ipms33206 Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 (edited) This year the Blue Angels in the Big Sky Airshow is being held here in Bozeman. Has not been here since July 2001. Man I was looking forward to it until the 'officials' published the security measures for the day. 1) No Coolers, cold bags or any type of container will be allowed. 2) All folding chairs cannot be in their carry bags, must be loose. 3) No more than 1 bottle of water per person through the gate. 4) All camera bags will be completely unpacked by security. (This is actually a violation of Montana law. This must be done by TSA or a police officer. And I also hold a press pass) 5) No back packs, fanny packs or carry bags of any kind. Not to vent, but what the...?????? Has anybody else run into this kind of insanity while trying to attend an airshow lately? I don't know if I will go or not. It will be hot so water is kind of a necessity. Food and water vendors will be very small. Edited July 8, 2007 by ipms33206 Link to post Share on other sites
Fouga23 Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 the world has gone crazy! Link to post Share on other sites
FlyingSnowmew Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 It has been that way for the past few years at the Dayton airshow. Link to post Share on other sites
Liberator24 Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 We have been very BLESSED around here....we have been able to violate those rules without any issues at last years shows at: Tyndall 07 Pensacola Home coming 06 Jax 06 and the Titusville Show in Cocoa They are there but they have been very understanding to us... Link to post Share on other sites
f14tomcat Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 Yes, Not to bad a problem. I get there early normally and have not ran into too many problems. Wayne Link to post Share on other sites
BAM'n'IVM Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 It hasn't been that restrictive at the airshows I've been to in the past year or two. Maybe we're more relaxed in Texas. Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Shropshire Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 would you rather be next to no restrictions and some idiot smuggle something in a kill a couple hundred people? True, it's a pain sometimes, but if you think ahead, there should be no problems. Just remember the world has changed and the USA has become a target. Link to post Share on other sites
P-38 guy Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 It has been that way for the past few years at the Dayton airshow. I saw people wheeling in big coolers last year at Dayton. As far as camera bag (at any air show) they have only gave a quick look inside and have never had to unpack. I like to travel light so all I carry is the camera bag and maybe a chair. I do miss taking a back pack but a larger camera bag can take care of that. Mike Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 (edited) The Scott AFB Airshow is this weekend and they published the following restrictions. Permitted items: comfortable shoes, ( I guess uncomfortable ones are not allowed) lawn chairs ear plugs sun screen cameras, (bags will be inspected and cameras must be proven to be operable) diaper bags, (will be inspected, no comment about operability) pen for autographs strollers, cannot be used to carry personal belongings wagons, for kids only Prohibited items: Backpacks Fannypacks Coolers multi-tools knives, including pocket knives weapons contraband (???) helium balloons pets tents awnings beach umbrellas cooking equipment music producing devices bikes roller blades scooters skateboards WATER BOTTLES. They didn't mention the new "wheelie shoes", but they probably are taboo also. The temperature is forcast in the low to mid 90s. The published guidelines recommend drinking a minimum of one gallon of water per person. You can buy water at $6 per 20 oz bottle which is over $36 per gallon. a family of four will have to spend $144 just on water if they spend the day at the airshow. That is insane to say the least. I had planned on attending today, but after thinking about it a little bit, decided not to. I am not going to risk dehydration, nor am I going to pay $36 for a gallon of water that was donated by a local beverage supply company. Darwin Edited July 8, 2007 by yardbird78 Link to post Share on other sites
raptor22 Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 I hope they haven't changed that at Nellis... I've been permitted to go in with my backpack at the airshows... Link to post Share on other sites
Spruemeister Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 I know its like that if you attend a show at an active airbase. Offutt is like that, at least. There are even folks who meet you several hundred yards from the entry points to ask if your bag is a purse or a camera bag. I had to down size my camera bag and leave equipment in the car too. Just carried the basic body and two lenses. Back when I was still doing film, they searched every film container too. No drink containers period. Which probably had more to do with vendors and their $2 bottled water, and $4 hotdogs (a I should be building a model! for another topic). Civil airports and airshows I've been to didn't have this stringent security. Rick L. Link to post Share on other sites
