AOPA Pilot Blog: Reporting Points

Release the crabs!! The New York Police Department’s aviation unit used a helicopter and night vision goggles to pursue four men trying to take 200 horseshoe crabs out of Sheepshead Bay, reports the New York Times.  The police arrested two of the four suspects.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Two unusual landings. School children at Brevard Elementary School in North Carolina got quite a show when a Cessna 182 made an emergency landing on their soccer field, reports the Rocky Mount Telegram. The children at Chairville Elementary School in Medford, Pa., got a similar thrill when a Marine CH-46E helicopter landed at their school, reports PhillyBurbs.com.

Good thing no one was home. A pilot was forced to make an emergency landing right at the door of a home in Eatonville, Wash., reports Q13FOX.com.  The pilot said he was trying to avoid a rain squall.

Any landing is a good landing.  The pilot of a Beechcraft BE55 was forced to do a belly landing at John Wayne Airport reports the Newport Beach Patch. The pilot was was uninjured, but the airport was forced to close a runway for about an hour.

Drugs and rock ‘n roll? I’m shocked (not)! The original members of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath recently admitted that during their heyday in the 1970s they had cocaine flown to them via private planes, reports The List.

We’ll end the week with this new Embraer video — Legacy 500 – “The Unbelievable” – starring action star and company ambassador Jackie Chan. Enjoy!

Do the crime, do the time.  Stephen Paul Riley of Olney, Texas, is facing 10 years of hard time for shooting several times at a crop-dusting aircraft that flew over his property, reports WFAA-TV.  Olney had threatened to shoot any aircraft flying over his ranch.

Maybe a catching a ride on a different private jet might have been wise. Costa Rica’s President Laura Chinchilla has found herself in hot water after taking trips to Venezuela and Peru on the private jet of Gabriel Morales Fallon, a Colombian who is suspected to be linked to drug trafficking, reports the Raw Story. She blamed the flight on a “chain of lapses.”

Somebody needs to write a check.  The Australian Maritime Safety Authority says two hoax rescue calls cost $20,000 and wasted resources, reports the Herald Sun.  The first call was about an aircraft crashing off the coast of Perth, while call two was about a pilot crashing into a tree.

Let’s go to the video tape! A botanist who experienced a serious leg injury during research had to be rescued by a Los Angeles County sheriff’s helicopter crew, reports LA Observed. One of the helicopter’s crew recorded the rescue.

It’s always good when you can walk away.  And 84-year-old pilot walked away with minor injuries after an emergency landing of his Cessna 170, reports Livermore Patch.  Another pilot survived after his Tiger Moth biplane crashed just short of the runway at Lyden Airport, reports KBOI-TV.

I guess that’s one way to get rid of bees.  A helicopter in Pima County, Ariz.’s Search and Rescue Deputies was used to rescue hikers being attacked by bees, reports KVOA-TV.   The helicopter flew down to 50 feet to blow the bees away from the hikers.

Here’s a novel way to save your crops from frost!  Canadian apple farmer Phil Lyall paid a helicopter to fly over his grove of 10,000 trees to keep temperatures above freezing during a recent cold snap, reports the Telegraph.  He told the CBC that he could have lost 10 percent of his harvest if temperatures fell below 32 degrees F.

He went from high to low.  Police in Albuquerque, N.M., arrested Steven Acton at Double Eagle Airport after being caught with 41 lbs of very high-grade marijuana, reports KOB-TV.  The drugs were valued at $205,000.

Bison vs. helicopters. As soon as Montana’s Department of Livestock began its annual bison-hazing operations west of Yellowstone National Park using helicopters, the Alliance for the Wild Rockies asked for a temporary injunction to stop the practice, reports the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

That toy could have done some damage.  The FBI questioned a Chinese student studying in the U.S. after he crashed a radio-controlled airplane near the Public Service Electric & Gas Bridgeport Harbor Generating Station, reports UPI.  After asking to retrieve his plane, a security guard said no and called the FBI.

