Our “Gunpoint-at-the-Airport” Ordeal
Less stressful times with N50545
By now you have probably heard about our being handcuffed at gunpoint by the police at Santa Barbara Airport. Our registration number had mistakenly shown up on a stolen aircraft list.
Being detained at gunpoint, handcuffed and placed in two separate police cars, left us shaken enough that we had misgivings about flying home that afternoon—especially using the IFR system that had set us up for this ordeal in the first place. Sleeping at night hasn’t been easy either. Our minds keep replaying the events.
This could, of course, have happened to any pilot. The important point is to turn this into a learning opportunity for everyone involved so this doesn’t happen to innocent pilots again.
Chief Sanchez Apologized
I should note that the Chief of Police at Santa Barbara has called to apologize for our “short detainment”. I explained that we neither asked for nor expected an apology, but I was very appreciative. On the other hand, I explained, it wasn’t the detainment that I objected to. It was that so many guns were trained on us. In fact what bothered me most was not the treatment I had received, but seeing Martha have guns being pointed at her and seeing her being handcuffed.
Chief Sanchez explained that police are not trained to do anything else when they detain an airplane but to treat it as a high-risk traffic stop. The problem is that a high-risk traffic stop involves aiming guns. I said that I understood that the officers followed the procedure for a high-risk traffic stop to the letter. My question is whether that procedure should have been used.
Treating It As a High-Risk Traffic Stop Was Not Necessary
In my view it will be very rare when high-risk traffic stop procedures are appropriate for aircraft.
The aircraft are being intercepted because they are in the IFR/flight-following system. The behavior of these aircraft is very predictable. They have announced to the world who they are, how to reach them, and when and where they are going.
Once on the ground at an airport, they will announce on the radio their destination on the airport. They will taxi to the FBO, and if it is a 172, like we were flying, they will usually be directed to a remote parking spot. The pilot then will tie the airplane down, lock the doors, and walk away from the airplane. The police can then simply walk up to the occupants and talk to them without fear of their attempting to flee. Once the airplane is parked, there is no way to go anywhere. They don’t even have access to a car yet. The suspects will have immobilized themselves.
If, on the other hand, the police set up an interception in a remote area instead of at the FBO, any truly guilty suspect would most likely spot the police cars, as we did, before they pulled into the parking area, realize what is happening, and simply take off from the taxiway before the interception took place. This remote interception procedure only results in abusing the compliant innocent while giving the guilty the opportunity to flee.
For an aircraft flying to a remote airport in the middle of the night, it is possible more extreme measures would be required, but it is unlikely that aircraft would have been using the IFR/flight-following system and be reported. So this situation is unlikely to come up.
Making Sure Procedures Are Changed In The Future
Since this incident happened we have learned that it is not uncommon. And we have been given the details of two other recent cases where innocent pilots have been intercepted as a result of the registration number of a stolen aircraft being re-assigned by the FAA. However, in neither one of those cases were guns drawn and aimed at the pilots.
There are several failure points that result in these mistaken aircraft interceptions happening. Each failure point can and should be corrected.
- The FAA should not re-assign numbers of stolen aircraft unless the system is changed to protect the users of the aircraft the number is re-assigned to. The registration number on our aircraft, N50545, had been previously assigned to a 1968 C150 that was stolen. According to the owner, the C150 was never found, but the FAA re-assigned the number to our C172 anyway.
- El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) should check the FAA database before notifying agencies that a stolen aircraft in the IFR system is inbound. Plus, the notifications should distinguish between suspected drug smugglers, terrorists and aircraft thieves. It would have taken only about a minute on www.FAA.gov for them to search the registration number in question to learn that number had been re-assigned to a different aircraft.
- There needs to be a system for correcting the stolen aircraft database and better coordination between agencies. The aircraft we were flying had been intercepted 18 months ago for the same reason, on a trip by a Cessna employee between the Cessna factory and Wichita, KS. Yet nobody bothered to remove the aircraft from the stolen aircraft list.
- Police departments should be given Standard Operating Procedures and training regarding meeting suspicious aircraft. Aircraft are different from cars. Plus, police departments should take the 60 seconds or so required to determine that the suspect aircraft has not had the registration number re-assigned and is the correct make and model.
One thing that still bothers me about this case is that the Santa Barbara Police Department is still treating this case as if it were no big deal. I guess it isn’t a big deal if you are on the aiming end of the gun. And I have to admit that nobody was hurt and we and the police returned to our homes that night. Their reports to the press characterize us as” laughing afterwards” and “completely understanding”. The truth is that we were completely cooperative, and what we understood is that it is never wise to argue with a law enforcement officer. There will always be plenty of time for argument later on if you survive the incident.
We were not insulted or offended personally. We just feel that drawing guns on people is dangerous business—not to be done unless it is absolutely necessary. And it will continue to happen to other pilots unless the system is changed.
Let’s Hangar Fly Together in the Tropics this Winter
You don’t often hear Martha and me promoting trips in vehicles that don’t get much above sea level, but an upcoming event has got us excited about cruising for days at MSL. The first annual SUN ‘n FUN “Wings at Sea” Western Caribbean Cruise is a vacation designed specifically for us aviation enthusiasts.
See the cruise quick links at the bottom of this post
Share the Fun with Pilots and Aviation Enthusiasts
By the third week in January, 2011 when this cruise will take place, you will appreciate SUN ‘n FUN’s goal—to bring together people who share a passion for aviation in a tropical, relaxing, stress-free environment. Join us for this mid-winter “de-icer” and we’ll tour beautiful Grand Cayman Island and Cozumel, soaking up the sun along the way. We’ll also enjoy wonderful food, entertainment and the company of aviation friends.
