Jack Cook wrote:
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.
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