STUPID PRANK OR A DEMONSTRATION OF VULNERABILITY?

Stupid prank or not, people get killed when aerial maneuvers go awry. Here is a 17-year old pilot and some similarly stupid friends joyriding in a rental plane.

According to the CharlotteObserver.com...

FAA reviewing football fly-over

"A 17-year-old Hopewell High student was apparently acting on a dare when he did a fly-over prank at a Hopewell High football game Friday, at one point dipping below the stadium lights."

"Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials said Sunday that the teen pilot and two teen passengers flew the length of the field three times around 8 p.m. The plane reportedly came within feet of a flag pole."

"On the final pass, a pair of tennis shoes and a football dropped from the single-engine Cessna 172 into the end zone, officials said."

At the very least, the FAA should permanently revoke the pilot's license for performing aerial maneuvers over a crowd, endangering his passengers and dropping foreign objects from the aircraft. I don't care whether or not the kid loves to fly, plans a career in aviation or plans to join a military aviation program -- he loses his license for life as a warning to those who even anticipate future stunts involving aircraft.

As for the FBO (fixed base operator) who rented the plane without adequately questioning the flight plan of the 17-year old pilot, he should be sanctioned and perhaps forced to forego rental income until they place more restrictive measures in place.

This is NOT FUNNY and it demands the immediate attention of the Department of Homeland Defense. As a proponent of civil aviation, I believe that responsible pilots should be allowed to enjoy their hobby unmolested by unnecessary regulations and restrictions. However, we are living in dangerous times and a small aircraft with its limited payload could kill a large number of people just as dead as if they were located in the twin-towers on 9/11.

This is not a call for restrain or tolerance. It is a call for swift, certain and severe punishment as a warning to others who fly with reckless abandon.

Civil aviation has been crippled over the years by those who want to turn our small airports into "craft centers" for the socially conscious and other non-aviation users. They want to limit the use of light aircraft and cut the length of runways below safe minimums. They want to impose draconian "noise abatement" restrictions even though an airport was established before any housing tracts and people purchasing area homes knew of the airport's existence prior to purchase. One need only to review the recent history of Santa Monica Airport(SMO), one of the oldest and finest civil aviation airports in the United States, at the hands of the social progressives that run the People's Republic of Santa Monica (California) to see what the future of civil aviation may become if stunts of this nature are tolerated and treated lightly.

What can YOU do?

Demand that any pilot engaged in unsafe aerial maneuvers be severely punished. Lesser punishment can be meted out for accidental mistakes and never for deliberate actions.

Demand that the Department of Homeland Defense and your local civil aviation authorities restrict the rental of aircraft to those with a legitimate purpose and who file a flight plan with the FSS. (Flight Service Station)

And while you are at it...

Demand that your local officials restrict airport property for aviation-related activities.

Demand that the limousine liberals who use our nation's small airports for their own convenience, support the small airports that their friends are trying so hard to abolish.

Demand that the FAA abandon their mission of assisting and promoting the aircraft industry and return to enforcing rules and regulations that the public assumes is their primary mission. No more serving dual masters where economic and political considerations may outweigh public safety. Perhaps they can take a lesson from the NTSB which eschews politics and let's the chips fall where they may.

Civil aviation brings a great deal of utility and joy to a great number of people. Over the years it has become increasingly expensive to simply fly a hundred miles for a hamburger at another local airport -- simply for the joy of flying. We need to preserve these traditions and blend them into a plan to protect the population from terrorists. I am sure it can be done if everybody will take a common-sense approach to civil aviation.

-- steve

A reminder from OneCitizenSpeaking.com: a large improvement can result from a small change…

The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. -- Marcus Aurelius

Reference Links:

Charlotte Observer | 11/04/2007 | FAA reviewing football fly-over

Comments

[Walt Shiel]

As a 4o-year veteran Air Force and civilian pilot, I agree with almost everything you said. However, the FBO has no responsibility to question a renter's flight plan. He does have a right to know where you're taking his airplane and that you are properly qualified to do so. If I'm on a local flight, I have no obligation to lay out a specific route of flight.

In fact, local or not, I have no obligation to even file a flight plan. If a pilot files a flight plan, it is no guarantee he will fly that route if going VFR (or won't refile airborne if going IFR).

Flight plans and increased restrictions will have zero effect on those determined to violate the rules, which this youngster already did. What makes you think he wouldn't file one flight plan and then do something totally different? It can be done so easily.

The non-pilot population erroneously assumes that flight plans provide some security. They really don't. I'd rather my wife know what I plan to do than the FAA. She will care whether I show up; the FAA might...eventually.

====================================
Walt,

First, thanks for your comments. Your points are valid and well-taken.

However, I do believe that the FBO needs to impose tighter common-sense controls... especially when it is someone under the age of 21.

I grew up at Santa Monica Airport in an era when, as an 8-year old, I could wash planes and bum rides. A different era. My FBO was run by an old ex-wac, Gil Gunnell, (Gunnell Aviation) who could almost tell what you were thinking. If anyone, and especially Claire Walters and the 99's, though you were messing up -- you were in a world of hurt: "no flying for you young man!" It was a great aviation community that looked out for each other.

We were taught to file and close flight plans for all flights, especially local flights in and around the Santa Monica Mountains. Not because it was required, but because it was and is a good habit that saves lives. Ask the Civil Air Patrol (SMO - Squadron 51). It had nothing to do with security and everything to do with instilling a degree of professionalism. There was no kick the tires, light the fire and go!

After earning our FBO's trust, we could take any previously unscheduled planes when we wanted and return the key to the scheduling clipboard. We lived in mortal fear of violating regs and thought our GADO people had eyes everywhere.

Screw-ups were weeded out quickly. One of my best friends, to this very day, was the head of SMO security.

I just think that the FBO should have known more about the character of his young pilot renter. I agree that small FBOs, are dying off quickly and should not be held legally culpable.

Anyway, thanks for your comments. May the rest of your days be CAVU. -- steve