FAA grounds taunting banner plane

The FAA sent inspectors to check on a plane that towed a taunting banner
and claimed it had a seatbelt issue, grounding it:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100409/...s_banner_plane

I'm glad to see that the FAA doesn't abuse their police powers when asked
by the rich and politically connected to go find something, anything, to
silence unwelcome but free speech, however one may disagree with it. I'm
glad that didn't happen here.

And kudos to the person on the ground who managed to see a problem with a
seatbelt on the airplane (good eye!) and alerted the FAA to the unsafe
condition. I'm sure the FAA inspectors had a specific reason to inspect the
plane other than it carried a taunting banner.

I'm sure the FAA would have been equally diligent to complaints of unsafe
airplanes towing banners saying something like "Eat at Joe's".

"Jim Logajan" wrote in message
.. .
I'm sure the FAA would have been equally diligent to complaints of unsafe
airplanes towing banners saying something like "Eat at Joe's".

That looks like a clear abuse of power to me.

Vaughn

On Apr 10, 12:15*pm, "vaughn" wrote:
"Jim Logajan" wrote in message

.. .

I'm sure the FAA would have been equally diligent to complaints of unsafe
airplanes towing banners saying something like "Eat at Joe's".

That looks like a clear abuse of power to me.

Like being pulled over for driving while young ?

Jim Logajan writes:

I'm sure the FAA would have been equally diligent to complaints of unsafe
airplanes towing banners saying something like "Eat at Joe's".

A bad seat belt can lead a banner-towing aircraft to tragedy, just as surely
as a politically-incorrect message. It's not like a failure to maintain a
fleet of 737s, or ignoring ADs for a couple of 747s, or trivial stuff like
that. This is a question of seat-belt conformance, which has the absolute
highest priority with the FAA because of the fearsome danger it represents to
aviation safety.

In article ,
says...

Jim Logajan writes:

I'm sure the FAA would have been equally diligent to complaints of unsafe
airplanes towing banners saying something like "Eat at Joe's".

A bad seat belt can lead a banner-towing aircraft to tragedy, just as surely
as a politically-incorrect message. It's not like a failure to maintain a
fleet of 737s, or ignoring ADs for a couple of 747s, or trivial stuff like
that. This is a question of seat-belt conformance, which has the absolute
highest priority with the FAA because of the fearsome danger it represents to
aviation safety.

Just wondering how you'd know that. When's the last time you left the
seat, due clear air turbulence, or when you where trying to join the
mile high club and she leaned back onto the control yoke?

--
Duncan.

Dave Doe writes:

Just wondering how you'd know that. When's the last time you left the
seat, due clear air turbulence, or when you where trying to join the
mile high club and she leaned back onto the control yoke?

I've seen first-hand what happens when people don't fasten their seat belts.

On Sat, 10 Apr 2010 14:31:22 +0200, Mxsmanic
wrote:

Dave Doe writes:

Just wondering how you'd know that. When's the last time you left the
seat, due clear air turbulence, or when you where trying to join the
mile high club and she leaned back onto the control yoke?

I've seen first-hand what happens when people don't fasten their seat belts.

I havent.
could you demonstrate for me?

Stealth Pilot

I've seen first-hand what happens when people don't fasten their seat
belts.

I havent.
could you demonstrate for me?

How about some extended knife edge flight in a breezey with no seat belt?
--
Jim in NC

On Apr 10, 3:56*am, Mxsmanic wrote:

This is a question of seat-belt conformance,

No, it's not and you are wrong once again.
The issue was not the seat belt, it was someone's
offense at free speech. The seat belt was an issue
discovered after the fact, so once again, you're simply wrong.

Ricky

Stealth Pilot writes:

I havent. could you demonstrate for me?

I wasn't given a copy of the scans or x-ray images, as I was uninjured myself.