four Paramotors under the Nicholson Bridge

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four Paramotors under the Nicholson Bridge

Post by Cub flyer »

So the FAA inspector told me this is totally legal because it’s a paramotor and they have no rules for them. Wild West he said.

I threw these guys out of my airport after they terrorized the neighbors but they are still at it. Local area. Over the local fair tonight.

I told fed it’s still Part 103 but he says nope. Then came back with they have no certificate to take away so we can’t do anything.

One I know has a student cert but FSDO man says no case unless you can see his face while flying under the bridge. SO if i fly my Cub under the bridge wearing a mask it’s all ok. Sure....

I said what about if they circle the local airport tower. What about buzzing the local FSDO inspectors house at 6am and touch and goes on his street. Says only a “Local Authority” can remove them .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSz449j7SQM or just search Flying Under The Viaduct - Insane Flight!!!!

I have nothing against paramotors but come on...
"Perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add but when there is no longer anything to take away." Antoine de Saint Exupery
chicagorandy
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Re: four Paramotors under the Nicholson Bridge

Post by chicagorandy »

Waiting for paramotor to need paramedic.
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MrMorden
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Re: four Paramotors under the Nicholson Bridge

Post by MrMorden »

Honestly, this kind of thing, while admittedly not smart, gets a big shrug from me. For the most part these guys are only going to hurt themselves, and if they do hurt anybody else then there are civil and criminal penalties that can and would be enforced. I'm not going to play amateur crime patrol nanny for the aviation community, that's what the FAA is for. I bet we all personally know pilots that have done equally stupid things, I know I do.

Look at something like Burning Man -- there are usually dozens of aircraft of all types and speeds piloted in a vast array of different skill levels, swirling overhead an event of hundreds of thousands of people.
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Re: four Paramotors under the Nicholson Bridge

Post by Type47 »

A bunch of young people getting into aviation, having a blast with their own equipment, endangering no-one but themselves.
They must be shamed, beat down and regulated!
And on a totally unrelated note;
I wonder why general aviation is dying?
Why can’t we get young people interested in aviation?
If only there was a cheap, mostly unregulated way for young people to get involved in aviation...
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Re: four Paramotors under the Nicholson Bridge

Post by TimTaylor »

I don't have a problem with it as long as they stay away from airports and other people on the ground. Let them have their fun.
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ShawnM
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Re: four Paramotors under the Nicholson Bridge

Post by ShawnM »

Type47 wrote:A bunch of young people getting into aviation, having a blast with their own equipment, endangering no-one but themselves.
They must be shamed, beat down and regulated!
And on a totally unrelated note;
I wonder why general aviation is dying?
Why can’t we get young people interested in aviation?
If only there was a cheap, mostly unregulated way for young people to get involved in aviation...
I agree, it's just sad that the first thing that come to mind for the OP is how can I get these kids in trouble. Terrorized the neighbors? Really, they are terrorized? Come on.
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Re: four Paramotors under the Nicholson Bridge

Post by Cub flyer »

Now the back story. One of the kids in the video was a student. Has been thrown out of 4 flight schools in the area because of his attitude towards equipment and others. He has gotten close to solo several times but 80-100 hours in just doesn’t get it. He calls at 2am trying to schedule lessons. Lurks outside my house trolling to catch somebody outside and can’t understand if the airplane is booked why we can’t just take another one that is tied out even though I explained they are not my airplanes.

A few weeks ago he came to me wanting to fly his paraglider. I told him that was fine but to not fly directly over the hangars and houses right next to the field and also the Super Walmart that adjoins the airport. There are plenty of wide open hayfields and open space on the east and south side of the airport. He said he had a handheld and knew how the pattern worked to keep an eye out for other traffic. I told him I would coming in with the King Air and would call several miles out to help him know I was coming.

My trip canceled so I didn’t leave and was at the airport. He parked his car out by the runway with another and setup a temporary windsock. They then took off and immediately started doing low altitude wingovers and hook turns over the entire airport. Tied down airplanes and hangars below roof height sometimes dragging the glider wingtips on the ground. Then he moved over to the walmart parking lot and proceeded to do the same thing but on and off the throttle sometimes at light pole height. They moved over the housing development just west of the airport treetop height and continued then over town for almost an hour nonstop.

I try really hard to keep the noise complaints down at the airport even though we run some loud stuff with the Beech 18 hauling jumpers we try to minimize our noise time over town. We have a pretty good relationship with town and would like to keep it that way. Imagine a dirt bike with tuned pipe Brappp Brappp Brappp directly over your roof over and over and over. That’s what it was idle to full throttle and back to idle over and over and over.