hazmatt Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 They usually check packs/camera bags but don't forget how many people will be in line so they probably won't necessarily unpack the entire thing. They'll probably just have a little stick and move things around to check. At MacDill this year, there were more people than I have ever seen at an airshow and they only picked through bags and stuff. Matt Link to post Share on other sites
ipms33206 Posted July 8, 2007 Author Share Posted July 8, 2007 This show is at a civil airport. It does have some commercial activity, but the show is at the opposite end of the field. The show in 2001 had almost no security. And there was no problems. Link to post Share on other sites
phantom Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 When we went to Disney World last year, our bags we searched. When we went to Washington, bomb sniffing dogs checked our van. I would rather be searched then dead. If searches are NOT done it just makes it too easy. Now, I know all about searches, its easy to miss things. But if you don not look at all, you find and prevent NOTHING. Link to post Share on other sites
kap64 Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 I went to one worse than that a couple of years ago. Most of those restrictions applied once you finally got in. You had to drive your car into some sort video or sensor thing where you pulled up into some rig where the Marine guided you in. Then some other Marines looked at your car on some small video screens from under a tent. Looked a little like an airport x-ray thing. After a couple of minutes of this, we had to drive up to the next check point where you had to exit the car and open the trunk, hood, all doors so they could look it over and under and put the dogs in it and the mirrors under it. Then we got to actually drive to the parking area. Got in line for the search and metal detectors, like being at the airport. On the plus side, I got a really good parking spot. Link to post Share on other sites
Liberator24 Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 Phantom brought up Disney, So I thought I would share some funnies for you.. Disney checks everyone for driver's license at the hotels, but taxi's are waved through without any checks. No background checks for employment, so about four years ago, one of the top drug dealers from South America was working in the monorails sitting guests....he was on the run, where else would you work. and last... There are structures in the Downtown Disney parking lots for security personel to watch over the area... Two weeks ago, a LARGE pipe bomb was placed next to a garbage can on the sidewalk where the security tower is located, and no one noticed till Orange County happened to be driving through checking for illegally pakred vehicles and noticed the object.... Any rules are good things. True some go to extreme, but we are dealing with some morons out there who like to get on TV. And truthfully, how many of us watch it? How does the song go? Something about Dirty Laundry? -Jim Link to post Share on other sites
Johnopfor Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 I know its like that if you attend a show at an active airbase. Offutt is like that, at least. There are even folks who meet you several hundred yards from the entry points to ask if your bag is a purse or a camera bag. I had to down size my camera bag and leave equipment in the car too. Just carried the basic body and two lenses. Back when I was still doing film, they searched every film container too. No drink containers period. Which probably had more to do with vendors and their $2 bottled water, and $4 hotdogs (a I should be building a model! for another topic). Civil airports and airshows I've been to didn't have this stringent security.Rick L. I think that the ban on coolers and backpacks at Offutt has more to do with the vendors than with security. Not very many people will be willing to pay "bend over and take it hard" prices for hotdogs and sodas if they were able to bring thier own food. Link to post Share on other sites
Horrido Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 (edited) And after all the marvelous searching, the thugs can still get through, walk over to a different part of the fence, where their buddies can slip stuff over/under/through it so they can do their dirty work, anyway. I have yet to see any "safety" or "security" inspection that wasn't just for show. I typically carry three pocket knives (little Swiss army, 3 in lockblade for general use, and a 3.5 in for personal defense) and a kubotan (just a 5 in piece of 1/2 in cast aluminum rod) key-chain. Security at Fairchild in 2004 just told me to take the two larger pocket knives back to my car, looked at the kubotan, became confused and quizzical, and let me through with it. I could have just put the knives back in my pocket and gone through, as they didn't bother to check me the second time round (my honesty is going to come back to haunt me, eventually). Oddly enough, back in the pre-9/11 days of airport security, I learned that my kubotan is classified as a "deadly weapon" and not allowed through airport check-points, while my 3.5 in knife was considered perfectly acceptable. Anyone care to explain to me how that made sense? lol A rather popular quote by Ben Franklin constantly rings in my ears... Edited July 8, 2007 by Horrido Link to post Share on other sites
