PDX based Skywest pilots and FAs...
 

Over here at QX, we are losing our Port of Portland issued orange badges. The company says there is nothing they can do, blah, blah, blah. What I am wondering is whether you have heard of a similar change to your security status at PDX? If you think it's too sensitive a topic to post openly, please PM me. It's important to our pilot group that we know whether, or how, the company is trying to screw us over this time.

Thanks,

Fokker28

Why are you losing your badges? Don't you need them to do your job effectively?

How does a badget stop you from doing your job "effectively?" :confused:

Is that your SIDA badge? I'm not PDX based but I’m assuming a Port of Portland Badge would be? Unfortunately each airport has the right to govern their badges. I personally would love to see a universal national SIDA badge although I see the reasoning behind not having one. This is one of the main reasons I’m seriously looking into becoming an FFDO.

Ameriflight pilots at PDX are not issued the PoP badges but the Line Service personnel are, since they have to travel over to UPS and ABX in ground vehicles. I would assume the Port's reasoning is that pilots don't have reason to be on the ramp in areas where their aircraft are not.

Has anyone been questioned, warned, or denied entry to the ramp for not having a PoP badge?

Yep, the SIDA badge, which we have always had in the past. Not having the badge be a big hassle. Our SIDA badges never gave us the 'right' to be outside our lease areas anyway, so that part doesn't change. The main effect is to force us through the screening checkpoints where we didn't have to in the past. Doesn't sound like too big a deal, but due to the volume of flight crews we move around in PDX, it will have a sizable impact.

Oh, well. At least the Menzies folks can still use the bypass doors with their bulging daypacks everyday.

Ahhhh, nevermind. I guess the SITA badge doesn't really give you any special privlidge other than bypassing security, which you're not supposed to do if you're flying. For some reason I thought you had to have one to access the ramp, crew room and maintenance hangar but apparently I remember wrong. Had I not been wrong, one would obviously be obstructed from doing their job as a pilot.

I threw "effectively" in there as an ineffective attempt at a sarcastic tone. Savvy?

Makes you feel safe, doesn't it?

The main pain about lacking a SIDA badge is accessing the crew room. Right now it's a straight shot, but without a SIDA badge it could involve a hike all the way out to the A-gates and back depending on whether anyone is staffing the B-gates or not. Plus the whole going through security thing. Any contact with the TSA puts me in a bad mood to start my day.

Well that's just... postively bureaucratic. I usually don't pass through terminals while on duty, so I didn't realize the impact it could have.