Stand

didn't need to use his gun to 'solve' the problem!"

but the alleged thief had

Haines' truck was impounded and searched, and authorities found a loaded rifle and bullets on the floorboard.

Good thing the pilot, David Zehntner was at altitude and following for the police to catch Haines! I guess the pilot "stood his ground" (while in the air) LOL.

I was simply pointing out the rarity of it, not getting into the pro- or anti-gun stance.

Stand

That's why I did the LOL, I am quite familiar with your posts and they are always hilarious! Consider my remark comlimentary, not caustic.

too bad the pilot didn't have machine guns &missles attached to his aircraft and just shoot the $hit out of him

Jack: well, it had to be said just in case someone got a bug up their butt about the remark. Not that they won't, anyway. Thanks, man!

Wow what are the odds on that timing! If the pilot had just been delayed 20 minutes he'd have never known his house was hit unless he would have noticed his red trailer was gone. What I'd like to know is why this scumbag is out on bail - and why the bail was set so low. Is that the way the judges roll in Charlotte? Clearly this house hit was not this vermin's first rodeo. Sheer luck in favor of the homeowner got him caught this time.

In any event, the article notes that the pilot dropped down to 300' (AGL) while circling his home. Federal Aviation Regulations call for an aircraft to be no closer than 500 feet from any person, place, or structure except in an emergency or during takeoff/landing. He better hope the FAA doesn't ask questions. Most of we private pilots have flown over our homes, friends and relative's homes, and other places of personal interest (ahem...beaches). But the first time I've heard about a perp being caught in the action at someone's home.

Pilot homeowner: 1

Criminal vermin: 0

While this story ended with the bad guy in jail, what would happen if he pulled out an automatic Bushmaster and spray bullets at 300 feet flying airplane? Airplane crashed, killed owner and people on the ground, and caused astronomical damage. We would see another NRA headline.

Wow what are the odds on that timing! If the pilot had just been delayed 20 minutes he'd have never known his house was hit unless he would have noticed his red trailer was gone. What I'd like to know is why this scumbag is out on bail - and why the bail was set so low. Is that the way the judges roll in Charlotte? Clearly this house hit was not this vermin's first rodeo. Sheer luck in favor of the homeowner got him caught this time.

And if you had a spine, you would be a man. What are the odds of that?

Doesn't sound like just a random theft. Would be interested to hear the thief's side of the story.

For over 40 years here on Maui we have had police helicopters flying at 200 feet and less, some even landing on private proverty without warrants to see if there was any pot growing.

The FAA or police would not even respond to complaints. On a number of occasions, people reported police taking pot away that was never turned into evidence. Imagine that. LOL

My point is this guy was protecting his home and I would not be surprised if the FAA does something to him over it.

When I was flying we had military planes, four engine turbo props, piloted by weekend warriors that were getting vacation time on Maui. I had a very near miss when one of them nearly crashed into me at about 75 feet off the ground making a landing approach at a rural airport. Local residents said they did that low to the ground sight seeing all the time. I filed a comp[laint and after getting pissed at no reply I was told there would be a meeting on Oahu to discuss my complaint. I flew over there and at the appointed hour was told no one would be there.

What I'm ragging about is that law is not dispensed equally and it's getting worse. Look at what the big banks are allowed to do, blatantly rip us off.

"Look, ma! It's a story where a homeowner didn't need to use his gun!"

Nope, but a gun cost a lot less than a Cessna 182 :-)

If I read the article correctly, the pilot said he circled his house for about 10 minutes before caling the police? Was he trying to give the thief enough rope to hang himself in court?

An out of state resident, released on only $2500.00 bail, that has me wondering!

Something similar like this happened a year or 2 ago where a pilot caught some thieves on his property.

