Sun Country pilot with loaded gun at Fla. airport jailed; his MN permit not accepted

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National Reciprocity now.





http://www.startribune.com/sun-coun...aded-gun-at-fla-airport-checkpoint/498832931/




Sun Country pilot with loaded gun at Fla. airport jailed; his MN permit not accepted

Police say his Minnesota permit to carry is not recognized by Florida.
By Paul Walsh Star Tribune

OCTOBER 28, 2018 — 4:06PM

A Minnetonka man who flies for Twin Cities-based Sun Country Airlines was arrested after trying to get a loaded handgun through security at a Florida airport, according to authorities.

Brian A. Machtemes, 54, was arrested Friday night at the Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers and booked in jail on suspicion of having an unlicensed firearm, a felony. Machtemes posted bond, was released less than 2 hours later and given a Nov. 26 court date.
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I don't know of an airport in the country where a concealed-carry permit gets you past the TSA checkpoint and into the boarding area. He should have known the law and that carrying his concealed-carry weapon was illegal.
The were some pilots who received special air marshal training and were allowed to carry onto the airplane, but that apparently wasn't the case here.
 
Wow. I am a pilot. (no longer current) Flew in and out of Florida a lot , in fact. I never, ever would have considered walking into a security checkpoint carrying/loaded. We could fill several pages here discussing what the laws should be , but in the meantime we have to keep our butts out of the slammer and (in the case of a commercial pilot) our employment status secure.

Would Mr. Machtemes have thought it a good idea to sashay through security carrying if he were a passenger? I doubt it... A pilot license does not give you some kind of high level security clearance. A pilot license ain't no badge.
 
A pilot with an FFDO (Federal Flight Deck Officer) is a pilot certified as a federal law enforcement officer who may legally carry a gun aboard an aircraft. They don't typically carry .380 pistols (at least none I have ever met and I know/have known more than a few). Simply walking up to a TSA checkpoint with a gun un your bag does not get you through in ANY state regardless of your occupation. Many airports even have designated police officers to take care of law enforcement behind the checkpoints.

https://www.tsa.gov/about/federal-flight-deck-officer
 
My guess is this was his first time and/or an error. It isn't like guns go pouring through the checkpoints every day, particularly now that most of the scanners and x-ray systems have been upgraded. I used to fly every day and it never ceased to amaze me how many people got stopped at the checkpoint and for what reasons. One of the more memorable items I can recall was a belt of .50-cal ammo on the wall above the checkpoint (there were other items up there as well). That's not to say that nothing has ever gotten past the checkpoints, but they catch a lot. I can't see a professional airline pilot risking his job daily to try and sneak his Kel-Tec past security.
 
I'm pretty sure that he forgot it was in his bag. There's absolutely no way a commercial pilot would "think" he could carry that through a checkpoint. Even if he was certified as a FFDO pilot. A commercial pilot cannot even carry a spare set of silverware in his bag through the checkpoint (even though once in the air the flight attendant is going to hand him the exact same silverware). Although I have met quite a few incredibly stupid pilots. If you work at an airport for years you see things that you can't even believe. Like taxing an aircraft up to a fuel truck or trying to taxi away with the wheels still chocked or with the aircraft still tied down (used to see that almost every day) or taking off heavily loaded with a tailwind. My favorite was a well known heart surgeon who just picked his plane up after having the brakes replaced and the mechanic told him to taxi around and warm them up "a little" - so he taxis around for 15 minutes while standing hard on the brakes and sets them on fire. The look on his face was priceless. When we got to him he was attempting to put the fire out (which was directly under the wing's fuel tanks) with a little fire extinguisher. Unbelieveable.
 
