Posted on 08/09/2013 4:49:00 PM PDT by BenLurkin
NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) – A New Jersey man wanted to hide his movements from his boss. He ended up interfering with operations at a busy airport instead.
Now he’s facing a massive fine....
Gary Bojczak admitted buying an illegal GPS jammer to thwart the tracking device in his company vehicle, Aiello reported.
The problem was his work took him near Newark Liberty Airport, and his GPS jammer, which available online for less than $100, interfered with a new GPS-based guidance system called Smartpath being tested at the airport.
Federal agents tracked the jamming signal to Bojczak’s truck and this week hit him with a big fine — $32,000. Federal Aviation Administration is worried and is pushing to expand the use of GPS in aircraft. He said inexpensive jammers could cause big problems.
“To the extent these devices are out there and illegal, they have to send a message and pursue those jammers to make sure that they’re not anywhere near the airports, not being used at the airports,” Alexander said.
(Excerpt) Read more at newyork.cbslocal.com ...
Wow...all I can think of is how colossally stupid it was to reveal this information to the public.
There is only so much that better equipment can do. Receiving GPS with a GPS jammer is like trying to listen to a conversation with someone screaming in your ear.
“If a dishonest truck driver can disrupt a major airport’s traffic for avhundred bucks with no training, imagine what an enemy who actually intended harm could do with a national-level budget and intent.”
That noted, some stories are better left unreported.
Well, if your pilot is Sum Ting Wong, then that’s not much of a failsafe.
“”I will NEVER forget my 18 hour layover in that shit hole.”
You too? And the Red Carpet Club is the size of the men’s room. Had to nap on the floor.
Actually, the antiquated ILS glideslopes are beginning to be replaced in other parts of the world. Hanging on to those expensive dinosaurs if only the US and a few other countries still use them is unfeasible in even the medium run.
You have it exactly backwards. Kickbacks from Raytheon and others have held this at bay for three decades, with success due in part because cheaper GPS systems enable things like drug runners maiing instrument landings in a field someplace at night and in the rain.
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