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Water balloon bombers may face charges [Dropped them from airplane]
Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 7/7/2005 | Nate Carlisle

Posted on 07/07/2005 3:24:15 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity

Classic cars from all over the West traveled to Logan last weekend for the Cache Valley Cruise-In, but it's a low-flying airplane that has drawn police attention.

Officers are investigating two men who reportedly have admitted dropping water balloons from an airplane flying just a few hundred feet off the ground. The balloon bombing runs occurred early Sunday as Logan streets were filled with people attending the Cruise-In, the city's annual car show.

Police Lt. Rod Peterson said there were no reports of injuries or property damage, but the two men could face state criminal charges and be in trouble with federal authorities.

"I don't think they were thinking," Peterson said of the two men. "It was just a very dangerous, very foolish act on their part."

Peterson said the men were in a Cessna 150, a single-engine, two-person aircraft. The pilot was a 21-year-old Smithfield man who had a student license and was not authorized to have a passenger. His passenger was 22.

About 1 a.m. Sunday, Peterson said, the airplane made a pass over the Logan crowds and dropped water balloons. The airplane made another pass 10 or 15 minutes later and dropped more balloons.

"Of the pilot's own admission, he believes he was between 300 and 400 feet," Peterson said. "Those who were on the ground to witness it believe he was only 150 to 200 feet off the ground."

The lieutenant said the pilot shut off the plane's lights, but the aircraft was still visible from the ground. Peterson said the passenger was the one dropping the balloons and there is some discrepancy about how many were dropped, but the passenger has admitted to dropping a total of five balloons.

The passenger said he was aiming for a Smith's grocery store parking lot.

Peterson found the two men at the Logan airport. When first questioned, they denied being in the air or in the airplane, but they later admitted their roles, Peterson said.

The pair have suggested they dropped the balloons because they had friends below, Peterson said.

Peterson said he expects to meet this week with the Cache County attorney to determine whether criminal charges will be filed. He also plans to turn his case over to the Federal Aviation Administration, which could revoke the pilot's license.

ncarlisle@sltrib.com


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Utah
KEYWORDS: prank
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To: ARCADIA

I may have been confused with the Sport pilot regs. I think night flying is restricted with that cert. I need to get back in the seat and get my ticket. I almost got it several years ago, but money restraints killed my dream 35 hours into it. Maybe someday....


41 posted on 07/07/2005 4:31:01 PM PDT by jaydubya2
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To: Excuse_My_Bellicosity
I guess he hasn't got to the part in his training where they cover FAR part 91.15 "Dropping Objects" which states: "No pilot in command of a civil aircraft may allow any object to e dropped from that aircraft in flight that creates a hazard to persons or property. However, this section does not prohibit the dropping of any object if reasonable precautions are taken to avoid injury or damage to persons or property."
42 posted on 07/07/2005 4:41:13 PM PDT by Chuckster (Neca eos omnes. Deus suos agnoset)
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To: jaydubya2

My DE (Designated Examiner) for my private ticket told me "Birds don't fly at night. Neither should you"


43 posted on 07/07/2005 4:45:22 PM PDT by Chuckster (Neca eos omnes. Deus suos agnoset)
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To: Chuckster

When I soloed, I could only get to the airport after work, and by that time it was near dark. I loved flying at night, the lights of the city were really cool and the airport was easy to find due to the white runway lights and the blue taxiways, but I can see it being a hazard with an engine out, looking for a place to set it down, and you can't see the ground.


44 posted on 07/07/2005 4:51:58 PM PDT by jaydubya2
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To: ARCADIA
IIRC student pilots are required to log several hours of night flight.

Three hours of night flight including one 100 mile cross country and ten night takeoffs and landings. No night solo.

45 posted on 07/07/2005 4:52:05 PM PDT by Chuckster (Neca eos omnes. Deus suos agnoset)
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To: Excuse_My_Bellicosity; Dashing Dasher
He was a student pilot - not allowed to carry a passanger.

Not allowed to fly withing 500' of any person, place, or thing.

Dropping things from an aircraft IS perfectly leagal - unless it hits something, in which case it is a crime.

I doubt he gets his ticket.

46 posted on 07/07/2005 4:56:01 PM PDT by patton ("Fool," said my Muse to me, "look in thy heart, and write.")
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To: jaydubya2

Yes, that's all fine if there are plenty of lights on the ground but, around here, the water starts vast and deep at the end of the runway and there are no lights at all. My first attempt at the night cross country had to be aborted due to "Excessive Darkness" once we got out over the ocean on the way to Lanai. No moon and overcast. Man, it was just BLACK. I got disoriented in just a few minutes. As soon as we turned around and I could see the lights of Oahu again I was fine.


47 posted on 07/07/2005 4:59:24 PM PDT by Chuckster (Neca eos omnes. Deus suos agnoset)
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To: Aeronaut

Ping?


48 posted on 07/07/2005 5:02:34 PM PDT by Dashing Dasher (I can resist everything except temptation. -- Oscar Wilde.)
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To: Chuckster

Good idea to turn around. You wouldn't want to become the next JFK Jr.!! You really miss that horizon when it's no longer visible.


