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DPChallenge Forums >> Out and About >> Airplane Flies Under Bridge
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Showing posts 26 - 41 of 41, (reverse)
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 03/23/2007 04:27:26 PM · #26
Originally posted by LoudDog:
Great catch! Without a tail number there is no way to bust the guy though. Too bad... Since there wasn't a camera crew at the bridge, I doubt it was a pre approved stunt. If it was Indian Reservation they may have been legal, but you said it was a national park.

He could have hit the bridge, which could possibly be enough to make the bridge undriveable or even kill people on or near the bridge at the time. And considering the bridge is the only one for 75 miles, think of the people that would be inconvienced for the years it could take to build a new bridge or repair it? He was putting more at risk then himself (assuming a him...) and passengers.


If he had a flight plan for that route im sure they will waste just enough time to look them up check out the plane. Same make model paint scheme. They might just investigate.
 03/23/2007 04:28:40 PM · #27
pilots are cocky and fearless!
 03/23/2007 04:48:28 PM · #28
Originally posted by irisheyes:
pilots are cocky and fearless!


So are photographers...
 03/23/2007 04:53:29 PM · #29
oh man, can you imagine a photograhing pilot... maybe that is what he was doing...

He/ She

Message edited by author 2007-03-23 16:54:32.
 03/23/2007 05:05:18 PM · #30
Ariel of the Hite bridge. Not only are there no other crossings for 75 miles in either direction but very little in the way of civilization too. Hite Bridge

HIte bridge crosses the CO river in a national recreations area, not a NTL park. It is not a heavy traffic road, especially this time of year. Can get pretty touristy in the summer.

Either the guy was a young dumb pilot or if hes was much more experienced it probably took him a few years to work up the guts to attempt that. Let him have his little victory. Darwin may get him next time. At least he picked a light traffic road in a desolate area and a light traffic time of year to do it.

Just like not all skydivers are base jumpers, not all pilots are stunt fiends.

And who knows... maybe he had a permit.
 03/23/2007 07:04:35 PM · #31
Actually the bridge is very used all year round. Extensive use for auto travel as well as comercial transportation. Yes it is a national Recreation Area not NPS land. As a retired F-4 Phantom flyer I know exactly what he was thinking and feeling. Nope, I've never flown under a bridge but flying at 540 kts at 10 feet off the desert, yup all the time. In training missions I have lost best friends and have see fighter aircraft impact the ground due to carelessness and stupidity. All of these were remote areas and did not impact anyone else other than the wives and childrens who no longer had a husband or father. So should drunk drivers be allowed to continue becasue everyone drinks?.

Oh well, I've talked to the airport administrator where the airplane "probably" refueled. He had the same comments, pilots like to have fun, "no bend metal, no blood so no harm". He said he would be the last person to ever turn in a pilot for hotdogging. Wow, amazing for a person that should be trying to enforce safety. This actually makes me a little more mad.

I do know and feel that pilots should have fun, it's the 1 second wake turbulence or thermal gust that kills many every year. Heck we complain about aircrew lost in Iraq. Did ya all know that many of these losses would have happened in training and know one would have cared.
Careless self centered stupidity is uncalled for. No this was not terrorist in any way, just stupid rich kid pilot out of control.
 03/23/2007 07:17:37 PM · #32
Originally posted by Ristyz:
Darwin may get him next time.

Sounds like my dad's theory on stupid motorcycle riders who refuse to wear a helmet.

I'm surprised nobody's quoted what I thought was the aviator's maxim:

There are old pilots ... and there are bold pilots ... but there are no old bold pilots.

Message edited by author 2007-03-23 19:18:51.
 03/23/2007 07:37:16 PM · #33
Originally posted by Bugzeye:
perhaps it was the DNR or another Government Agency doing an overhead survey in which case they probably would have permission to fly that low.

Any sort of survey would likely have used a helicopter or slow-flying aircraft. Unless that's the case (unlikely) I'm sure I'll be able to read about this guy in one of my dad's aviation magazines soon. I'll be interested to find out what he was up to, since going under bridges is a HUGE no-no.

On the other hand, it's one of those things I've ALWAYS wanted to do! ;-)
 03/24/2007 11:15:29 AM · #34
Amazing, over the last few years most TV channels and even main new agencies have a section for contibution of photos and video. Kinda like all the photo contests we all see from national magazines etc. Well once you contibute or send something in for the competition the copyright is now theirs to use as they desire. Seems everyone wants the video like that. A couple are still willing to buy. This will be interesting.
 03/24/2007 11:32:16 AM · #35
Amazing stuff that you caught! Pretty awesome.

Look man, I don't believe you were in that peculiar position to be a Narc...a.k.a. Rat. So some people were out havin some fun, got a little risky, whatevs, let it go.

Sometimes news casters, and photographers get the peculiar sense it has to be dramatic, and sometimes, or eventually I should say they have the position of creating somebodys pain, remorse, misery, as you yourself have right now. I don't want to know what your motives are in this situation, I frankly could careless. But around my parts, we don't look upto rats. There are some exceptions of course, but this doesn't seem to me to qualify.
 03/24/2007 12:11:12 PM · #36

If you are really concerned about safety and security and think the pilot should be grounded and never fly again, then you should have reported it to the FAA as soon as you got home and told them about your video.

If on the other hand, you are just excited that you got something neat on film and want to share it with other people and get some accolades of being in the right place at the right time, then post it on the site where all the videos are and let people watch it and comment. Or send it to the news station and let them decide if it's news worthy.

