Pilot's tip of the week

Dangerous Pilot

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Subscriber question:

"We have a pilot at our airport that regularly buzzes houses just above the treetops and does low-altitude aerobatic maneuvers to show off for his friends. What can we do before someone gets hurt...or worse?" - Rick R.

Bob:

“You can take action. We truly are our brother’s keepers in aviation. Other’s actions do affect everyone.

For better or for worse, the Federal Aviation Regulations are written in blood which means that while we certainly honor our freedoms in this country, common sense does not always prevail and regulations must be put in place. Aerobatic maneuvers are described in the FARs. Who can accomplish them and where they can be performed is very specifically spelled out, for everyone’s safety.

Aviation accidents are huge newsmakers and they come at a tremendous loss of life and grief. Those that intentionally operate outside of the regulations have no right to bring down aviation.

Provide the facts to the Federal Aviation Administration and it will be investigated thoroughly. The individual has protection throughout the investigation process, but if they are endangering others, they must be removed from the system.”

If faced with a situation like the subscriber in the question above, what would you do?

(NEW) IFR Mastery scenario #171 “Unknown Icing in Minnesota” is now available. Winter IFR presents unique hazards with little margin for error. How much confirmation of benign conditions is enough for a well-equipped, high-performance single that’s not certified for flight into known icing? And is icing the most important risk factor to consider on this cold-weather flight? Watch the Intro video.

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