Whats up with Wagstaff at Oskosh

[kenlyco]

That's how it works you refuse the test you lose your license but like I said you get a work permit in most cases and in this case she will because of her traveling.you get convicted of Dui then you get all those fines and a conviction on your record.This case has alot of he said she said so this is going to go to a trial unless they bargain. like Capflyer said there is a lot of speculation.My bros. who is a Cop told me when i was a weekend warrior that first of all dont drink and drive but if you had a few and your not slobering drunk you can beat a Dui if you refuse the test.You are going to lose your License like I said but you dont want that on your record.Now if your out every night getting hammered you are going to get caught and you deserve it!!

[Dudley Henriques]

from avweb today.....
Airshow pilot Patty Wagstaff (or her representative) will appear in court in Oshkosh on Sept. 2 to face two charges relating to the incident on a runway at Wittman Regional Airport July 31. According to court records, Wagstaff is charged with first offense drunken driving and failure to submit to a sobriety test. If the second charge is proven, then it amounts to an automatic conviction on the first. Wagstaff has denied she was impaired by alcohol on that night but does admit to taking a wrong turn and ending up on the runway.
In a statement to AVweb earlier this week, Wagstaff mentioned the lack of physical proof of impairment. "I do deny the allegations," she told AVweb. " And, I did not do a breath test, a blood test or a field sobriety test." EAA security personnel first stopped Wagstaff and three others in her vehicle on the runway and called Winnebago County Sheriffs, who took Wagstaff into custody.

and from http://rvnewsletter.blogspot.com/
I don't know why I've suddenly become interested in this story, but I am. AvWeb did not update the story today (or at least hasn't yet) as the editor said they would today. So I did something highly unusual -- I picked up the phone and called the Winnebago County District Attorney. No luck. I got voicemail.
Kansas.com reports Wagstaff is still scheduled to perform there this week.
Wagstaff says she wasn't given a test at the scene of the alleged incident in Oshkosh. But what wasn't clear is if she was asked to take one, but refused. If it's the latter, that has some significant consequences for pilots.
Under Part 61, she can have her pilot's certificate suspended.
Update - The DA's office never called me back (Wisconsin stateworkers, you know.) But AvWeb confirms my suspicions. The reason Wagstaff says she wasn't given a sobriety test is because she refused a sobriety test.

I've been trying not to get involved in this "discussion" for various reasons but if I may, I'd like to say something at this point.

I've communicated with Patty since this incident. I didn't press her for information as I didn't feel I had to so I have no first hand information myself.
I do however know Patty and I know the display and demonstration flying environment so I believe I have what I'll call an "educated opinion".

First of all, after being involved with, and being around air show people all through my professional life in aviation, I have never known a single display pilot who allowed themselves to get "drunk" while on site during a period where they were contracted to fly. This isn't because of any rule or regulation that forbids it either. It's directly related to survival in the environment.

In display flying, you drink excessively, you die....it's that simple. For this reason alone, you simply avoid the heavy drinking scenario.

Pilots like Patty Wagstaff don't drink excessively on site because they like living.

Now this having been said, there is no doubt that something happened at Oshkosh. Exactly what that something was and who was at fault has yet to be determined.

I really hate to come to a forum of air show fans such as this one and see people speculating about a pilot like Patty in the way some of these posts are going.

Don't get me wrong here. I'm not the net police and people are free to say whatever meets the forum regulations and floats their boat, but if my opinion means anything, I'd ask respectfully that those openly discussing Patty using terms that describe drinking or are even discussing heavy drinking in the same thread with her possibly reconsider doing this with such "zeal" and "depth". I believe you might very well be giving her some REALLY undeserved public exposure.

[Jack Cook]

So much for the eye witnresses

[Obergrafeter]

No good can ever come out of taking a sobriety test if you have had even one drink. The law is there to make money, not protect the public safety.

[spookythecat]

The big issue here is that several witnesses said that the incident was non-friendly (if not hostile) from both the security and law enforcement side.

Who are these "several witnesses" who happened to be hanging out on the runway in the middle of the night?

[CAPFlyer]

I don't know, but several of the news articles have referenced "several witnesses" with the same comments that they didn't see the event as being particularly civil. They may have been other members of the party or other members of the Oshkosh security detail who came over after the incident began but did not get involved. We'll find out exactly who they are when/if the case goes to trial.

BTW Jack, if convicted of a DUI, your pilot's license can be suspended. I think the "customary" period is 6 months on the first offense, but I've heard of 1 year in some cases where the case was extreme (like DUI with aggravating circumstances like running from the cop who tried to pull them over)

[mustangdriver]

Ummm WTF? Why on earth should it be civil? You drove drunk down an active runway, off of the end, fish tailing and almost clipping several warbirds, and PEOPLE. That is the article I read. In my book they should have been anything but civil.

[CAPFlyer]

Want to point us to that article? None of the ones I read had anything as inflammatory an accusation as that.

[richkolasa]

This seems to be getting beyond ridiculous with speculation and misinformation. In just a couple of posts we run the gamut from "Who are these "several witnesses" who happened to be hanging out on the runway in the middle of the night?" to "...down an active runway, off of the end, fish tailing and almost clipping several warbirds, and PEOPLE."

[Jack Cook]

Want to point us to that article? None of the ones I read had anything as inflammatory an accusation as that

you're on the wrong email list. I'm getting some interesting stuff from the warbirdbird A list.

[richkolasa]

Since the Courts are involved, it would seem to me that Media would be able to get police and Court records through FOIA. I doubt that if such information were available to the Media, there wouldn't be any "different" list to get information/sugar gossip.

Rich

[mike furline]

A little hypothetical story about Drinking and Driving in Oshkosh,

If everyone is out of the car when the Police arrive, there is "No" driver. Police can only guess, assume, surmise, etc. who was behind the wheel.

He/She or anyone can refuse a field sobriety test as a "Passenger", no blood alcohol evidence.

If any "Witness" that makes statements against you is from out of state, they must be flown back for the trial/court date on the States dime. You have the right to question said "Witness", otherwise "Witness" testimony thrown out.

In the end, the State doesn't want the expense of flying people back for a non-injury DUI without any blood alcohol evidence.

Fast forward...... Knowledge is gained from Experience, unfortunately Experience is gained from Lack of Knowledge.

Don't drink and drive.

Regards,

Last edited by mike furline on Thu Aug 14, 2008 6:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[skymstr02]

How does all that affect your pilots license???

Becaue on your medical certificate application, you have to report any alcohol related motor vehicle operators licence actions. You also have to report any convictions.

67.7 Access to the National Driver Register.

At the time of application for a certificate issued under this part, each person who applies for a medical certificate shall execute an express consent form authorizing the Administrator to request the chief driver licensing official of any state designated by the Administrator to transmit information contained in the National Driver Register about the person to the Administrator. The Administrator shall make information received from the National Driver Register, if any, available on request to the person for review and written comment.

[ZRX61]

Ummm WTF? Why on earth should it be civil? You drove drunk down an active runway, off of the end, fish tailing and almost clipping several warbirds, and PEOPLE. That is the article I read. In my book they should have been anything but civil.

So what you are actually saying is that at NO time did she hit ANY aircraft or people?
Post links to the article or remove the post..

[Tom]

I hate to give this thing any credence by responding but the crack about the active runway caught my eye.

The airport was closed when this thing happened. She was driving from one end of a closed airport to the other end of the closed airport to her hotel.

I, too, would like to see something from a credible source before throwing her under the bus for being shaken down by the EAA hall monitors.

Patty has meant too much to aviation for such a speculative rant.[/i]