Flight School Security Awareness Training for Aircraft and Simulators

October 26, 2004
Scenarios – Flight School with Airplanes

Question
When entering the gates to the flight school training facility you see a man standing outside of the fence taking pictures. The man seems to be taking all sorts of pictures including aircraft taking off and landing, aircraft on the parking ramp, and photos of the hanger.

Answer
Your first response should be to question the individual. In many parts of the world, including the U.S., there are clubs and individuals that are aviation enthusiasts. Their hobby is simply capturing images of aircraft and tail markings. Additionally, many people interested in aviation or even tourists may stop to take pictures of aircraft taking off and landing. However, there is also the element which is taking the same type of images and using that information to track take off and landings of aircraft. While there is no way to determine who is who in this instance, the best response is to question the individual. If you feel the person(s) activities fall outside that of the hobbyist or aviation enthusiast, contact your supervisor. They will take appropriate follow-on actions which may include reporting the incident to the GA hotline.

Question
While walking on the flight line you see an unfamiliar man who appears to be altering an aircraft’s registration number. Taking a closer look, you realize that he is using tape to cover-up and alter one of the numbers on the aircraft’s registration. He has changed the “8” to look like a “0”.

Answer
Your first response should be to contact a supervisor. Aircraft registration numbers that have been removed, changed, or altered should raise suspicion and be reported to a supervisor immediately. They will investigate the issue and take appropriate follow-on actions to ensure the proper authorities and/or agencies are notified, i.e., the GA hotline.

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