plane "buzzes" our plant-FBI nails him

[Whitmore]

This is no I TRIED TO BY-PASS THE CUSSING FILTER. a small plane buzzed our plant yesterday , There was 400+ people haulin butt around wondering what the heck, my buddy and I were out on inspection and we got a digital photo of it, we got it to our safety guy and in no time we got hold of our company security guru (bad a$$ dude) and within 2 hours the FBI had the plane grounded 300 miles away. I was impressed as to how fast it all happened . This is something that the U. S. A. is taking very seriously and it proved out.

It turns out that the plane was just checking pipe lines, it's the first time I ever saw it up here, man I bet that ol boy had a load in his pants when he landed and I bet he will never do that again!

 

[Chad Sheets]

Definately not the smartest thing for a small pilot to pull considering everyones state of awareness. He deserved a good talkin to.

 

[Murle]

What kind of plant was it??? A tomato plant? or a squash plant???

 

[BK]

I thought all small private planes had to submit flight plans?

 

[moparguy]

Wait a minute guys.

Whitmore said the pilot was checking a pipeline. That's a common and very necessary practice, part of the DOT required pipeline safety procedure. They check for leaks, encrochments, or digging on the pipeline R/W.



But it's good to know that a quick responce was possible by the authorities.



RJR

 

[Murle]

Flight plans are not required for VFR.

 

[nps]

What Murle said is true about VFR flight plans. They are optional - a pilot can but does not have to file one. Most general aviation pilots don't file them.



After 9/11 and up until last weekend (I think) the FAA banned all VFR flights which effectively shut down general aviation. Last weekend or early this week they have now again allowed VFR flights that do not require a flight plan.



IFR requires a flight plan, an IFR equipped airplane, and an IFR certified pilot.



What I heard that they really wanted was flight plans. Could have just as easily said all flights, VFR and IFR, must file. But would have swamped the FAA with all the VFR flightplans and the tracking of them. So they banned VFR flights instead.



Now everything is almost back to normal. I think there is still a 25 mile restriction around DC. This is still keeping airports closed that are inside of the radius. Reagan National is one you hear about, but there are smaller regional and general aviation airports closed also.

 

[BK]

I should have said that I thought I heard that once they lifted the ban on general flight, to fly they had to file.



But I guess even if they did file flight plans, by the time they checked out a "filed" flight plane, god forebid, who knows...

Again, another example of having to grow some thick skin. .

Would we rather get that plane down, "while" checking flight plans, OR take the time to check for flight plans while allowing the plane todo who knows what... .

Hope the pilot was ok,



Whitmore, ya, I bet the color of his seats are now brown.

 

[Murle]

On Sept. the 12th there was a idiot in a biplane up flying around the Comache Nuclear Plant here near Granbury. He was told not to take off because all planes were grounded. He went up anyway. It was real neat, to say the least to see, 2 F-16's chase this idiot. They crossed and zig zaged in front and behind this plane. The poor guy did not know what to do. I'm sure the turblance from the F16's was some tough stuff to fly in. Not to say anything about the missles that he saw on the F16's. Don't know what happen to him later. But I bet he won't do that again. LMAO

 

[BK]

I saw an idot TV news crew do a report by taking a charted plane over a nuke plant to show how they could, and saying if they could whats stopping a terrorists from doing soo...



At what point will the media start using some common sense... .

 

[Scot]

Originally posted by Murle

I'm sure the turblance from the F16's was some tough stuff to fly in. Not to say anything about the missles that he saw on the F16's. Don't know what happen to him later. But I bet he won't do that again. LMAO

Some years ago there was a movie called "Final Conflict" or "Final Option" where a nuclear carrier went through a time hole and ended up in Pearl Harbor just prior to the attack. One scene in the movie had an airplane from the carrier fly between two Zeros (actually PT 19 Texas Trainers painted to look like Zeros. ) These planes were based out of Clover Field in Pearland TX. I talked to one of the pilots who was in this "stunt. " In the scene, the Zeros peeled off , as if scared, shortly after the jet passes between them. He said that for a while he was not so much of the pilot as he was a passenger until he got out of the vortices.

 

[BK]

I saw that movie, it was great... that was some scene. .



How about when that senator on the boat 1st saw the jets coming...

Good scenes...





I've been flying RC airplanes for a bunch of years. My unlce taught me year ago, he worked for Gruman on the F14 program. We flew off of a field off the north end of the Gruman Calverton runway, just outside the fence. Not only for the most reasonable of safety issues, we need to clear the air when we heard a plane coming... but there was no way to fly our little model planes in the wake of their turbalance. If that didn't knock us out of the air, their radio transmissions would. Back in those days we only had AM sets which were terrible.

 

[Amianthus]

Movie

The title of the movie was "Final Countdown".

 

[swamp rat]

Starring>

Kirk Douglas ... . Capt. Matthew Yelland

Martin Sheen ... . Warren Lasky

Katharine Ross ... . Laurel Scott

James Farentino ... . Richard Owens

Ron O'Neal ... . Dan Thurman

Charles Durning ... . Senator Samuel Chapman