WOW WOW WOW: get your uniformed key board out of here. It's the ignorant one's like YOU, that post stuff they "Know nothing about, but tell all". Any one with a "Bushmaster" doesn't mean it is an "Automatic"! Do you even know the difference between an "Auto, Semi Auto, Bolt Action, and Single shot? No, your post proves that! Now there are ignorant sheople that are going to be just like you and say, "Well, WOW WOW WOW, said they were all auto on the errornet". UNLESS, you are from "Chicago" and are in the mob like your "CIC", and you want to own "Any Automatic Gun", you have to first ask your Govt. for a "Permission Slip", you go to your local police chief/sheriff, have a background check on you done, then IF he signs off on you, you send that along with your paper work and pay the BATFE $200, then wait at least 6 months, but now it is up to a year, for the BATFE to issue/deny, you your "Permission" slip to own. So now you have a guideline to do your research, BEFORE, your next ignorant post about guns.

That would be CINC by the way. Calm that vein in your forehead down a lil.

@Haditwith Bspolitics

Wow, whine much?

LaBelle, rural? You aren't from Florida are you? LaBelle is pretty rural also home to the annual swamp cabbage (hearts of palm) festival.

Minimum Above Ground Level for VFR is 500 Feet by FAA regulation

500 ft rule. An aircraft must maintain 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.

1000 ft rule. An aircraft must maintain an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons.

Other aircraft, such as helicopters, powered parachutes, and weight-shift-control aircraft, are not required to meet the FAR 91 minimums, so long as their operation is conducted without hazard to persons or property on the surface.

If the FAA finds out about this activity, I am sure he will get whatever is the lowest form of admonishment they can apply. While it may be more difficult to report ground activity from 500ft AGL, it is not impossible. It equates to about 25 car lengths or 1 city block. A somewhat difficult, but not impossible distance used to judge the condition of traffic on an un-congested Interstate Highway

500ft minimum altitude over unpopulated areas, otherwise 1000ft min over populated areas. I doubt the FAA will give the pilot grief over this, though.

Have you dopes ever thought that maybe they just gave an estimate of 300 feet?

Question:

Is it possible for a pilot to get permission to fly below the minimum?

And wouldn't he have been keeping the flight controllers and cops advised of his flight path and altitude so as to minimize danger to other aircraft?

tom-1768340, No. VFR flight are not controlled an air traffic controller, so there is no one to get permission from. You can get permission for things like movies involving low flying, but this is done months in advance, and is in written form. The pilot did not have a life or death situation involving his aircraft, so he is not to descend below 500ft AGL. too many pilots have died flying too close to the ground for someone to break the rule. It is not a fool proof rule, but one based on the average light aircraft's gliding and flight characteristics.

Fre-2427257

Have you dopes ever thought that maybe they just gave an estimate of 300 feet?

=====================================================

Was it necessary to say "dopes"? Also, I can't believe his aircraft was not equipped with an altimeter, so I'm pretty sure he knew his altitude.

enma3 you need a brain.

davidhoffman-2390948, the way I see it...the pilot is licensed and I bet 2 to 1 that the guns in the truck of the thief were illegal. As for the FAA rule, I would find it disgusting if the FAA did more than just give the pilot more than a warning since it did result in the arrest of a thief while in the act. Something tells me the guns are probably stolen as well but that is just my guess.

Couldn't agree more. Keep the useless f@ck in jail.

We have made the cost of Punishment to high so we will just turn him lose to do it again.....

Put this guy on the "please do not reproduce. Pretty please." list.

Having a gun in the commission of a felony? That's automatic 20 years, no bail.

This is Florida. He will probably sue the owner for having a suspicious gun-like shadow in the back of his plane and win big.

@Jim-Ohioan

Do you really not believe in bail? You'll believe in bail if you're ever arrested! And before you go off about how you won't do anything to get arrested, not all arrests conclude with convictions. Sometimes innocent people get arrested! Not saying this guy is innocent, but to keep him in jail he needs to be convicted first. That's how the system has always worked.

Then it's time to change the system because it isn't working.

You actually think he will come back to Florida from vigrina for trial. Hopefully he had to walk home because they kept his truck as evidence.

