Zeldman
Touchdown! Greaser!
Funny story.
When I was flight instructing in West Virginia, the owner of the airport and FBO drove to his cabin in the mountains of Virginia. On the way, he was pulled over by a state trooper. Seems he let his registration expire. He got off with a warning and a promise to get it renewed before he drove home.
#1 son went to renew the registration. A little adhesive tag that goes in the corner of the license plate. Well, to get it over to pop, we put the tag in two zip lock baggies, then stuffed it into an empty one gallon milk jug. Then we attached a red streamer to stabilize the jug on its flight. #1 son then took off in a C-120. The plan was to air drop the tag to pop in a small lake where the cabin is located.
#1 son takes off, flies to the lake that the cabin is located on, sees pop and drops the jug into the lake and starts the 1 hour return home.
Here is the fun part. A state trooper happens to be watching the plane flying low and sees the drop. He watches as a boat launches and picks up the jug and take it to a person waiting on shore. He decides to investigate, thinking he just watched a drug drop. He questions pops, looks at the jug and determines it was a legitimate action and moves on.
The funner part, stick with me on this.
Unfortunately, another person also sees the drop and calls the FAA. They in turn call the state troopers and give them the story as well as the information and description of the plane. Several state troopers arrive at the airport, and seeing me with a student next to a plane they focus on me. I tell them yes that plane is based here but is gone right now. I tell them I know nothing about the activity that took place and direct them to the office. The CSR girl in the office freaks out and confesses to everything including Jimmy Hoffa's burial location. Soon after the wife of the owner arrives so the officers question her. Since she has been gone she knows nothing of what has taken place.
The troopers are just about to declare Marshall law and I can't stand it anymore. I decide to play devils advocate. I tell the troopers that the plane in question just announced his intentions to land. Instead of a gray C-120, a orange and white C-150 lands. The troopers quickly surround the plane with their cars and order the pilot to shut off the engine. I just happen to know that the pilot is a person that just does not have very much appreciation for authority figures.
As soon as he shuts off the engine he is out. He does not respond to shouts to remain still and starts screaming at the nearest trooper about everything including constitutional rights, his right to privacy and the Gettysburg Address. After a very heated discussion, the troopers decide this is the wrong plane. One trooper comes to me to ask about the plane they are looking for.
In the mean time, several other law enforcement agencies have representatives of their department at the airport trying to claim some glory of what they believe will be a major drug bust that is about to happen. (I do not know where they got this information. That's my story and I am sticking with it.) The media finally arrives and a reporter (a cute Asian girl) starts running around trying to find the story.
Then as luck has it someone in the parking lot drives out. Someone yells "He's getting away in his car.!!!" I don't know who yelled that, (sticking with that story as well) and a couple troopers jump in their cars and start pursuing the fleeing car. A few minutes later the troopers return and are mad. Turns out grandpa was on his way to town for a haircut.
Ok, now the airplane in question really did announce his intentions to land. No one but me seems to hear that. The plane lands. A trooper yells out, "There's a plane..!!!" Everyone turns and watches as the plane rolls out, does a 180 (no taxiways here) pulls into the ramp area and parks. I tell the nearest trooper that is the airplane you are looking for.
At that point everyone, I mean everyone, troopers, deputy sheriffs, mall cops, post man and milk man descend on poor #1 son that at this point is blissfully unaware as to what has been happening. The troopers apprehend the alleged suspect and detain him. He is grilled as to his whereabouts and actions of the last 2 hours.
Meanwhile the cute Asian reporter has come to me to get the scoop of what is happening. I give her the real story. She gives me a look that tells me that I have no chance of practicing the reproduction act with her, and says, "Really, that is what this is all about?" She looks at the cameraman and says "That's it, we are out of here", and walks off muttering what sounded like Cantonese curse words.
After many minutes, one of the troopers motions me over. I mistake his motion and give him a friendly wave back. He comes over and request my presence. I am asked to confirm the story of the registration. I feign memory loss for a few minutes, then pop up and say, "Oh yeah..... we did put the registration sticker in a milk jug to be dropped, I forgot all about that...."
The troopers convey at the other side of the parking lot to discuss the situation. #1 son ask "What all is going on here??" I quickly update him with the current events about how they think a drug drop happened on the lake. He starts laughing. Mom is laughing. The mailman is laughing.
After many minutes, all of the troopers get into their cars and drive away without even saying good bye except one. He walked over to us and told us that drops like we did are not legal and some other legal mumbo jumbo. I told him the Federal Aviation Regulations states that airdrops are perfectly legal as long as all precautions are taken to prevent injury or damage to people and property on the ground.
After a few seconds of silence, I try to lighten the mood. I tell the trooper, "Now that the facts are all in place this is kind of funny, isn't it?"
He puts his face in mine with a look that sez, We are the state troopers, as far as I know we don't have a sense of humor...... And stomps off.
