JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. -- As travelers adjust to new security measures at major commuter airports, pilots and passengers at small airports are also feeling the effects of the terrorist attacks.

This weekend, officials eased a ban on most private planes flying over major cities that had been in effect since the Sept. 11 attacks. A ban on media helicopters was still in effect Monday.

Private pilots were allowed to start flying again, but with some new rules.

The most important change is known as the "30-mile rule," Airtracker 7 Pilot Rich Westra reported.

"The FAA has put a 30 mile circle around DIA. If you're flying within the 30 miles, you must be under the control of air traffic controllers, meaning they decide your altitude and direction," Westra said.

"If you're flying outside that 30 miles, you don't have to talk with air traffic controllers," he said.

Because of the new rules, flight schools can begin training flights again. Training flights had been banned for the past two weeks.

Officials Say Small Charter Security Needs Review

Some people might incorrectly believe that because there are fewer people on charter flights, it's easier to enforce tight security measures, 7NEWS reported.

Currently, there is virtually no oversight or screening to make sure that security requirements are met -- but that is expected to change.

Roughly 100 charter flights take off and land at Jefferson County Airport on an average day. The only security screening they go through is what the charter companies do themselves.

"It's mostly up to the business in the field to make sure they know who's on their ramp areas and who's getting on their aircraft," airport manager Jeff Price said.

"It's probably the weakest link in the chain right now," retired FAA official Dennis Dayton said.

There's no independent monitoring or screening.

"It would be extremely easy to get on one of those aircraft and cause some damage if you wanted to, and that's something that will take some major reworking in the future," Dayton said.

Airport experts predict that changes will happen in the very near future.

"We expect changes to come down, quite honestly, and I think that would be a good thing at this point, because that's an area of the industry that hasn't really been touched in a long time and it's probably time that the FAA starting taking a look at that," Price said.

It is important to emphasize that there have not been any problems at all with security on charter flights, and charter companies -- like everyone else -- are implementing tighter security, 7NEWS reported.

Even so, new FAA requirements can be expected.