Then the kids were flying through my parents yard trying to run in place through their treetops over and over videoing with selfi sticks. Over my house and through the parking lot below roof height.

Next day multiple people stopped at the airport wondering what was going on last night.

The phone rang and it was the kid. He said “oh sorry I might have accidentally flown a little over WAL-MART parking lot last night” A little!!!! Sheesh.
I proceeded to tell him what I thought of the whole situation.

Week later he showed up wanting to fly his paraglider again. Total balls to do that. Said “oh I have reviewed part 103 and see where I was wrong and will strive to be better” I said forget the rules its just being a total dumbass and everything I asked him not to do he did first time out.

The video above was made a few days later. I have absolutely no problem with parameters, ppc or ultralights. Have flown a PPC and several ultralights. I have no problem with young people in aviation. I have taught many to fly and have kids we are teaching now. I do have a big problem with people disregarding what time we have put into trying to keep peace around my airport. You can’t see in the video but the east side of the bridge is open but the west side is a whole town and they are directly over the center of town a lot of the time. Google Nicholson PA. It’s not out in the empty farm land like they make it appear.
"Perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add but when there is no longer anything to take away." Antoine de Saint Exupery
TimTaylor
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Re: four Paramotors under the Nicholson Bridge

Post by TimTaylor »

Sounds like you should, if you haven't already, tell him he is not welcomed at the airport. I guess if it's a public airport, that may not be an option.
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MrMorden
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Re: four Paramotors under the Nicholson Bridge

Post by MrMorden »

The kid sounds like a jerk, but this whole thread has this kind of a feel:



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Andy Walker
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Re: four Paramotors under the Nicholson Bridge

Post by Cub flyer »

Good Old Clint. I’m starting to feel like he does I’m afraid. Must be becoming a dinosaur because I was taught to respect things like property owners a little more. And being a guest at any flying field or airport tried not to cause problems.

I have to wonder. If you take all the description in my earlier posts, remove paramotors and insert the following:

1. Fixed wing Part 103 ultralights
2. LSA compliant airplanes
3. Commercial drone operators
4. Normal GA 172 type airplanes

Would it be different?
"Perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add but when there is no longer anything to take away." Antoine de Saint Exupery
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Jim Hardin
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Re: four Paramotors under the Nicholson Bridge

Post by Jim Hardin »

This is the type of clown that nothing is going to reach him. Curious how your FAA represenative perceives 103.9a? And.103.15 & 19 (if applicable).

I would take it up with local law enforcement. Your neighbors are not going to understand the subtle differences between Part 91 and 103!

I would even consider a restraining order to keep him/them away from your airport and give local law enforcement the teeth they might need to take action.

It is a shame this even comes up but when it does you have to act :|
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Re: four Paramotors under the Nicholson Bridge

Post by Andrew G »

This isn't about "flying", it is about a continuous raising of the YouTube bar... this is his job. And his job is no different than what the newspapers strive for everyday... the more eyeballs (clicks) the more money he makes (Hyundai ads, etc.). I actually agree with the comment about getting young people into aviation, it is a solid argument and one of the AOPA's primary missions. Sadly, the do-unto-others rule doesn't apply when the thrill factor needs to go up, up... and up. A cool vid about a paramotor with snappy music flying in the country doesn't cut it anymore, it doesn't pay the bills. It won't stop. First the viaduct, next a skyscraper... I feel badly for the airport and its pilots, the people running it get blamed by the neighbors, after all... a plane is a plane is plane... and it comes from the airport, therefore the airport is the villain. And we all pay the price.
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Re: four Paramotors under the Nicholson Bridge

Post by TimTaylor »

It's WAY different than what newspapers do everyday. They report the news, they don't make the news.
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Andrew G
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Re: four Paramotors under the Nicholson Bridge

Post by Andrew G »

Over the last several years... many make the news. This isn't a political forum... so we won't go there... however Geraldo started it... they all do it. Acosta? Again it is not flying, it is a business.
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Re: four Paramotors under the Nicholson Bridge

Post by Sling 2 Pilot »

I just watch another of his videos, where he motors up to 15k. He flys form a park in Jersey. On this particular CAVU day, he could see philly and NYC.

The problem I see, is he is directly in a corridor of commercial aircraft. He mentions how he is constantly scanning for traffic. In most GA aircraft, you have, at least a better chance to maneuver than he does in a paramotor. Just sayin
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