@ olddog47

Get a clue. He was caught in the act, and brought a loaded riffle for what again?

Let him out. I hope he robs your house next. Hopefully you don't catch him off guard and he has that rifle ready.

Released on 2500 bond, crazy. He will flee to Virginia and never be heard of again until he robs someone else. the low life should still be in jail.

Then it's time to change the system because it isn't working.

yes, they have such wonderful systems in places like russia, iran, n korea...

Then it's time to change the system because it isn't working.

Man is inherently mixed with good and evil. It's in the DNA. No system will ever "work" to change man's behavior.

SIESTASIS

Released on 2500 bond, crazy. He will flee to Virginia and never be heard of again until he robs someone else. the low life should still be in jail.

=========================================

Dog will get him, or at least Dog's wife will and smack him around.

Actually, I do think $2,500 is pretty low for theft (if the trailer is costly enough, make that grand theft) and possessing a loaded firearm when committing a crime. If he only had to post 10%, that isn't much incentive to keep him from skipping out. From his picture, he doesn't look like a very responsible or cerebral type of guy, looks a little "Deviverance" to me.

Make that "Deliverance", my edit time ran out before I could correct it.

The thing with bonds are you usually only need to post a quarter of the the bail to actually get out of jail. Chances are it was a $10,000 bail and he posted the 25% required up front to get out.

That's where the homeowners gun WILL come into the picture!

Are you one of those people who consistently point out unimportant inaccuracies while watching movies?

If he was flying VFR he wouldn't need a flight plan. Also:

In the US, Part 91 (specifically 91.119) of the Federal Aviation Regulations controls the minimum safe altitudes by which aircraft can be operated in the National Airspace System.

500 ft rule An aircraft must maintain 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.

1000 ft rule An aircraft must maintain an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons.

Other aircraft, such as helicopters, powered parachutes, and weight-shift-control aircraft, are not required to meet the FAR 91 minimums, so long as their operation is conducted without hazard to persons or property on the surface.

You can read all this stuff on the Internet. Cool huh?

If he's flying VFR, there is no deviation, and if he's in a sparsely populated area then as long as he is not closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel or structure, he's not violating the FARs. We don't have enough information to say whether he will get a call from the FAA or not. Having said that, if I were him, I probably would not have reported a descent to 300 AGL.

Should cost him nothing, get real

koolandy, you owe me a new monitor.

This Cessna of his must be an amazing plane. According to the story, it hovers!

What!!?? Did I tell that reporter '300 feet'? He must've written it down wrong; I was definitely at 500 feet - any less would be illegal. (smirk)

I thought the same thing: what are the odds?! Wow. This might convince me to buy lottery tickets.

Only one teensy problem with that ... he would have been blowing up his own property that way ! LOL !!

Larry, far as I know, Hellfires cost about $58,000 each, so you might come up a bit short $$-wise. However, I'd love to see a 182 with missile rails though - that would be awesome.

To bad he did not have an Army Surplus Cessna with Marking Rockets to pinpoint the truck as he was driving down the Interstate playing "you light up my life" from the speaker system.

He's out before you almost knew he was in. Caught burglarizing a home with a loaded rifle and out for a little more then lunch money $2500. He could have paid a bondsman $250 or ponied up the full amount himself. Probably with money he made on other stolen goods.

Yeah, but he'd have blown his trailer away in the process. Does State Farm or Geico insure against that?

Now that's a good suggestion--humane, biodegradable, and environmentally friendly, too!

As an aviaton guy I know what you are thinking but you're using a limited definition of the word hover. Your (and my) first thought might be a stationary hover as a rotary-wing aircraft (helicopter) could do but the dictionary also allows for hover to mean to "move to and fro near a place : fluctuate around a given point <unemployment hovered around 10 percent>" (sort of like how I tend to hover near the buffet table at parties, LOL). A Cessna 182 flying low and slow could easily remain relatively close to a fixed point on the ground for quite some time.

The day we start giving "those" people pilot's licenses, I'm moving into a bunker.