I agree it's not a normal occurrence, but I was hired in exactly the way you say is impossible. I was an unknown to the company when they recruited me, But I was hired on the basis of a couple of phone interviews and work samples. Not only did I work from home, but everyone on my person team (and almost everyone else in the company) worked from home. There were several things that made it work though:
    1) The company was small, and owned by a relatively young and forward-thinking individual who realized telework could be beneficial for everyone.
    2) She only hired people with some significant experience under their belt, who didn't need constant hand-holding on what to do next. This also meant that everyone on the team was able to spot under-performers quickly.
    3) The work we did (system safety and systems engineering) was largely focused on research, analysis, and reporting & documenting findings. We had to travel to certain key meetings to either gather information or present findings, but in between we mostly just needed time to dive in and work.
    4) The team needs to check-in regularly enough to spot when someone is going off the rails with their work or simply slacking, but ultimately, you have to trust that people are working, and that they'll "out" themselves soon enough if they aren't.
    5) Part of the interview and evaluation process focused on writing and communication skills--if you're going to be remote, you have to have exceptional written and phone communication skills.

I spent 4 years working remotely, and (mostly) loved it. I still work for the same company, but I'm now on a project that requires my presence at the customer's office. It took me close to a year to get used to working in a cubicle again, and I'm certain my productivity took a hit. I've also learned some of the challenges of managing people who work remotely, but I now know better than to assume that people aren't working just because I don't see them. If you're working under someone who's never teleworked, be prepared to train them a bit: make sure they know what you're doing, why, the progress you're making, and why it's important. Overachieving in your first year offsite will put you in a much better place later.

So my advice to the OP would be to seek out smaller companies who need and want your skills, spend time in the interview emphasizing your communication abilities and any prior experience you have with working independently, have a few reasons why teleworking can benefit your employer (not just you), and be willing to negotiate a bit to get the arrangement you think will be a win-win.

I can tell you that Washington Dulles (IAD) airport, installed the Rapiscan backscatter machines in their brand-new security checkpoint that opened last year. They're still using them as of 2 weeks ago, and I've not heard any indication that they're planning to change to the millimeter wave detectors. That's a *very* major US airport, with a lot of people being exposed every day. Albuquerque (ABQ), on the other hand, uses the millimeter wave detectors, and that's a relatively small airport, even if it is the main one for its region.

Hmmm, I don't know where you're listening, but in my neck of the woods, I can get 8 or 10 different HD stations over a pretty wide area. I drove from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, NM (about 50 miles) yesterday, and I don't think I lost my lock on the HD station I was listening to more than once. The tuner you buy makes a big difference, as some tuners are much more sensitive than others, and can lock on to a weaker signal. They don't have to be insanely expensive, though--my car radio is quite reliable, and only cost about $150. It probably helps that all of the transmitters in Albuquerque are on top of a mountain that rises 4500 feet above the city. Still, I enjoy the HD channels, especially since our community radio station recently made the upgrade.