Low Flying Stupidity....New Link

[Garry Russell]

New link supplied by Chris Trott

Original post amended

Thanks Chris

[Filonian]

Thanks Chris/Garry.

Having watched the clip, I think it was sheer stupidity.


Graham

[FlyTexas]

A Texan!! That figures.

Brian

[DarrenL]

It's also on youtube if it goes again - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lWk6UN6Dko

[Chris Trott]

A bit of background here that the news article only hints at. Lancaster Regional Airport (KLNC) is my home airport. The pilot involved is a well known pilot and known for being a professional and was the one who started bringing some neat new tenants to the airport when he was able to get an Aerobatic "Box" (area of airspace to practice aerobatics in) established at the airport. This is something that many people have wanted for a while here, but no one had gone through the long gauntlet of paperwork and approvals to do it, nor did anyone really have the funds to do it and the city certainly wasn't going to put it up. He was able to pull together a group of aerobatic pilots to get it done, and they did about 3 or 4 years ago now.

The video shot is of him and another stunt team practicing for their act. While he came very close to them and that would probably be chalked up as a "bad pass" for the final routine (most likely the ATV driver was closer to the edge of the runway than he should've been). One thing I'm still trying to figure out is that it says that Jason doesn't have a "valid waiver". In the US, the only waiver they can be talking about is a "low altitude waiver" which is issued for airshow acts, but I'm pretty sure Jason has one and it's not a "renewable" license. Once you get it, it's valid as long as you maintain your currency requirements, just like almost every other certificate/license in US aviation.

Basically, it looks like this is going to be another witch hunt because it makes the FAA "look bad", not because anyone did anything illegal. They'll find a way to claim his waiver isn't valid or that he broke some rule (which if he's got the low altitude waiver, there is an aerobatic box in place, and there is no one else using the runway, he's met the legal requirements since the people on the runway are part of his "act" and thus not subject to the normal rules, he's not done), and suspend his license. They've been on a kick of late doing that becuase the FAA has become an agency of appearance instead of regulation and education like they were chartered to be under our new "Nanny State".

[Airspeed]

Thanks for putting it all into perspective, Chris.
All stunts have to be practiced somewhere, otherwise they'd never go public, whether it be stage, circus or air show.
At a show, he'd get a round of applause. Out of context, he looks like a fool.

[FlyTexas]

They've been on a kick of late doing that becuase the FAA has become an agency of appearance instead of regulation and education like they were chartered to be under our new "Nanny State".

Agreed. But at least Obama has good taste in beer.