You never know where you’ll find love!  A swan named Whooper has been searching for a new mate for two years after losing his partner, but one must question his new choice. Whooper has fallen in love with a dark grey Eurocopter EC155, reports the Daily Mail.  The swan has had its wings clipped for its own safety after approaching the helicopter every time it lands near the  Les Mielles Golf and Country Club on the Channel Island of Jersey.

Flying car didn’t live up to its name.  Two pilots sustained minor injuries after crashing a Maverick, a powered parachute/car built in Florida, reports AvWeb.  AvWeb Editor Russ Niles was scheduled to fly the craft next.

Wasn’t the accident enough?  It was bad enough when pilot Kelly Thompson had to make an emergency landing on a road adjacent to Cottonwood Municipal Airport. But now, after a joint investigation by the FAA and the Cottonwood Police Department, Thompson is being charged with operating an airplane without a proper license, operating a not-airworthy aircraft, and reckless aircraft operations, reports the Verde Independent.

He’s taking on the FAA.  Pilot Keith George has decided to challenge the FAA’s proposed 180-day suspension to his commercial pilot’s certificate because of an emergency landing he did on Wisconsin’s Interstate 94, reports the Journal Times.  The FAA charged George with four counts related to the incident, including operating his aircraft in a careless or reckless manner so as to endanger life or property of another after he allegedly overshot the runway on a normal landing, turning the event into an emergency.

What was he hiding? Singer/actor Marc Anthony’s private jet was delayed from leaving Mexico’s Veracruz International Airport after he tried to avoid a customs check, reports Latino Daily News. The singer was asked to deplane and go through the airport security checkpoint and refused. His jet was held until he complied.

Eye in the sky. The West Vancouver Police Department and the Squamish Royal Canadian Mounted Police have a new weapon in catching speeders – the RCMP’s regional traffic patrol helicopter, Air One.  The two departments recently teamed together to catch eight speeders posted speed limit on the Sea to Sky Highway, reports the Province.

Justice scales and a helicopter?  A statue of Lady Liberty sitting atop Ohio’s Marion County Courthouse was holding more than a set of scales.  In addition to the scales, Lady Justice is also holding a 9-inch, remote-control helicopter, reports FOX News.  The owner, video producer Terry Cline, has been trying to get the helicopter back, to no avail.

It’s a highway, it’s a runway! A pilot was forced to make an emergency landing on highway U.S. 50 in Delta, Colo., reports the Montrose Press.  The pilot told local police that his single engine aircraft experienced a power failure.

The AOPA Foundation recently announced its new Giving Back program, created to do these things:

• Award grants of up to $10,000 to 10 nonprofit groups that perform charitable work through GA;
• Award flight training scholarships to individuals who want to learn to fly or pursue aviation careers;
• Provide free memberships to armed forces personnel who want to be part of the GA community; and
• Provide memberships through our AOPA AV8RS program that gives teens an opportunity to learn about and explore the world of aviation.

The one that intrigued me was the the first one.  I know of so many general aviation nonprofits out there doing work, so below is my list of organizations, in no particular order, I think should apply for a grant.

