Advantages of Being Seen as a Threat by the Border Patrol or Having a Personal Emergency Service

With the perceived increase in smuggler traffic, especially those crossing the border in light sport aircraft, flying around the Boot Heel of New Mexico can get pretty interesting at times. One of the side effects of this increase in aerial traffic is the Border Patrol’s increased awareness. Border Patrol visits are a regular occurrence at the Sky Gypsy Complex when someone is up flying. The visiting agents are generally unknowledgeable about the aircraft, its capabilities, or requirements and require some briefing before they begin to understand. What is unfortunate for them is that they get calls about us on a regular basis and an agent is dispatched to drive down from Lordsburg or up from Douglas and then around the Boot Heel looking for us. While some pilots may bristle at the idea of the Border Patrol watching them fly, there is a different way to view the situation. If I were to experience an engine failure or have some other problem that required landing out some place I can be assured that assistance will arrive promptly where ever I land, and this is a good thing. With 1200 square miles of big empty open E class airspace over the high desert, landing out in some remote area is always a possibility. But with the Border Patrol following us around watching us fly we have a built-in safety net. While I’m out Aerotrekking or taking pictures and filming in some remote area I can be assured that the Border Patrol has my back.