Sacramento-area pilot punished for YouTube video
George Warren|News10ABC
SACRAMENTO, CA – An airline pilot is being disciplined by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for posting video on YouTube pointing out what he believes are serious flaws in airport security.
Update: Whistleblowing pilot explains why he did it
The 50-year-old pilot, who lives outside Sacramento, asked that neither he nor his airline be identified. He has worked for the airline for more than a decade and was deputized by the TSA to carry a gun in the cockpit.
He is also a helicopter test pilot in the Army Reserve and flew missions for the United Nations in Macedonia.
Three days after he posted a series of six video clips recorded with a cell phone camera at San Francisco International Airport, four federal air marshals and two sheriff’s deputies arrived at his house to confiscate his federally-issued firearm. The pilot recorded that event as well and provided all the video to News10.
At the same time as the federal marshals took the pilot’s gun, a deputy sheriff asked him to surrender his state-issued permit to carry a concealed weapon.
A follow-up letter from the sheriff’s department said the CCW permit would be reevaluated following the outcome of the federal investigation.
The YouTube videos, posted Nov. 28, show what the pilot calls the irony of flight crews being forced to go through TSA screening while ground crew who service the aircraft are able to access secure areas simply by swiping a card.
This is how the system is set up. The employees on the ground are issued a badge that gives them access to the terminal, to move about freely and work. Can you imagine the chaos at the security checkpoint when Wendy’s needs to restock?
The airlines will not agree to a “crew id” card for the crews to use to bypass security. They all want their individual cards or none at all.
So the TSA and DHS simply said, you get screened. They want to give the crews a break, but the airlines won’t help out.
Like I said, It was all hype to get attention. He lost his job over what? He himself had the ultimate exemption.
Nothing will change. It can’t. What he insinuates to be done, will shut down every airport.
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