SD board to consider flight school ordinance
Foreign flight students to be better screened
Airplane Generic
Posted: 09/07/2012
Last Updated:
257 days ago
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego County Board of Supervisors next week will consider supporting federal legislation to tighten scrutiny on foreign nationals who attempt to receive flight training in the U.S.
At their Tuesday meeting, the supervisors will also consider a proposed local ordinance to require 11 flight schools that operate at San Diego County-run airports to comply with vetting and screening programs for foreign students.
The proposal by Supervisor Dianne Jacob calls it a "travesty" that nearly 11 years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, federal agencies have not done enough to prevent a reoccurrence. She cited a July report from the General Accounting Office that said foreign nationals who are security risks could use loopholes in order to receive flight training.
Several of the Sept. 11 hijackers lived in San Diego, but did not receive flight training in the area. Several of the others trained in other cities.
HR 6159 would require all foreign nationals who apply to flight schools be checked against a terrorist watch list.
The federal bill has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Transportation.
On Monday (Sept. 10), the 10News I-Team uncovers how many flight schools in San Diego are training foreign pilots without background checks. Also see the ominous warning the I-Team found written by an FAA safety inspector that the TSA ignored.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. City News Service contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.