1. Wings of Grace Ministries –  I recently had the pleasure of writing about this Melbourne, Fla.-based nonprofit, which offers free flight training to youths age 13 to 18.  $10,000 would allow founder Dwight Bell to bring more youths — who are all members of AOPA’s AV8RS program – into the fold.
2. Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum — In May 2012, CNN profiled this Compton, Calif.-based program that provides flight training for inner city youth out of Compton Airport. As a minority myself, I believe strongly in the power of aviation to put — and keep — these youths on the right path. And I applaud any program that brings more diversity to the industry.
3. Girls With Wings — I first learned about pilot Lynda Meeks’ efforts to inspire young girls to fly when she appeared on the Airplane Geeks podcast on Nov. 8, 2011.  She offers scholarships, female role models, and events across the country designed for women and girls.  A foundation grant would help Meeks give away more scholarshps.
4. Candler Field Museum — Last month, I interviewed Ron Alexander, a retired Air Force and Delta Air Lines pilot, after he was inducted into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame.  One of his claims to fame is this museum, created to document the history of the original Atlanta airport, originally named Candler Field. Part of the effort includes a partnership with the Candler Field Flying Club, which has youths work in the museum in return for scholarships to learn to fly.
5. Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Foundation — this Los Angeles-based organization provides scholarships to  deserving young men and women based on the criteria of responsible citizenship are character and achievement, rather than ethnic origin.
6. Professional Women Controllers — I met officers of this organization that promotes careers in air traffic control at this year’s Women In Aviation conference and did a profile on their efforts.  I’m sure a foundation grant would help fund their education and career development programs.
7. Air Race Classic — among the things this organization is dedicated to are encouraging and educating current

   and future women pilots and increase

   public awareness, two causes that fit well with the foundation’ mission.  Read my story on this organization here.

8. Pilots N Paws — I’m a dog lover, so I know first hand how much people love their pets. This nonprofit serves as a facilitator for people and organizations who rescue, shelter or foster animals, and volunteer pilots and aircraft owners willing to assist with the transportation of animals.
9. Recreational Aviation Foundation — this organization, a friend to AOPA, protects recreational air strips across the country, making them available for general aviation pilots to use.  Read here about the organization’s latest advocacy efforts.
10. Youth Aviation Adventure  – I’m in favor of anything that helps show kids and teens all the joys of being involved with aviation, which is why I like this program. In a single day youths go to participating airports to learn all about aviation, with the goal of inspiring them.

This was a test. It was only a test.  Police in Loxford, Australia, have stopped their search for the wreckage of an airplane crash after determining it was only helicopter training in the area, reports the Newcastle Herald.

It was a crash party.  Olympia, Wash.-based Aircare Solutions Group celebrated the completion of its eighth full-motion aircraft cabin simulator by simulating several crash landing scenarios, reports the News Tribune.  Company executives, staff and other businesses who helped build the simulator were allowed to test the simulators and held a barbecue lunch after to discuss their experiences.

Drones hunt pigs, deliver marriage proposal. Electrical engineers Cy Brown and James Palmer are using camera-mounted drones to hunt and kill feral pigs causing damage to land in Louisiana, reports ARS Technica.  Photographer Jason Muscat used an RC helicopter camera and mounted an engagement ring to propose to his now-fiancee in San Francisco, reports Peta Pixel.

It was the least he could do.  Actor Charlie Sheen sent a private jet to pick up his ex-wife Denise Richards in New York on Mother’s Day so that she could get home to Los Angeles in time to take their daughters to school the next day, reports ContactMusic.com. Richards currently has temporary custody of Sheen’s twin boys with ex-wife Brooke Mueller.

Better safe than sorry.  A Hawker 4000 jet carrying golfing star Sergio Garcia was forced to make an emergency landing at Ireland’s Shannon Airport after the pilot reported a generator problem, reports the Herald.  The jet was on its way to a golf tournament in Charlotte, N.C. No one was injured.

Landing gear is helpful. It was an unusual sight at Spirit of St. Louis Airport – a 1980 Centurian P210 doing a belly landing, reports KSDK.com.

He should have given a hoot. A man who allegedly repeatedly harassed and kicked an owl while paragliding and captured it on YouTube has created a firestorm among animal lovers and paragliders, reports FOX 13.  The Humane Society of Utah suspects it knows the man seen in the video and has asked for an investigation.

Miracle landing number one.  Quentin Elkins is lucky to be alive after his aircraft lost power and made an emergency landing four miles from Knoxville Downtown Island Airport, reports KnoxNews.com.

Miracle landing number two. A pilot of a seaplane had to make an emergency landing in Inlet, N.Y.’s, Seventh Lake, reports WKTV.  He was able to swim to shore uninjured.

