It's been 37 months since 9/11.

U.S. Begins Tighter Flight School Checks


By ELIZABETH WOLFE, Associated Press Writer

October 22, 2004

WASHINGTON - The federal government has begun conducting background checks
on all foreigners seeking to attend U.S. flight schools, the Transportation
Security Administration said Friday.

The expanded security measures, aimed in part at preventing potential
terrorists from taking pilot lessons here as some of the Sept. 11 hijackers
did, now apply to any foreigner seeking flight training in the United
States, not just those learning to fly larger aircraft. As well, those who
want to attend flight school for a second time - for certification to fly a
different classification of aircraft, for example - will need to have their
backgrounds checked again.


Previously, only those training on aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or more
had their backgrounds checked.


"Fortifying security by knowing who trains at these schools is an integral
part of our mission to secure the homeland," said TSA chief David Stone,
whose agency expanded the pool to include smaller aircraft on Wednesday.


The new rules follow the TSA's takeover of the program from the Justice
Department on Oct. 5. All foreign applicants, including certified pilots,
will have to undergo TSA checks starting Dec. 19.


The Justice Department has said 30,000 foreigners applied to U.S. flight
schools last year.


Under the Justice Department program, they were required to provide
fingerprints, passport and visa information and the type of training sought.
Since the TSA took over, applicants have had to submit another set of
fingerprints.


Terrorism suspect Zacarias Moussaoui, the only U.S. defendant accused of
participating in the al-Qaida Sept. 11 plot, was arrested a month prior to
the attacks when he aroused suspicions at a flight school. One of the Sept.
11 hijackers rented small aircraft several times in the summer before the
attacks for practice flights.


TSA's security checks do not apply to foreign students already in training
or enrolled in flight schools, though they are required for pilots training
for another level or type of aircraft.


That has raised financial concerns among U.S. schools training pilots for
foreign airlines, said Steven Daun, director of career training at
Aeroservice Aviation Center in Virginia Gardens, Fla.


"We understand the need for national security, but you can't penalize the
people who have already been cleared as not being a threat," he said.


This month, Daun noticed that foreign airlines have begun moving their
flight training offshore to avoid a costly wait in the United States for
another background check.


Though he agreed with additional scrutiny of individuals seeking pilot
lessons, Daun argued that more security checks for many foreign airline
pilots is needless since they have often already been fingerprinted and
checked by their airline, for U.S. visas and by the Justice Department when
it ran the program.


Other components of the new security assessments include a $130 application
fee, and requirements for flight schools to give TSA photographs of students
and provide their own staff with annual security awareness training.


___


On the Net:


Transportation Security Administration: http://www.tsa.gov

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...ight_schools_1

pixonik wrote:

It's been 37 months since 9/11.

U.S. Begins Tighter Flight School Checks

By ELIZABETH WOLFE, Associated Press Writer

October 22, 2004

WASHINGTON - The federal government has begun conducting background checks
on all foreigners seeking to attend U.S. flight schools, the Transportation
Security Administration said Friday.

The expanded security measures, aimed in part at preventing potential
terrorists from taking pilot lessons here as some of the Sept. 11 hijackers
did, now apply to any foreigner seeking flight training in the United
States, not just those learning to fly larger aircraft. As well, those who
want to attend flight school for a second time - for certification to fly a
different classification of aircraft, for example - will need to have their
backgrounds checked again.

Previously, only those training on aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or more
had their backgrounds checked.

"Fortifying security by knowing who trains at these schools is an integral
part of our mission to secure the homeland," said TSA chief David Stone,
whose agency expanded the pool to include smaller aircraft on Wednesday.

The new rules follow the TSA's takeover of the program from the Justice
Department on Oct. 5. All foreign applicants, including certified pilots,
will have to undergo TSA checks starting Dec. 19.

The Justice Department has said 30,000 foreigners applied to U.S. flight
schools last year.

Under the Justice Department program, they were required to provide
fingerprints, passport and visa information and the type of training sought.
Since the TSA took over, applicants have had to submit another set of
fingerprints.

Terrorism suspect Zacarias Moussaoui, the only U.S. defendant accused of
participating in the al-Qaida Sept. 11 plot, was arrested a month prior to
the attacks when he aroused suspicions at a flight school. One of the Sept.
11 hijackers rented small aircraft several times in the summer before the
attacks for practice flights.

TSA's security checks do not apply to foreign students already in training
or enrolled in flight schools, though they are required for pilots training
for another level or type of aircraft.

That has raised financial concerns among U.S. schools training pilots for
foreign airlines, said Steven Daun, director of career training at
Aeroservice Aviation Center in Virginia Gardens, Fla.

"We understand the need for national security, but you can't penalize the
people who have already been cleared as not being a threat," he said.

This month, Daun noticed that foreign airlines have begun moving their
flight training offshore to avoid a costly wait in the United States for
another background check.

Though he agreed with additional scrutiny of individuals seeking pilot
lessons, Daun argued that more security checks for many foreign airline
pilots is needless since they have often already been fingerprinted and
checked by their airline, for U.S. visas and by the Justice Department when
it ran the program.

Other components of the new security assessments include a $130 application
fee, and requirements for flight schools to give TSA photographs of students
and provide their own staff with annual security awareness training.

___

On the Net:

Transportation Security Administration: http://www.tsa.gov

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...ight_schools_1

Does Canada even have a flight school?

dxAce
Michigan
USA