hazmatt Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 And after all the marvelous searching, the thugs can still get through, walk over to a different part of the fence, where their buddies can slip stuff over/under/through it so they can do their dirty work, anyway.I have yet to see any "safety" or "security" inspection that wasn't just for show. I typically carry three pocket knives (little Swiss army, 3 in lockblade for general use, and a 3.5 in for personal defense) and a kubotan (just a 5 in piece of 1/2 in cast aluminum rod) key-chain. Security at Fairchild in 2004 just told me to take the two larger pocket knives back to my car, looked at the kubotan, became confused and quizzical, and let me through with it. I could have just put the knives back in my pocket and gone through, as they didn't bother to check me the second time round (my honesty is going to come back to haunt me, eventually). Oddly enough, back in the pre-9/11 days of airport security, I learned that my kubotan is classified as a "deadly weapon" and not allowed through airport check-points, while my 3.5 in knife was considered perfectly acceptable. Anyone care to explain to me how that made sense? lol A rather popular quote by Ben Franklin constantly rings in my ears... Odd story- When my two brothers and I went to Jacksonville airshow last year, they were doing the "hold the stuff in your pockets in your hands and get magnetic wand waived". Well my brother has a pocket knife in his pocket and forgets to put it in his hands. Well the guy says no go and he has to go all the way back to the car and put up. My brother notices a guy next to us with a knife in his hand being let through. He asks "what the"? The security guy says "If it was in your hands, you'd be let through." My brother asks if he can just take it out of his pocket and put it in his hands. Nope. Gotta go put it in the car. Matt Link to post Share on other sites
otis252 Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 In the world we live in today, I don't see the problem. But That's just me. Chuck Link to post Share on other sites
Tomcat7742 Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 The rules are very similiar at Langley AFB and NAS Oceana, havn't really had a problem with it. It's just like going to a concert or anything else now days, even the football games at my old high school are like that. Heck after 9/11 NAS Norfolk stopped having air shows all together. Made me mad, that was my favorite one to go to every year. Link to post Share on other sites
Darius at home Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 would you rather be next to no restrictions and some idiot smuggle something in a kill a couple hundred people? True, it's a pain sometimes, but if you think ahead, there should be no problems. Just remember the world has changed and the USA has become a target. It depends upon how much freedom one is willing to forfeit in order not to have the terrorists take it away. At some point one may actually be fulfilling some of the aims of "terror". Just my 2p worth... Darius Link to post Share on other sites
arkhunter2002 Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 (edited) I just got home from Scott AFB's Saturday show (spent the night in southern IL and drove up today) and they asked me if I was carrying a knife or anything that could be used as a weapon, they unpacked the chair from the bag, repacked it for me, and then sent me on my way. I carried a gatorade in with me and they didn't say anything. They had their dogs working, and a couple patrols of airmen armed with M-4's and then a couple individuals walking through the crowd at the airshow with M-16's. Edit: about the water, there were fountains and stuff to refill the water bottle (no clue on the temp of the water) and then there was a cooling area right by the B-2 and I think there was free water. Honestly, I think that security was reasonable. Edited July 8, 2007 by arkhunter2002 Link to post Share on other sites
j-fever Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 (edited) 3) No more than 1 bottle of water per person through the gate. Sounds like a scam to sell over-priced water at the show. I suggest bringing a "Water Cooler" 2 gallon Jug! would you rather be next to no restrictions and some idiot smuggle something in a kill a couple hundred people? True, it's a pain sometimes, but if you think ahead, there should be no problems. Just remember the world has changed and the USA has become a target. Planning ahead is a good idea! Living in fear is not. Edited July 8, 2007 by j-fever Link to post Share on other sites
ipms33206 Posted July 8, 2007 Author Share Posted July 8, 2007 Thw water bottles have to be 1 litre or less! I know that they want to rip off everybody with the vendors. But if the last show is like this one, all of the water and food was gone by noon. And there was no place to refill bottles. I agree that we do need to be more vigilant in our observations with people and their actions. But I do not beleive that we have to give up everything we are fighting for. When I went to Disneyland in the summer of 2005, I only had my large beltpack searched once and that was very quick. I went in and out of the park at least 10 times in the 4 days I spent there. I also went to Malmstrom AFB to see the museum which is through the gates and not on the 'civilian' side. My camera bag was not checked and either was the car. All I had to do was show my ID. And remind you that this is a nuke base! Link to post Share on other sites
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