In A Quiet Oshkosh Corner, Progress With TSA

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AirVenture at Oshkosh gets lots of attention for the spectacular aircraft and aviators it attracts, but in a less visible way, it’s also a place to get things done. Everybody is gathered in one place, out of their offices and in a collegial atmosphere, and plenty of meetings are scheduled where decisions are made and the cause of GA is advanced, without much fanfare. One of those meetings took place on Friday afternoon, when EAA and AOPA staffers met with TSA and the Bureau of Customs & Border Protection (CBP) to discuss ways of improving border crossings without imposing unnecessary burdens on general aviation aircraft. The goal of the meeting was not to change policies, but to open the channels of communication. Randy Hansen, of EAA, explained to the federal officials that under current rules, GA aircraft operators must get two different approvals from two different agencies with different procedures and forms.

“We’d like to see the two systems married up under the Department of Homeland Security,” Hansen said, “with the data transferable between outgoing and incoming approvals, and either TSA or CBP handling both types of approval.” The TSA officials came to Oshkosh, in part, to better understand GA and its concerns, EAA said.

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