Martha Lunken has privileges revoked

I always thought the New River Gorge bridge would be ripe for this sort of stunt, except for the part where people bungee-jump off the bridge. Flying under that bridge carries the risk of *splat* and maybe turning your prop into a reverse yo-yo.
 
So I drove over the scene of the crime yesterday and was reminded that the bridge is long enough and wide enough that one could land a plane on it.
 
wsuffa said:
So I drove over the scene of the crime yesterday and was reminded that the bridge is long enough and wide enough that one could land a plane on it.
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Well, you might want to disable those DOT cameras first, but I can't wait to hear the story! Will you do a T&G or a full stop?
 
...something, something...

What? Her under the bridge.
 
wsuffa said:
So I drove over the scene of the crime yesterday and was reminded that the bridge is long enough and wide enough that one could land a plane on it.
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Now THAT would be scary fun! :D
 
As I mentioned a few pages earlier, impulsive acts without understanding the overall risk may lead to other tragedies.

About a mile south of this bridge, in the same river valley, is an unmarked zip line at Camp Kern. It has been hit by an airplane at least once, killing a pilot and his passenger.

The zip line operator has also posted warnings at local airports regarding planes passing near or under their zip line during operating hours.

Not sure if Martha (or others) were aware of or evaluated other obstructions with squishy kids dangling in harnesses like here.

https://www.daytondailynews.com/new...his-change-for-safety/3HKOSGg4V3iJ5uhA8k8qLL/


Zip line
ozone_map.jpg


Proximity to bridge
E52-E428-E-88-C4-46-C0-AF0-D-E2-A5-F68-EDD41.png
 
Under a bridge is somewhere people can reasonably expect not to have to deal with air traffic, e.g. if they're hanging scaffolding for repairs, coming in from the other side in a boat with a mast, etc. People using the recreational paths that often run under bridges and cars driving over bridges also deserve more than a couple of hundred feet clearance from aircraft, especially one flown by a pilot with such poor airmanship.

This was a fair cop, and she doesn't deserve the privilege to fly. Maybe some day she can earn it back.
 
ElPaso Pilot said:
As I mentioned a few pages earlier, impulsive acts without understanding the overall risk may lead to other tragedies.

About a mile south of this bridge, in the same river valley, is an unmarked zip line at Camp Kern. It has been hit by an airplane at least once, killing a pilot and his passenger.

The zip line operator has also posted warnings at local airports regarding planes passing near or under their zip line during operating hours.

Not sure if Martha (or others) were aware of or evaluated other obstructions with squishy kids dangling in harnesses like here.

https://www.daytondailynews.com/new...his-change-for-safety/3HKOSGg4V3iJ5uhA8k8qLL/


Zip lineProximity to bridge
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Just how high are those ziplines ?
 
David Megginson said:
You mean 830 ft too low, if it's somewhere there are people or structures on the ground, and the plane wasn't landing or taking off.
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Only if considered congested does the 1000 foot rule come into play.
 
EdFred said:
Only if considered congested does the 1000 foot rule come into play.
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Someone hit a structure of a commercial business, that families pay to recreate on, in a Boy Scout camp — with other non-Martha aviation near misses.

I’d bet the FAA would find a way to call that congested.

Just saying, if Martha knew it was there before she went under the bridge, good for her advance planning.

If not, then additional luck was involved in preventing her impulse control issues from becoming more tragic.
 
wsuffa said:
So I drove over the scene of the crime yesterday and was reminded that the bridge is long enough and wide enough that one could land a plane on it.
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Meh. Someone already landed one on 75 a year ago right down in the city. 71 way up here in the sticks is less impressive :eek:
 
Arthur Godfrey set a round the world record after he lost his medical. He just parked some random guy with a valid cert and medical in the seat next to him.
I'm sure Martha is not going to lack people to ride around in the plane with her.
 
EdFred said:
Only if considered congested does the 1000 foot rule come into play.
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Campgrounds, a very busy recreation trail, a canoe outfitter, and a state park or whatever they consider Fort Ancient up on the hill in addition to Camp Kern and the zip lines. With a fun, steep, twisty state "highway" running through the middle of it and numerous houses right beyond the zip lines at Camp Kern. There's even traffic/pedestrian congestion across that valley on 350 on nice weekends. I'd consider it congested, at least in the non-winter months.

By midwest standards that's some pretty steep terrain, growing up in the mountains of PA and now living here I drive route 350 every time I get homesick for some mountain driving. I'd wonder if old Martha would've been able to fly that canyon from the Morrow Bridge to the zip lines if she even tried, without becoming a CFIT.
 
ElPaso Pilot said:
As I mentioned a few pages earlier, impulsive acts without understanding the overall risk may lead to other tragedies.

About a mile south of this bridge, in the same river valley, is an unmarked zip line at Camp Kern. It has been hit by an airplane at least once, killing a pilot and his passenger.

The zip line operator has also posted warnings at local airports regarding planes passing near or under their zip line during operating hours.

Not sure if Martha (or others) were aware of or evaluated other obstructions with squishy kids dangling in harnesses like here.

https://www.daytondailynews.com/new...his-change-for-safety/3HKOSGg4V3iJ5uhA8k8qLL/


Zip line
ozone_map.jpg


Proximity to bridge
E52-E428-E-88-C4-46-C0-AF0-D-E2-A5-F68-EDD41.png
Click to expand...

I’ve been on that zip line complex a couple times. Didn’t see any aircraft, knock wood:cool:

Cheers
 
She has to look at herself in the mirror every day for the rest of her life. Will she see a hero or idiot looking back?
 
martym said:
She has to look at herself in the mirror every day for the rest of her life. Will she see a hero or idiot looking back?
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She would see a lady of my age I’d like to date. We could compare notes about flying violations (or not).

Cheers
 
martym said:
She has to look at herself in the mirror every day for the rest of her life. Will she see a hero or idiot looking back?
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She'll see a human being who deliberately did something profoundly stupid and, as a result, isn't a pilot any more.

Nobody's 100% a hero or an idiot, but actions have consequences.
 
weilke said:
Considering that she basically announced beforehand how to evade the transponder police, that explanation sounds a bit strained.
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Yes, I agree. It's on the same level as "Officer, I swear I must have just bumped against the shelf and not noticed those two iPads falling into my open bag…"
 
Todd82 said:
Meh. Someone already landed one on 75 a year ago right down in the city. 71 way up here in the sticks is less impressive :eek:
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The real trick there is avoiding the construction. Otherwise, there's room.

Back when WLW had a helicopter, there were some interesting landing spots, too.
 
wsuffa said:
If that were the case then folks would be screaming (even more so) that ADSB wear for spying and tracking people rather than for safety.
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At least the bridge is a couple miles outside of the CVG Mode C veil. Although if she was coming from LUK...
 
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