I'll bet you that there is a plane of one kind or another thatflies under that bridge on a regular basis. It's isolated and most of the time they can probably get away with it without anyone seeing it. That doesn't make it right, but just like the people that bungee jump off of bridges and buildings and free fall off of high places where they shouldn't, people do a lot of things without thinking or caring about the consequences... until it goes wrong or they get caught.

So either bask in the recognition you are getting or turn it over to the authorities. But now that you have made it public, someone might have dropped a note to the FAA about this thread and let them know you are in pocession of a video of this and if they want, they could be contacting you for it. Regardless of what you decide to do.

I have called the FAA before, but it was a different situation. I was coming west on I84 along the Columbia River Gorge doing about 75 and had just passed a big semi and another car when we were buzzed by two Warthogs. I suspect they were doing practice ground straffing or fox and hound chases, but they were so low to the road when they went over us that that I thought the noise was my engine getting ready to blow until the blasted past us. I hit the left shoulder, the other car hit the right shoulder and I have no idea what the trucker did... but this was all at 70+ mph with a drop off on the right down to the river and rocks to our left. Think goodness they have very wide shoulders on I84. The two jets kept diving down to the river and on over into the Washington side. Now this was totally stupid on their part and I called the FAA about it when I got home. This area is a big training area and the pilots use the Columbia River a lot. We lost a fighter jet a couple of years ago and one pilot was killed and the other was able to bail out. The jet went into the river. These are mostly Reserve or Guard pilots that fly their jets and not regular Air Force so much. But in that situation, there could very well have been a 2 car and truck pile up on the highway had we all jumped different directions. And I sure wish I had had my camera out of the bag to get a shot of their tail numbers, although they were already across the river before I got back under control.

Mike
 03/24/2007 02:53:12 PM · #37
Originally posted by sacredspirit:
Amazing stuff that you caught! Pretty awesome.

Look man, I don't believe you were in that peculiar position to be a Narc...a.k.a. Rat. So some people were out havin some fun, got a little risky, whatevs, let it go.

Sometimes news casters, and photographers get the peculiar sense it has to be dramatic, and sometimes, or eventually I should say they have the position of creating somebodys pain, remorse, misery, as you yourself have right now. I don't want to know what your motives are in this situation, I frankly could careless. But around my parts, we don't look upto rats. There are some exceptions of course, but this doesn't seem to me to qualify.


Hummm, I guess after flying jet fighters for many years in the Air Force and watching best friends die for being stupid and thinking back realizing that I could have saved their lives and the hurt felt by their wives and children ... a rat! Don't even go where you don't know. If you see a drunk driver wondering all over a freeway I guess you just laugh and thing.boy he's having fun as he kills others. Kinda stupid thought isn't it. If someone sees a drunk and doesn't report it they are just as guilty. No judgement.
.
I called the airport where he flew out of, twice. This was an attempt to just tell that pilot to wise up, nothing more. But when the airport administrator laughs, admits it unsafe and illegal that type of coverup is uncalled for. The airport administrator even layghed about another plane that crashed into Lake Powell not long ago because it was flying too low and it's landing gear struck the water. That's not professional and totally unprofessional. I hope that if someone sees someone else do something stupid, illegal and dangerous that they are stopped before they injure you or your family. None of my fighter pilot friends thought it could happen to them either, someone needed to "rat" on them before they died.
 03/25/2007 01:23:36 AM · #38
I knew this would come up, and its a cop-out for being a rat.

I love the way you make me out as being some incompetent jerk, who thrives on putting innocent people in danger.

The fact is we all know this bridge was not packed, and the risks were minimal, any cross-eyed pilot could of navigated under that bridge. You said you know aviation, well then without lying you know the feat of flying under that bridge was not even moderately challenging. The whole thing about wives and children being alone and in pain, well then keep your head strait and out of danger, I don't blame ya a bit for that, I do the same, but calling the shots for somebody else is a bit arrogant wouldn't you agree.

03/25/2007 01:37:48 AM · #39
Originally posted by sacredspirit:
I knew this would come up, and its a cop-out for being a rat.

I love the way you make me out as being some incompetent jerk, who thrives on putting innocent people in danger.

The fact is we all know this bridge was not packed, and the risks were minimal, any cross-eyed pilot could of navigated under that bridge. You said you know aviation, well then without lying you know the feat of flying under that bridge was not even moderately challenging. The whole thing about wives and children being alone and in pain, well then keep your head strait and out of danger, I don't blame ya a bit for that, I do the same, but calling the shots for somebody else is a bit arrogant wouldn't you agree.


You are an absolute idiot, no knowledge of anything you are talikng about. So drunk driving is ok? So speeding down a residential street when after everyone is asleep is ok, drunk driving in the country is ok. You would be absolutely surprised at how many military aircraft crash every month in training missions, and the pilots are much more skilled than that idiot. Our wartime losses of aircraft are minim,al compared to peacetime flight where pilots constantly break rules. If that bridge was remote and not travelled then why was there four other families including two "pro" photogs standing on the bridge and in the dirt parking less than 50 yards from where the airp[lane passed. Again you had no knowledge. Skill to fly under it, heck most idiot piolts could have done it too, I agress. But why did another airplane crash just down stream from this bridge last fall when they hit the water from flying too low. All I can hope is he kills himself when he has no passengers and does it in a true remote ara where no harm is done. I'd rather be a rat than a fool as the pilot was and as you run your life. Sorry this turned personal, but again you need some life experiences before you open your mouth.
 03/25/2007 01:45:20 AM · #40
I've requested this thread locked, this in not a place for issues to get out of hand as they have.
 03/25/2007 01:49:09 AM · #41
i agree...this thread is getting out of hand and starting to get nasty. locking at OP's request.
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