Luke AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by civilization that complains about the noise from the base and its planes, forgetting that it was there long before they were… A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back. Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB… Continue reading A true story… Things are not always what they appear.
Category: Battle stations
Articles related to security, in aviation and beyond
Meeting Bashir and the ride to Suez
The story I am about to tell is nothing out of the ordinary. Actually I guess it is something that most Maritime Security Officers experience on a frequent basis. However, it is so ordinary that we don’t even give it a second thought anymore. But I am sure it will get a laugh out of… Continue reading Meeting Bashir and the ride to Suez
Security over the top…
Our contributor krisztian is on assignment on a ship somewhere on the North Atlantic but he had time to find for us a real gem about how security can be misunderstood of we are not careful. This story was also published by its author on Facebook but we wanted to share it also with the readers… Continue reading Security over the top…
How not to protect
An oldie, but still very current. This video shows the arrival of Condoleezza Rice at Brussels Airport. Diplomatic Security agent argues with a Belgian State Security agent and the protocol service, almost getting into a fight, WHILE Ms. Rice is already OUT OF THE PLANE and on her way down the stairs… Lessons learned: –… Continue reading How not to protect
European Parliament – The terrorists’ best friend?
They have done it again! After condemning full body scanners as being in conflict with human rights, the European Parliament now voted down the so called SWIFT accord, something that would have given US authorities more visibility of the funds being transferred between the world’s banks and hence would have enabled better tracking of the… Continue reading European Parliament – The terrorists’ best friend?
Safety briefing – the missing element
This blog is about air traffic management. But, by the nature of our business, we tend to travel more than the average citizen and the pilots among us spend half their life strapped to the aircraft that carry us around. So it is appropriate to say something for once as a passenger rather than the… Continue reading Safety briefing – the missing element
Is being blown up part of my human rights?
It is bad enough that aviation is the target of people hell bent on blowing things up. It is even worse that there are others in pretty high places who will help them… even if unwittingly. There is no point in denying that the aviation security system, including the extensive and supposedly fool-proof US elements,… Continue reading Is being blown up part of my human rights?
Visiting Djibouti… 4
Sweating it out… The heat didn’t seem to bother the locals, and especially not the people working with the national health service. As a welcome gesture from the land trapped between Eritrea and Somalia we received a thermometer in the ear and a H1N1 leaflet in the hand. Every passenger entering the Djibouti International Terminal… Continue reading Visiting Djibouti… 4
Only heroes and luck stop terrorists today
It has been a long time ago since the media last brought us news concerning the airlines and terrorism. Until Flight 253 of Delta Airlines departing Amsterdam bound for Detroit came in the news. Second day of Christmas brought us back to reality. If you want to know what happened, you can read all the… Continue reading Only heroes and luck stop terrorists today
Visiting Djibouti… 3
Addis and on Once the plane started its decent into Addis, we were happy to be able to stretch our legs a bit after such a long flight. From the window of the plane, we could see Ethiopia closing in. Little farm houses surrounded by large fields of green, divided by dark flows. Watching the… Continue reading Visiting Djibouti… 3