Thousands of Aliens In U.S. Flight Schools Illegally
February 27, 2008 by national
Filed under Homeland Security News
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Thousands of foreign student pilots have been able to enroll and obtain pilot licenses from U.S. flight schools, despite tough laws passed in the wake of the 9/ll attacks, according to internal government documents obtained by ABC News.
“Some of the very same conditions that allowed the 9-11 tragedy to happen in the first place are still very much in existence today,” wrote one regional security official to his boss at the TSA, the Transportation Security Administration.
“Thousands of aliens, some of whom may very well pose a threat to this country, are taking flight lessons, being granted FAA certifications and are flying planes,” wrote the TSA official, Richard A. Horn, in 2005, complaining that the students did not have the proper visas.
Under the new laws, American flight schools are only supposed to provide pilot training to foreign students who have been given a background check by the TSA and have a specific type of visa.
But in thousands of cases that has not happened, according to the documents and current and former government officials involved in the program.
Thought you might find this story interesting. I’m a big fan of “nationalterroralert.com”… This is just more proof that Homeland Security is more cosmetic than actual security.
Is the Homeland Security – U.S.A. able to send an alarm to my e- mail address
in advent of attack of sorts as i don’t or have any information available much here
in Australia .
Yours truly
G.Stewart .
Flight schools should be fined and given a warning for enrolling foreign students without the proper visas and thorough background investigation. They are endangering the United States again for such actions.
Some of my best experiences were connected with flying in the USA, there is nothing I look forward to more than a trip to Florida with my Wife, and a chance to fly in clear blue sky. My flight in Florida was in Oct 2000, the next visit was in Mar 2002, but the difference was vast, the atmosphere of fear thet gripped America could be felt every where. I remember my hastily arranged interview with the FAA appointed guy, prior to solo flight. A very millitary looking guy, came to the FTO, and took me to an office and talked to me for about 20min, at the end of the interview, we had agreed that we should just Nuke Afganistan!! My Wife and I flew a lot around Florida that trip, one one trip we flew into Venice, to visit Sharky’s restaraunt on the beech. Unable to get a taxi, a guy from Hoffman aviation, gave us and a number of other couples waiting a ride to the beech. The conversation soon turned to the hijackers, and the guy driving told us his. He told us the same thing, that appered in the papers post 911, how Atta, was odd or even evil. We returned to Orlando in Nov last year, and went to the usual FTO, to find, much to my surprise that we were, apart from the instructors, the only English speakers there. As my trip progressed I found that most flight schools were the same, the question sprung to my mind. If most of these young guys & girls come from developing countries, with little or no infastructure, what information can theri respective states hold on them for the TSA or other agencies to check. One thing that i have found out over the years, that the world is run by “pen pushers”, and without a paper trail they can’t function. If an applicant ticks all the right boxes, then entry is assured! Don’t think America is alone in this problem, in between my visit’s to the USA, I have completed my commercial pilots licence. I have met Algerians in Oxford, with whom I had the misfortune be roomed in their accomodation block. While watching Tv in the lounge on night the film Black Hawk Down came on, as the Blackhawk was shot down in the film the Algerians cheered! Next school was in Moncton, NB, Canada, this was full of young guys from China, who I must admit were very polite and respectful. My final school was in Spain, and it was just a mixture from all over the world. What I an trying to say, is that, Flight Training has become big business, and foriegn training contracts offer big bucks, and a secure income for a flight school. Some schools may be prepared to overlook a few strange students, for the good of the school. My own belief is that the next 911, will happen from the other side of the flight deck door. All the security measures put onboard since the 911 attacks will only offer more protection to the future hijackers. I pray to God that I am totally wrong, but knowing the long term aims of the Islamic terrorist, and their dedication to a life of terror, i think it is only a matter of time until they make it onto the flight deck again…..
My future wife, got her pilot rating easy, she is from Denmark.
This was in 1992.
Things do not change easy here.
When are we going to stop being complacent about issuing fines to these schools who continue to provide flight lessons to foreigners. These agencies need to have to report to the FCC and Homeland Security agencies all the names of every person who wants to take flight lessons. Also, they need to mention the manner of payment since these people of terror tend to pay cash for their lessons. The US may also need to start a new sub branch of Homeland Security to make frequent unannounced checks on all these schools and if needed maybe some of these people who operate these schools need to be arrested. Then maybe they will take security of our skies more seriously.
I am an “alien pilot” (not be confused with UFO pilots) that flies (only earthly airplanes, not UFOs) so often here in the United States.
I always amaze at how naive and paranoid media can be, and the people that comment on it.
Most humans are good people. And like most other US citizen, I am a law abiding, good person that pays taxes, and enjoy what this country and the world have to offer.
I fly for fun – flying has been my passion for long. I fly with family and friends, on short and long trips, and I do fly over “sensitive areas” routinely like everyone else. I have no intention to cause any harm to anyone, especially myself.
After the horrific incidents of Sep. 11, 2001, I did have to go through a comprehensive background evaluation, and was cleared by TSA.
But let me assure you that, no amount of theoretical paper-trail bound background check can find anything about me, other than what my flying instructor and my flight school owner can know about me.
They are the ones that know me at the personal level, and on a day to day basis.
I could be a US citizen, been a good one, and one day some thing can snap in my head to do something very bad. Same holds for a non-citizen too.
I have cleared my TSA and been a good “alien pilot”… but can something snap in me some day to do something bad … sure yes!
Who can prevent that? My flight instructor and flight school owner that will meet me just the minutes before I take the plane out.
Now, the other aspect of this entire thing is General Aviation. What this term “General Aviation” means is the number of small planes that most of us learn to fly on our own for our own pleasure. These planes cannot do more harm than any automobile on the road.
The Sep. 11 incidents were not from this segment of aviation, but “Commercial Aviation” – the big airlines of the world. So, don’t bark against the wrong tree either.
Let us “alien pilots” have our freedom of flying small airplanes, as we do our cars and motorbikes. No harm in that! Actually it helps the economy and contributes good to the society.