The Good, The Bad and The Stupid...

[Schnugg]

Looks like this happened a while back. But I had not heard of it.

Sounds like a cut and dry case of flathatting to me. No amount of tearjerking "I was that poor little kid with a dream..." crap would change my opinion.

There are some things in aviation we dream of doing, but never actually act upon. This is one of them.

A Super Hornet's Nest

War veteran Richard Webb stirred up trouble when he buzzed an airport. The reaction shows how much times have changed.

By James Ricci, Times Staff Writer


SAN LUIS OBISPO — At a quarter past noon on Jan. 21, a U.S. Navy F-18 Super Hornet jet fighter flown by a combat-tested pilot named Richard Webb appeared over the Edna Valley and streaked toward San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport.

On its first pass, the Super Hornet screamed along at more than 650 miles an hour, just 96 feet above the main runway. Soon it circled back, touched down on the tarmac for an instant, then went into a steep climb, afterburner roaring, and disappeared in the skies.

Blake Medeiros, a student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo who fuels planes at the airport, was in his employer's office when he heard the jet. He ran outside and clambered atop a 15,000-gallon fuel tank to watch. He had seen such displays of aerial might at air shows. But for such a sight to appear out of nowhere during his workday was awe-inspiring.

Ernie Sebby was in his house less than a mile from the airport. He ran to the front porch and caught a glimpse of the aircraft. It appeared to be painted in gray primer. He could make out no identifying numbers.

More.......see the link

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-jetfighter19oct19,1,6082532,full.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=1&cset=true

 

[TheBubba]

Not gonna answer the poll b/c of lack of experience, but I will say that was just plain stupidity. What if something had gone wrong on his little stunt? (Thank God nothing did)

Comes down to knowing which fantasies you can and can't live out.

 

[Blutonski816]

sure, I think it'd be cool to be able to pull the same kind of stuff that the Demo Team guys do, but I'm not even in the Navy yet and even I know that NATOPS is written for a reason....

 

[vanity]

If that isn't flathatting then I don't know what is.

 

[HooverPilot]

Honestly, I think the devil is in the details on this. Obviously I do not know any details other than what is in the story, but I think that 2 prior events in his history is a significant factor along with 96'. All Navy Demo teams have a lower limit of between 200' & 400'. The Blue Angels are the only Navy team authorized lower during a demo. This guy was not a demo pilot, but only had 15 hours in the plane, so I think this guy was reckless and Flat Hatting. I feel really bad about what happened to the guy, but on the avail info, I can't say I would change it.

 

[airgreg]

Right now the ones who make it are perfect physical specimens

Obviously the article is inaccurate.

 

[beau]

Obviously the article is inaccurate.

.....as I ponder whether to get off my ass and run this gut off (god the PRT/PFT is 6 weeks away) or sit on said ass to watch college football all day....and contribute to said gut


didnt vote yet...but leaning toward the yank of wings...come on man..96'???? 500+ bills???? Thats pushin it for any flathatters standards, especially in a populated area. My question would be what was the deciding factor? I mean if he was at 300 feet (still really low) and just pulled up into the vertical would he still have gotten yanked? Or was it the public outcry that did him in?? Combination of absolute rule breaking and Navy PR ass covering. This was just a very very dumb move on this dudes part!

 

[Fly Navy]

500+ bills and 96 feet at a civilian airport? That's just a bad idea in general. Sounds like flathatting to me.

 

[vanity]

The Navy "has a reputation for eating its children…. If you mess up, there are no second chances."

I'm not in the Navy yet, but I'm not sure those are the right words to use. Anyone in the Navy agree or disagree?

 

[TheBubba]

Searched this, but what exactly does flathatting mean? Is it just like showing off by doing stupid stuff with the aircraft, or is there more to it?

 

[skidkid]

You rate waht you can get away with. Is there a time and place to have a little fun-sure. I thnk he blew it too many eyes, too public not to do anything. He might keep his wings but he will never fly again. Too bad.

 

[Steve Wilkins]

From the FAR's....

Sec. 91.13
Careless or reckless operation.

(a) Aircraft operations for the purpose of air navigation. No person may operate an aircraft in a careless or reckless manner so as to endanger the life or property of another.

Sec. 91.119
Minimum safe altitudes: General.

Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes:

(a) Anywhere. An altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface.

(b) Over congested areas. Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons, an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft.

(c) Over other than congested areas. An altitude of 500 feet above the surface, except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In those cases, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.

Sec. 91.129
Operations in Class D airspace (San Louis Obisbo airport). (too many rules to list under this subsection)

If the guy did as was described, then definitely should be dewinged and probably even booted out of the Navy.

 

[Fly Navy]

How did they get his speed? Did they get it from radar or just some civi on the ground seeing him fly by?

Could have been radar (though a smart pilot turns his transponder off before doing stupid sh!t)... no way you can get an accurate judge of speed from just looking at someone.... especially from random joe civilian. I"m willing to bet they got his HUD tape... another thing one should turn off.... I mean...

 

[Fly Navy]

I'm sure once the Navy started to hear to the rumors, to HUD tape was the first thing they went for. But if they see that you turned of your transponder and your HUD tape, wouldn't they suspect something?

We turn our transponder off per SOP coming into the initial at NAS Meridian. Sometimes it's procedural.

 

[skidkid]

yeah a lot of smaller military fields want the transponder off in the airspace. As for tapes, they get lsot often, a lot of times we dont even load a tape if it isnt a tactical mission.