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Drail said:
I'm pretty sure that he forgot it was in his bag. There's absolutely no way a commercial pilot would "think" he could carry that through a checkpoint. Even if he was certified as a FFDO pilot. A commercial pilot cannot even carry a spare set of silverware in his bag through the checkpoint (even though once in the air the flight attendant is going to hand him the exact same silverware). Although I have met quite a few incredibly stupid pilots. If you work at an airport for years you see things that you can't even believe. Like taxing an aircraft up to a fuel truck or trying to taxi away with the wheels still chocked or with the aircraft still tied down (used to see that almost every day) or taking off heavily loaded with a tailwind. My favorite was a well known heart surgeon who just picked his plane up after having the brakes replaced and the mechanic told him to taxi around and warm them up "a little" - so he taxis around for 15 minutes while standing hard on the brakes and sets them on fire. The look on his face was priceless. When we got to him he was attempting to put the fire out (which was directly under the wing's fuel tanks) with a little fire extinguisher. Unbelieveable.
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I don't know. Someone who forgets they are carrying a gun probably shouldn't be.

I was a Federal LEO who carried a gun on every domestic flight I made, business or pleasure for 30 years pre and post 9/11. I met the criteria and met all requirements. When I retired I didn't "forget" and knew my gun had to be in checked baggage. There are requirements for a pilot to carry a gun in the cockpit as others have mentioned.

JMO
 
Yup. Really stupid requirements like lugging a small safe around to keep the gun in and being required to lock the gun up EVERY time the cockpit door is opened. Want some coffee or use the latrine? - gotta lock up the gun. My favorite has to be the infamous "approved FFDO holster" with a big honkin' padlock through the trigger guard. Google it. Seriously? All of this goes right into the "unnecessary and dumb gun handling" category. It seems like the whole idea is to convince pilots that it's just not worth the trouble to even carry a sidearm. A lot of pilots agree with me on that. I absolutely agree with "someone who forgets they are carrying a gun probably shouldn't be". Oh yes indeed.
 
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He must have used his airline suitcase for a road trip in his car, but if so, he never looked for the handgun when he drove home? Or he wasn't consistent in which deep flap/pocket to store it and had a serious personal problem at home, consuming his thinking.
To be with Sun Country, he is Far from a novice in aviation.

A number of former coworkers (until I retired) were/are FFDOs. It's a very involved process requiring over five days of intense tng. in NM with their issued HK USP .40., only after passing the most extensive background investigation.
Those guys can't make much of a mistake with their small black containers. Their unique Federal ID badge allows them different access to an airport concourse. It's sometimes hard to distinguish between them and the other type of "federal".
 
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Carrying a loaded gun through a TSA checkpoint is a federal crime. It isn't legal anywhere. His permit or lack of reciprocity has nothing to do with it.

I carry often enough that it feels like second nature and I don't always register I have a gun on my belt. I took a step into my local post office and realized "Whoops!", and did an about face to disarm myself at my vehicle. This dude screwed up. Bummer.
 
BSA1 said:
Or how about taking the responsibility to check with what States recognize his Minnesota Conceal Carry Permit?

It is easier and quicker than learning to fly a plane.

I fail to understand why gun owners want to give the Federal Government more authority over our right to carry firearms.
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EXACTLY! :thumbup:
 
While he was in the wrong, this is also caused by certain states (MN) deciding other states' permits aren't good enough, and causing a tit-for-tat with reciprocity. MN initially accepted more states than they did currently, (including FL's) but the DFL pushed for stricter requirements for honoring permits, and dropped a bunch of states. It's been showing up in the political ads, the DCCC has been touting that "<insert R candidate's name here> voted to allow gun owner's from other states to carry in MN" as a reason to vote against them. I live in WI, but I'd know who to vote for in MN thanks to the DCCC.

I'd like to see where one wouldn't need to even bother with National Reciprocity, or CCW permits, because the law would be applied to PERSONAL CONDUCT!
i.e. laws would apply to one's actual actions. Sadly, several generations would have to pass even if every newborn from here on were to somehow adhere to such a code of ethics.
 
Even if he isn't convicted for some reason, I have a feeling his airline having to pay interrupted flight passengers for hotels, meals, and a $200 travel voucher is not going to bode well for his future employment prospects.
 
His next flying job might be flying small twin turboprops (i.e. Twin Otters) over the jungles of New Guinea or if fortunate, flying night freight in Dubai with a free hotel room as lodging.
 
We might not like the restrictions imposed by certain laws, but we are bound by them until they are changed.
Ignorance of the law is not a defense.
 
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