When I was 15 I wanted to fly my ultralight to my school.
I had the flight all planned out. I’d approach from the west, drop in over the trees and the gym dogleg to the left and plop down on the upper soccer field.
My Dad was on board. I don’t recall Mom’s opinion. Likely not supportive, which makes sense.
That memory popped into mind as the recent Red Bull Plane Swap stunt gained loads of media attention.
I remember talking with my Dad about my idea and him saying “you can ask for permission or seek forgiveness,” or words to that effect.
I sought permission and was denied. (It’s been reported the Plane Swap pilots sought permission as well — permission that was also denied.)
That’s where my adventure ended.
Back in the day, I “knew” I could make it.
Today, as a 51-year-old, I’m okay with not having attempted that flight, but my 15-year-old self sure was disappointed.
Im 69 years old now. Once landed on golf courses to get a coke out of the coke machine. Police responded to check out the incident. After some conversation and them seeing my drivers license I finished my coke and took off. Making a cross country flight I landed in a public park to refuel my main tank as I had carried some extra in a tank strapped to my plane. It was a large public park and I landed in a remote part. When sitting there fueling up the plane I was surrounded by at least a couple hundred folks interested in seeing the ultralight. Questions were flying at me faster then flys to a watermelon. The police showed up again and I was glad they did to investigate the landing. Again they looked at my drivers license. They then helped me clear away all the people who had gathered so I could take off. I took off successfully and flew onto my destination. The police officer later called me and ask me not to ever land there again because of safety reasons.
Here’s Ben going to his reunion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF48ra9Zt6c
kidding of course.
The picture is worth the article 😉
Hi Ben;
Alberto Santos-Dumont called:
He wants his 1907 Type 20 Demoiselle back.
Tom
The original permission/forgiveness statement, as i know it, actually came from a USNR Rear Admiral, who was using it in terms of a knowledgeable professional…
“It is often easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. If it’s a good idea, go ahead and do it. It’s much easier to apologize than it is to get permission.” –Grace Hopper, Rear Admiral USNR
The corollary to this statement, I have learned as a professional in engineering… is…
“Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.” –Dalai Lama XIV
The ‘dirty version’ of this is quote is… “Know the rules [before You] [to] break the rules.”
FAA does not investigate ultralight incidents. Usually the police get involved and if some one is hurt or killed the laws handle it!
15 year olds have no certificate or ratings and the FAA has no jurisdiction. If this kid killed himself the school would probably be sued
Ultralight accidents are plentiful with these uncertified unregulated flying machines……
This comment is reminiscent of watching the news and listening to a witness to a crash; “these small planes are falling out of the sky all the time” (and it is a part 121 turboprop lol).
Love your B1-RD Ben!
Also looking for the like button. Have wondered the same, often. Confession, I have landed on a golf course a few times here in SA. And I used to refuel my Trike from a local garage from time to time, accessed by a nice large tar road. Semi rural.
First determine if the need for permission is legally binding, then plan your activity accordingly.
The SECRET is to KNOW THE ANSWER BEFORE YOU ASK THE QUESTION. No way is hell would permission be given for landing is a schoolyard – EVER.
Denial proves “WILLFUL INTENT” which can quickly get you hung by the you-know-what! You NEVER want to go there.
Glad you made the correct choice as a youngster – so many do NOT.
I guess that no school would allow for rocket launching in this case. But mine did back in the day. But then back then we brought guns to school so we could make or modify the stock of a rifle or shotgun.
And there is implicit permission when a life flight copter lands to pickup some one that has been seriously injured.
So why wouldn’t a school with an active aviation shop class allow for a plane to land on their property with the appropriate safety actions taken? Such as making sure to cordon off the field to be landed on so no one decides to cross it when the plane is coming in for landing or in the process of taking off.
Just say’n’.
The FAA is that bipolar cousin who can’t get out of its own way.
So much for being a country of “land of the free and home of the brave”. Far too many things have been declared crimes when in fact there is no victim. Do I think people should be careful, safe, and responsible? Absolutely! But it should not be up to the collective “Borg” to decide in what should be a free country.
So much ignorance. “Land of the free and home of the brave” doesn’t mean you live in a Society where laws don’t exist or laws can be broken, even if you don’t like them.
If you want to be free to do whatever you bravely (or stupidly) want to you are indeed free to move to the middle of the Mohave dessert (as many cool innovators have done in the past) and feel free to be as free as you want (however, I’m sorry to say laws will still apply there because it is part of OUR country, you just have a better chance of not being caught). Please just don’t kill a snake or lizard since they also do have the freedom of living peacefully without having some idiot’s airplane crash on top of them because they feel the need to have a cool YT video and achieve 5 minutes of fame.
The key word is “Society”. You don’t live alone like it or not.
The main problem I see with providing permission to break laws is that, if permission is granted to one individual, then everyone else will expect (rightly so) to be given permission too. In the case of the “plane swap” I think both parties did the right thing: permission was asked, FAA denied it because that is their job (well done), and they went ahead and did it in the middle of nowhere hoping for forgiveness. Good thing they didn’t hurt anyone. Well, maybe a lizard.
Having learned to fly in the year 1950, I REMEMBER WHEN FLYING WAS FUN AND THE CONTROLLING BUREAUCRACY WAS THE CAA. YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO HAVE A LAW DEGREE TO INTERPRET ALL THE RULES AND REQUIREMENTS BEFORE TAKING A FLIGHT TO ENJOY THE EXHILIRATION AND FREEDOM OF BEING ALONE IN THE AIR TO DO WHAT EVER WAS SAFE AND ENJOYABLE AND NOT ENDANGERING ANY ONE OR ANYTHING (NOT EVEN THE LIZARDS). EVERYONE NEW THE RULES FOR TRAFFIC PATTERNS WHICH WERE NOT SO COMPLEX AND CONFUSING AS THEY ARE TODAY, AND OBSERVED THEM. NOW WE ARE WRAPPED IN “SAFETY” BY “BIG BROTHER” AND THE INSURERS WHO OVERCONTROL EVERYTHING WE DO IN THE NAME OF SAFETY.
AN UNHAPPY FORMER FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR.
I was flying early machines (’78 to ’83) and I’m wondering which type/make/design this is? There were so many start-up companies and short-production machines in those years. I never saw this one.
There was something like this called the B1-RD from Robertson. Not sure if it was a two axis or three axis control.
The aircraft is a Robertson B1-RD ultralight. A three-axis taildragger. It was a lot of fun to fly.
Where’s my ‘Like’ button?