49 posted on 07/07/2005 5:02:37 PM PDT by jaydubya2
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To: Excuse_My_Bellicosity; patton

We do flour bombing contests - which are a hoot. Where you try to get five pound bag of flour into a target.

And toilet paper cutting races - where you drop a roll of TP from the plane and cut it with your wing as it unravels.

What these boys did was typical adolescent pranks gone bad. The Darwin People should keep an eye on both of these gents - they will certainly do something spectacular again soon. If it wasn't a plane - it would have been something else.


50 posted on 07/07/2005 5:08:30 PM PDT by Dashing Dasher (I can resist everything except temptation. -- Oscar Wilde.)
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To: SWAMPSNIPER
Can't anyone take a joke, these days?

This might have been funny if the jerk flying the plane crashed and killed himself.

51 posted on 07/07/2005 5:08:50 PM PDT by paul51 (11 September 2001 - Never forget)
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To: Excuse_My_Bellicosity

This Bozo obviously didn't show up when the "brains" were passed out


52 posted on 07/07/2005 5:13:36 PM PDT by WyCoKsRepublican
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To: Dashing Dasher; Tijeras_Slim; FireTrack; Pukin Dog; citabria; B Knotts; kilowhskey; cyphergirl; ...

53 posted on 07/07/2005 5:14:13 PM PDT by Aeronaut (2 Chronicles 7:14.)
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To: Chuckster

Birds DO fly at night. I know I've hit one at night.


54 posted on 07/07/2005 5:26:39 PM PDT by Veloxherc (To go up pull back, to go down pull back all the way.)
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To: Chuckster

"Birds don't fly at night"

You can't convince me!

I took off from El Monte @ 4:00AM on an IFR flight to Loreto Mexico and picked up a bird that lodged between the second and third cylinders on the right side and when I broke out of the storm about Conception bay and the temperature went up about 10 degrees C I siezed a valve. I had to pick it up on climb since there aren't any birds at 11,000.


55 posted on 07/07/2005 5:35:04 PM PDT by dalereed
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To: steveo

Oops....I spend too much time on FCC issues and not enough time flying anymore....

NeverGore :^)


56 posted on 07/07/2005 6:22:06 PM PDT by nevergore (“It could be that the purpose of my life is simply to serve as a warning to others.”)
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To: glock rocks

Oops....I spend too much time on FCC issues and not enough time flying anymore....

NeverGore :^)


57 posted on 07/07/2005 6:24:23 PM PDT by nevergore (“It could be that the purpose of my life is simply to serve as a warning to others.”)
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Back in my Uncle Sugar's Flying Circus days we liked to chuck water balloons from just about anywhere. Airplanes, cars, dorm room winders.

Never got caught except for almost one time from a dorm winder at Keesler AFB. We were in the tech school dorms and they new pingers (recruits from basic) had to walk by our dorm to go to chow. The looked like scared sheep as they wandered around looking for the chow hall.

Well, nothing better for a target than a no winger pinger (Airman basic, no stripe). We nailed a couple good and then as I released my last balloon at a guy in dress blues I saw a flash of light on his shirt. A flash about where a Lt. would wear that butter bar.

Holy mackerel, it was a real Lt. and the balloon smacked him in the should just drenching him and knocking his cap off.

Feel don't fail me now was all I thought. We hid on the roof while the SPs searched the dorm bay. The commander was called but everyone kept their mouths shut. The Lt. didn't get a good look at us but he knew which winder it came from. This dorm was pretty wild, Bay of Pigs was the name of this one floor. When I arrived from basic and entered the dorm there was a guy staggering down the hallway who offered me a slug of Wild Turkey. As I had a little sip another guy was loading up a 5 foot bong at the water fountain. Ah the 70s. We didn't even wear out hats most of the time on base.


58 posted on 07/07/2005 6:39:47 PM PDT by spectr17 (What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?)
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To: jaydubya2
Good idea to turn around. You wouldn't want to become the next JFK Jr.!! You really miss that horizon when it's no longer visible.

Exactly what I was thinking at the time.

59 posted on 07/07/2005 6:43:08 PM PDT by Chuckster (Neca eos omnes. Deus suos agnoset)
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To: Excuse_My_Bellicosity; Mind-numbed Robot
Just about everything accelerates at 9.8 meters per second squared in a vacuum in the vicinity of Earth.

However, a water balloon reaches terminal velocity pretty quickly because water has a relatively low density and the balloon is flexible, and will spread out in a way that increases "lift". (Terminal velocity is the maximum speed possible for an item falling through air, water or other fluid). (Kittens reach terminal velocity in less than 30 feet).

In fact, terminal velocity for your ordinary water balloon (and I'm speaking of the average, unfrozen variety here) is so slow that water balloons early on demonstrated their inability to kill people on the ground in WWI, and it was necessary to turn to iron bombs and high explosives!

The performance of any water balloon can be improved in this regard by adding sulphuric or nitric acid. Still, those devices were also found to be inadequate by the military, so they did not get into widespread use.

60 posted on 07/07/2005 7:14:45 PM PDT by muawiyah (/sarcasm and invective)
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