WPCNR SKY NEWS. By John F. Bailey. October 16, 2005: An unauthorized flight of a Cessna Citation VII jetcraft from the tarmac of St. Augustine Airport last week by a commercially licensed pilot who flew the 527 MPH 848 KPH (maximum speeds) jet from St. Augustine Florida 350 miles to Briscoe Field in Lawrenceville Georgia prompted a news conference today by County Executive Andy Spano and U.S. Senator Charles Schumer.
County Executive Andy Spano enlisted Senator Charles Schumer's clout to get the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration to respond to the County Executive's calls for tighter security at private airports and to require flight plans to be filed by pilots of general aviation (private) aircraft. Spano renewed his call for private plane pilots to file flight plans, but said he would not, on his own, require them of private pilots departing Westchester County Airport because only the FAA has the authority to do so.
The Case of the Commandeered Cessna: The unauthorized flight of a Cessna Citation VII jet, like this one, last week from St. Augustine by a 22 year old licensed commercial pilot, Daniel Wolcott, who according to friends he invited aboard the plane, simply walked up to the $7 Million plane, entered it and took off from the St. Augustine Airport, prompted a news conference today at Westchester County Airport by County Executive Andy Spano and United States Senator Charles Schumer. Photo, Courtesy of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
County Executive Andy Spano said he sought Senator Charles Schumer’s help today to get the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration to pay attention to Spano’s call for tighter, conscientious security at private airports. He said neither the FAA nor the Department of Homeland Security, whom he had written in July calling for flight plans for all aircraft leaving airports, including general aviation pilots had given him a response. Photo by WPCNR News
Senator Schumer praised Westchester County as being very safe and said its security procedures for general aviation aircraft, its perimeter fencing, its identification system, background checks and security patrols should be the model for all private airports nationally. Schumer did not say how he personally was going to follow up with the Department of Homeland Security or the FAA.
However, WPCNR has learned from Peter Scherrer, Assistant Airport Manager of Westchester County Airport that prior to the unauthorized flight of the Cessna jet, Westchester County Airport had been discussing tighter identification checks and procedures for persons, pilots, aircraft owners entering the airport seeking access to their planes. He did not provide details of what measures the airport was considering, but said they were looking the issue of how authorized owners and personnel gain access to their aircraft.
Note: Please be advised that the Citation VII flies a maximum speed of 527 MPH and 848 KPH. In an earlier edition of this story, WPCNR exchange MPH for KPH. Thanks to Jonathan Appel for that catch.
