrorism and many of which are known to harbor terrorists, in just three years more than 5,400 foreign nationals received official FAA certification to pilot a plane. All of these licenses were sent to foreign addresses in countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Sudan, Yemen and many others. Of the 5,400 individuals, over 2,800 listed no physical address abroad and instead provided the FAA with only a post office box address.
Traficant is concerned that the United States could have trained America's enemies who are determined to destroy America with that training. "The FAA may have supplied Bin Laden with an air force legally certified to attack America," Traficant stated yesterday on the House floor.
The General Accounting Office (GAO) is the investigative unit of Congress. Due to the limited amount of information being made available by FAA, Traficant has asked the GAO to undertake its own investigation to determine the level of threat that exists, as is evident by the attacks of September 11th, and to assist Congress with the urgent legislative repairs that will be needed to ensure the safety of all Americans.
Traficant intends to spearhead these efforts as he has in the past with other national security measures.
ATASH * T *, 4D550527, PO BOX 402474, MIAMI, FL, Source=FL, , $112.22 Type:Expense Checks
MOUSSAOUI * Z M *, , , , Source=FL, , $198.17
ATTA MOHAMMAD H, 6150 EL LOHAM BL 235, SAN DIEGO, CA, 0040000000000, Source=CA, AccountNumber=011492759, , $306.00CALIF
SECURITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE CONCERNING AFGHANISTAN ISSUES
"* Usama Bin Laden (individual) (a.k.a. Usama Bin Muhammed Bin Awad, Osama Bin Laden)- DOB 30 Jul 57; POB Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Alt. POB Yemen.
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