Aeronautical Perspective Paper

Aeronautical Science Perspective

January 1969 is the first time the FAA incorporated security measures with profiling and metal detectors. There have been a couple prominent changes since then Sky Marshall Program in 1970, the scanning of carry on bags and passengers in 1973, reinforced crew doors in 2001, explosion detection systems in 2002, and advanced imaging technology in 2010. The next evolution of security may come in the form of Biometric security. There are some positives and negatives that come along with it. Integrating this new technology could be a difference changer in securing the airways but it is going face opposition in the form of invasion of privacy.

One of the hardest parts of bringing along new technology is combating the issue of privacy and how far is to far. What level can we get to without overstepping the blurred lines of safe enough and then going to far and breaking the line of privacy? Which then asks is safety more important then ones privacy. When incorporating these new technologies it is a conversation that has to happen, and it can’t be with just ourselves. It has to incorporate our customers and employees. You have to find that happy medium with what the customer is willing to go through and what the employees are willing to do. If we step to far in either direction, the benefits of the safety measure will be lost.

Advanced imaging technology has been around now for close to 4 years. It is being used in more and more airports and is having some great success as it can see metallic and nonmetallic items. It does a good job at what is supposed to do but how much detail it gives can be problem as it crosses the line of a person’s privacy. The technology is almost too good. It leaves nothing to the imagination of the person sitting behind terminal monitoring the imaging equipment. What can we do to make this as effective without crossing the privacy line or is the privacy line something that we should...