My day is done. PBRs for everyone...!!!
When I was flight instructing in West Virginia, the owner of the airport and FBO drove to his cabin in the mountains of Virginia. On the way, he was pulled over by a state trooper. Seems he let his registration expire. He got off with a warning and a promise to get it renewed before he drove home.
#1 son went to renew the registration. A little adhesive tag that goes in the corner of the license plate. Well, to get it over to pop, we put the tag in two zip lock baggies, then stuffed it into an empty one gallon milk jug. Then we attached a red streamer to stabilize the jug on its flight. #1 son then took off in a C-120. The plan was to air drop the tag to pop in a small lake where the cabin is located.
#1 son takes off, flies to the lake that the cabin is located on, sees pop and drops the jug into the lake and starts the 1 hour return home.
Here is the fun part. A state trooper happens to be watching the plane flying low and sees the drop. He watches as a boat launches and picks up the jug and take it to a person waiting on shore. He decides to investigate, thinking he just watched a drug drop. He questions pops, looks at the jug and determines it was a legitimate action and moves on.
The funner part, stick with me on this.
Unfortunately, another person also sees the drop and calls the FAA. They in turn call the state troopers and give them the story as well as the information and description of the plane. Several state troopers arrive at the airport, and seeing me with a student next to a plane they focus on me. I tell them yes that plane is based here but is gone right now. I tell them I know nothing about the activity that took place and direct them to the office. The CSR girl in the office freaks out and confesses to everything including Jimmy Hoffa's burial location. Soon after the wife of the owner arrives so the officers question her. Since she has been gone she knows nothing of what has taken place.
The troopers are just about to declare Marshall law and I can't stand it anymore. I decide to play devils advocate. I tell the troopers that the plane in question just announced his intentions to land. Instead of a gray C-120, a orange and white C-150 lands. The troopers quickly surround the plane with their cars and order the pilot to shut off the engine. I just happen to know that the pilot is a person that just does not have very much appreciation for authority figures.
As soon as he shuts off the engine he is out. He does not respond to shouts to remain still and starts screaming at the nearest trooper about everything including constitutional rights, his right to privacy and the Gettysburg Address. After a very heated discussion, the troopers decide this is the wrong plane. One trooper comes to me to ask about the plane they are looking for.
In the mean time, several other law enforcement agencies have representatives of their department at the airport trying to claim some glory of what they believe will be a major drug bust that is about to happen. (I do not know where they got this information. That's my story and I am sticking with it.) The media finally arrives and a reporter (a cute Asian girl) starts running around trying to find the story.
Then as luck has it someone in the parking lot drives out. Someone yells "He's getting away in his car.!!!" I don't know who yelled that, (sticking with that story as well) and a couple troopers jump in their cars and start pursuing the fleeing car. A few minutes later the troopers return and are mad. Turns out grandpa was on his way to town for a haircut.
Ok, now the airplane in question really did announce his intentions to land. No one but me seems to hear that. The plane lands. A trooper yells out, "There's a plane..!!!" Everyone turns and watches as the plane rolls out, does a 180 (no taxiways here) pulls into the ramp area and parks. I tell the nearest trooper that is the airplane you are looking for.
At that point everyone, I mean everyone, troopers, deputy sheriffs, mall cops, post man and milk man descend on poor #1 son that at this point is blissfully unaware as to what has been happening. The troopers apprehend the alleged suspect and detain him. He is grilled as to his whereabouts and actions of the last 2 hours.
Meanwhile the cute Asian reporter has come to me to get the scoop of what is happening. I give her the real story. She gives me a look that tells me that I have no chance of practicing the reproduction act with her, and says, "Really, that is what this is all about?" She looks at the cameraman and says "That's it, we are out of here", and walks off muttering what sounded like Cantonese curse words.
After many minutes, one of the troopers motions me over. I mistake his motion and give him a friendly wave back. He comes over and request my presence. I am asked to confirm the story of the registration. I feign memory loss for a few minutes, then pop up and say, "Oh yeah..... we did put the registration sticker in a milk jug to be dropped, I forgot all about that...."
The troopers convey at the other side of the parking lot to discuss the situation. #1 son ask "What all is going on here??" I quickly update him with the current events about how they think a drug drop happened on the lake. He starts laughing. Mom is laughing. The mailman is laughing.
After many minutes, all of the troopers get into their cars and drive away without even saying good bye except one. He walked over to us and told us that drops like we did are not legal and some other legal mumbo jumbo. I told him the Federal Aviation Regulations states that airdrops are perfectly legal as long as all precautions are taken to prevent injury or damage to people and property on the ground.
After a few seconds of silence, I try to lighten the mood. I tell the trooper, "Now that the facts are all in place this is kind of funny, isn't it?"
He puts his face in mine with a look that sez, We are the state troopers, as far as I know we don't have a sense of humor...... And stomps off.
My day is done. PBRs for everyone...!!!
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