Glider Pilot arrested for airspace

On 1/11/2013 8:22 PM, Ramy wrote:
Sure, why not reward them even more. I wonder if you would think the
same after seating in jail sharing a cell with criminals for over 24
hours due to these morons. I for one hope that the agreement not to
sue them has no merit and that Robin will be able to buy himself a
nice collection of new motorgliders funded by their pensions and
bonuses, to make up for the trauma of spending a day and night in
jail. Sigh!!

I'm sure it's hard in the heat of the moment to take the long term view,
and I don't fault the pilot for not doing it. My suggestion is just an
extension of the usual advice for handling a landout: try to make
friends, try to get the farmer to the glider club for a ride.

I think it's a low risk strategy:

-if they are just ignorant, possibly now feeling foolish about
overreacting, an offer like this would calm them and give them the
chance to understand and like us; suing or similar might just make
enemies, which is even worse than ignorance

-if they are genuine a-holes without hope of redemption, they'll still
be a-holes without hope of redemption; suing or similar might make them
more careful the next time, but there's a good chance it would just make
them worse

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)

It bears mention that this incident took place on July 26, 2012.

One must wonder why it took 6 month to go viral on RAS...

Ramy

James Fallows wrote a nice summation of Robin's incident, it's he
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/...dition/267080/

Jim includes part of the relevant sectional chart, showing the plant. If you watch the embedded video from AOPA in his column, you'll see a SeeYou segment of Robin's thermalling across the lake from the reactor. You'll also see aerial shots of the plant itself.

-John, Q3

Apart from the consideration of a law suit, is there a police complaints procedure in the US?

One comment. Folks in this thread are taking the AOPA article as "Gospel". Having personally observed the (at times huge) inaccuracies in reporting Journalism, I would respectfully suggest that we let the SSA's government liaison work on this instead of doing or saying things to officials/people that could make the situation much worse for gliding. Let them research out the facts and take any action that is warranted with the appropriate officials. Yelling at people usually doesn't work well in getting necessary change and that should be the goal here.

Regards,

Craig R.

On Saturday, January 12, 2013 10:54:11 AM UTC-5, wrote:
Apart from the consideration of a law suit, is there a police complaints procedure in the US?

Filing an official complaint against a rural sheriff could backfire.

I understand that incidents like this are often resolved informally through the "good ol' boys network".

Comic relief... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f3CFzahrRs

Filing an official complaint against a rural sheriff could backfire.


Sooner or later FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) always puts in an
appearance...ANY action involving people could backfire.

Count me in the group believing:
- the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior;
- an excellent modifier of future behavior is belief/knowledge that you as an
individual likely WILL be held accountable for societally unacceptable actions
on your part;
- principle matters;
- hope as the sole basis for society is bleakly laughable, given human nature.

Failure to make a serious attempt to hold the overly-full-of-self official(s?)
publicly acting in defiance of laws and publicly advocating illegal use of
(deadly) force - as were both present in this instance - is a proven recipe
for more of the same.

Others have touched upon various - sensible - possible approaches soaring
practitioners might consider applying in the wake of this appalling abuse of
power. More power to everyone on this front; such things should be a routine
part of our soaring-related activities.

But to do so to the exclusion of in some way or ways holding irresponsible
public officials' feet to the fire would be a serious, bad-behavior-enabling,
error.

Given Robin Fleming's dismal post-soaring-flight experience of last summer,
who among us would want to experience anything remotely similar? Why not? A
famous statement of Patrick Henry's comes to my mind...

Bob W.