This is why we read the bill before we vote, folks!  The bill  that put air traffic controllers back to work was passed by the U.S. House of Representative and Senate, but President Barack Obama was unable to sign it into law. Why?  Because of a typo in the legislation, reports ABC News.

Drugs in airplanes just don’t fly.  Two men are facing federal drug charges after the aircraft they had parked at Texas’  Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport was found to have  98 bundles of marijuana, four bundles of hashish and two bundles of mushrooms aboard the Piper PA-28, reports the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

This was a test. This was only a test.  You will be forgiven if you thought a recent training exercise by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service looked real. Fifty firefighters worked with ambulance crews, police officers and workers from other agencies to participate in a drill that used the crash of an aircraft into a high-rise building in Glasgow, reports STV News.

Wheels would have been helpful.  Pilot Roland Rinnerberger made an emergency belly landing at Scottsdale Municipal Airport, reports KJRH-TV.  He was not injured in the accident. Video of the landing can be seen here.

It just blew its top!  Two pilots departing from Midland International Airport flying a World War II-era German Messerschmitt Me 262 lost the aircraft’s rear canopy because it hadn’t been latched properly, reports the Midland Reporter-Telegram.  

It’s always good when you can walk away.  A pilot who made an emergency landing in a vineyard in Santa Rosa, Calif., walked away with no injuries, reports ABC7 News.  The pilot reported he was having a problem with the throttle, which caused his aircraft to idle.

That was a quick trip! Commissioner Larry Kiker of Lee County, Fla., found himself in  hot water after FOX4 News discovered he used a county aircraft to make an 8-minute trip to the city of Labelle. The TV station used Flightaware.com to track the movements of the aircraft.

Water landing number one.  Four passengers aboard a Beechcraft A36 Bonanza managed to walk away with only minor injuries after the aircraft made an emergency landing in California’s Big Bear Lake, reports the LA Times. The pilot was attempting to land at Big Bear Airport after reporting he was having engine trouble.

Water landing number two. A pilot and his passenger sustained minor injuries after the Cessna seaplane they were flying flipped after landing in Florida’s St. Johns River, reports WTEV-TV.  The landing gear had been left down.

It’s two treats in one!  AvWeb reports seeing the Discovery 201, a pickup truck/aircraft combination at the recent Sun ‘n Fun Expo. The aircraft is a derivative of Russia’s Akord 201, which was used as a  heavy-hauling utility airplane.

Not the glider landing he wanted.  Glider pilot Jeff Long was not injured after his motor glider crashed into a tree at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, Tenn., reports the Tullahoma News.

Talk about getting high! Police arrested five people after the aircraft they had parked at Kansas’ Amelia Earhart Airport was discovered to have 42 lbs of marijuana onboard, reports the Dodge City Daily Globe.  The arrests came from a police tip.

The highway became a runway.  A crew of two flying a vintage Beechcraft 18 cargo aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing on an isolated part of Florida’s US 27 after losing both engines, reports CBS News.  The flight was an instructional one on handling stalls that became an actual emergency.

Nice landing, but having a nosewheel does help. The Independent.ie website has posted dramatic footage of a twin turbine aircraft making an emergency landing in Toowoomba, Australia, without its nosewheel.

Do the crime? Do the time!   Adam Gardenhire is facing 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to pointing a laser in the cockpits of a Netjets Cessna Citation and a police helicopter, reports AvWeb. His defense? “I didn’t know it was dangerous.”

Two more walk away. A pilot who made an emergency landing at North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad International Airport after the landing gear of his Mooney  M20F collapsed, reports MyFox8.com.  And another pilot walked away after making an emergency landing on New Zealand’s Gisborne beach, reports the Dominion Post.

OK, that WAS a joke.  France’s La Poste wrote a story about how it was going to start delivering newspapers via drone as part of its modernization program. The problem was, the story was an April Fool’s joke.