A2C wrote:
Actually he was at the Santa Monica pier, and that means he could have been buzzing the ocean-this is not a violation of the FAR's. However, the catch here is that the aircraft is "Experimental Exhibition". The FAA can target this category simply by claiming that the aircraft was outside it's operating area.
If the plane indeed was traveling at 350 mph, I think they could've got the pilot on that, but how can they prove that he was flying at that speed if he was "on the deck" below radar?
The speed at which the FAA tries to criminalize pilots is interesting. (I've tried to bring this up before). Yesterday in nov. 6th !!! That means they pulled this guys license hours ago. This is actually illegal, because the FAA is supposed to do an investigation. How can they do an accurate "investigation" in one day?
I agree with Brandon's labeling the LA times as LA Pravda, and I am somewhat surprised that other Wixers are quick to take a stand against the L-39 pilot, and so quick to pander to possible gov abuse. I would be more suspisious of the FAA, and their ability to pull somebody's license in one day with a possibly incomplete investigation. Let's remember it's "We the People" who created the FAA, and we do have the power to put pressure on them to tone down the heavy handed crack downs.
This happened last year and there was a lengthy investigation. For some reason it didn't hit the press until now.
This event was witnessed by dozens if not hundreds of people and I'm amazed that its taken this long to hit the press. Stop trying to defend the indefensible. These guys have a long history of pushing the limit and getting their tickets pulled and its because of this stunt that the Feds made such a stink over the Tehachapi L-29 crash that was determined by the way to be legal Part 91 flight.
While we could always point fingers at the evil FAA, these guys flat out give all aspects of the warbird community a bad name.
FAR 91.119 - please read it and watch the film