Article published Jun 16, 2005
Alabama boy accused of taking stolen airplane on joy ride
[...]
Police said the boy, who wasn't identified because of his age, had no
flying experience.

IIRC, FAA regulations require _legal_ pilots to have their names
published on their website, is that correct?

He allegedly took his mother's van from their home
in Rainsville and drove to the airport in Fort Payne, about five miles
away.

Is driving a car permitted for a 14-yr-boy in Alabama?

Greetings,
Bernd

aw, come on. How does a 14 year old without any flying experience manage
to start an airplane, much less know how to control the throttle?

What's "flying experience"? Actually serving as pilot or co-pilot
of a plane? If the kid has flown with someone in a small plane and
was observant, even if he never touched the controls before, he
might manage to learn enough to get himself in trouble. Or he
might have been interested enough to read books about flying.

Gordon L. Burditt