“We don’t need no badges. I don’t have to show you any stinkin’ badges!” is the exact line from the 1948 movie The Treasure of the Sierra Madre starring Humphrey Bogart. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer was a bit more polite in his response to the TSA plan to require background checks and security badges for general aviation pilots based at airports that have commercial service. In a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Schweitzer called the TSA proposal “an unfunded mandate, without clear rationale or justification.” He added that the costly background checks would be an unduly onerous requirement on pilots, and the airport would be faced with the administrative costs. The Montana governor said that GA pilots have not shown themselves to be a terrorist threat, and the program, as proposed, is not necessary. In other words …
Montana Governor’s Message Harks Back to a Bogart Movie
Key Takeaways:
- The TSA proposed requiring general aviation pilots based at commercial airports to undergo background checks and obtain security badges.
- Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer opposed this plan, calling it an unfunded mandate lacking clear rationale.
- Schweitzer argued the proposal would impose undue financial and administrative burdens on pilots and airports, and that GA pilots have not demonstrated a terrorist threat.
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