Small General Aviation Airports Make Target for Terrorists

At most small airports the pilots all know each other. They work on their planes side-by-side on the weekends and don't worry as their planes sit unlocked in the hangars.

But these smaller general aviation airports are vexing federal officials.

Earlier this year, a federal report detailed how terrorist cells have been eyeing general aviation airports and have discussed plans to steal aircraft or chartered planes or helicopters.

The Transportation Security Administration has made suggestions on how to secure airports but so far hasn't issued any mandates, said Andrea McCuley, a spokeswoman for the TSA.

"We work in partnership with the general aviation community," McCuley said. "They have been very proactive so far."

There are about 123 public use airports in Oklahoma that range from a bustling airport with paved runways to a grass strip that gets mowed once a month, said Lynn Pinson, airports inspector for the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission.

A standardized security system could be detrimental to these airports that thrive on spontaneous fly-ins and fueling stopovers.

"I would hate to see the day when I fly into Altus for a cup of coffee and I'm not able to get to my airplane without going through security," Pinson said. "It would be the nail in the coffin for general aviation."

The sense of community among pilots also is an asset in keeping airports safe. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has promoted an airport watch program and created a hot line for people to call in suspicious people.

"I don't feel like general aviation is much of a threat," Pinson said. "A Cessna is no more dangerous than a Chevrolet Suburban loaded with explosives."

Camaraderie among pilots doesn't negate the potential for terrorist activity, said John Mullins, director of security for Robinson Aviation Inc., an Oklahoma company that is auditing all of Virginia's general aviation airports and helping them develop security plans.

Virginia requires all general aviation airports to be certified and has secured federal funds to help pay for security improvements.

In Oklahoma, airports are working with the Federal Aviation Administration to evaluate security risks and make improvements. At the Guthrie-Edmond Regional Airport, plans for a perimeter security fence already are in the works, thanks to an FAA grant, said Glenn Crabtree, operations manager at the airport.

The airport, which has about 38,000 takeoffs and landings a year, will get the fence after its runway is expanded and renovated early next year.

"I don't think we have much threat here," Crabtree said. "Our pilots out here keep a pretty good eye on the airport."

Asking pilots to lock their airplanes is one of the cheapest ways to secure an airport, Mullins said. Locking up an airplane's throttle or propeller could keep the airplanes from getting into the wrong hands.

"You could pick up an airplane in Ardmore and crash into the stands at Texas Motor Speedway and kill more people than 9/11," Mullins said. "Pilots already have rules they have to follow at airports, why not ask them to lock up their planes?"