Take in a Presentation, or Two
During our 5-day journey, Martha and I have been given the honor of hosting two sessions with you while out at sea:
Our first session we call “What We Learned from Flying Around the World”—They always said the world was round, but we never knew it personally until we took off from San Diego heading east and wound up back in San Diego—still heading east. It was a life-changing trip and we’d like to share what we learned about flying in really strange places and the fascinating ways we are all the same, yet different.
Our second session is “How to Avoid Unwanted Adventure and Still Have Fun”—Soon after our own aircraft accident and the discovery of our own sense of vulnerability, we became self-proclaimed “born again pilots.” In this presentation, you will hear about some of our flight adventures and we’ll use these often humorous stories to illustrate how we combine our enthusiasm for flying with principles of safe cross-country travel. You will learn practical and insightful tools for your own risk management.
Of course, Martha and I look forward to enjoying meals and hangar flying with you every chance we get.
Bring the Family … and Enjoy the Ship
In between our presentations (which we hope you’ll attend!), the ship offers an amazing variety of ways to unwind, including:
- Spectacular three-story dining room
- Optional high-end restaurants
- Themed bars and lounges
- Day Spa and Fitness Center
- Expansive Casino
- Five-story theater
- Golf simulators and nine-hole miniature golf course
- Ice-skating rink
- Full-size basketball court
- Rock-climbing wall
- In-line skating track
- Royal Promenade
- Youth and teen facilities
And the Sun isn’t the Only Warm Feeling You’ll Get
Just by taking this vacation, you’ll be helping to promote general aviation. Maybe the best part of SUN ‘n FUN’s first annual cruise is that the net proceeds from it will be used to benefit year ’round educational programs at SUN ‘n FUN and its Florida Air Museum (FAM).
Plan to Join us January 15 through 20, 2011
The SUN ‘n FUN “Wings at Sea” Western Caribbean Cruise boards in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, leaving on January 15th and returning on January 20th. Cabins start at about $688 per person, which includes all meals, recreation, entertainment, taxes and fees—AND Sun ‘n Fun special events and receptions. Your reservation form and more cruise information can be found below.
Cruise Quick Links |
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You have to wonder what our 35th anniversary means to you. We think the answer can be summed up in the words, “clear, simple and fun”. It all started with our flying our own airplane around the country teaching weekend ground schools for 10 years (more about that here). During those years we stood face-to-face with over 10 thousand pilots and watched their reactions as we made our explanations. In those days we got the test results from the FAA for each class. We desperately wanted to do our very best for these pilots, and seeing their reactions and getting immediate feedback was the perfect formula for refining our teaching.
When it came time to go to video we and our students benefited from these years of refinement and our customer’s results were fantastic. To this day we provide a method for our customers to give us feedback in every course they take. We think that despite all the changes in the technology of how our customers learn (we have gone from chalkboards to overheads, to video tape, to DVD’s for TV, to computer discs, and now the Internet and mobile devices), the key for our customers is that we are constantly striving to make learning clear, simple and fun. We believe you benefit from this whether your next goal is a Sport Pilot Certificate or you are qualifying for high-altitude transatlantic flying. We think this is a large part of the reason we have had a hand in training over half the pilots flying today.
Part of the fun of the last 35 years has been our sweepstakes. (The call to the winner is always great fun!) We have given away over 2 million dollars worth of prizes to lucky winners. The odds of winning are pretty good (about 100,000 to 1) and for our winners, the prizes have fulfilled many dreams. For King Schools’ 35th Anniversary, we put together a very special package of 3 prizes that we believe will continue this tradition in great style.
During our traveling ground school years, Alaska gained a special place in our hearts. We have made over 50 round-trips there from San Diego in our own airplane. We also flew around Alaska a lot in our own airplane and in various other airplanes including a Cessna 185 Skywagon, on both wheels and floats. As part of our 35th Anniversary Sweepstakes, we think it is very fitting that we are giving away an Alaskan seaplane rating and bush flying vacation to a lucky pilot that will put them in touch with that amazing experience. Equally exciting, the winner will also receive a state-of-the-art Redbird TD simulator, plus a KING Get It All Kit of their choice. See pages 36-37 in our Summer/Fall 2010 catalog for all the details! Don’t have a catalog? Let us know you want one and we’ll be happy to send one to you, free of charge.
Keep on having fun flying—and learning,
Martha and I just returned from Tel Aviv, Israel, where we spoke on risk management at the World Assembly of International Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. We were pleased that our talk was well received by those in attendance. Here’s a recap of the entire 25th annual IAOPA World Assembly, which focused on the future of General Aviation.
Having just completed our oceanic flight, we also became aware of a safety warning regarding the use of Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC). The alert warned of the erroneous presentation of Air Traffic Control (ATC) LOG data to a flight crew while in Oceanic FANS CPDLC operation. The alert was issued by EUROCONTROL for CPDLC problems encountered in the North Atlantic, but it could be a problem anywhere CPDLC is used in oceanic airspace. Though most folks won’t be affected by this, if you do use CPDLC, we wanted to make you aware.
The Safety Warning Message begins: “A recent incident occurred where a (data link) message to climb may have been sent to an aircraft without the ANSP Oceanic Ground System initiating it.”
You can read the entire Red Alert Safety Warning Message on www.skybrary.com.
Simulators are not new to aviation. In fact, the earliest simulators were available all the way back in the 1920’s!
In the '30's, the Link ANT-18 flight simulator was the cutting edge.
Those first simulators represented the pinnacle of technology and the innovators who created them were driven by a love of aviation and a strong desire to increase safety. Of course, they were also motivated by profits. The first big confirmation that they had a winner came in 1934 when, after experiencing an unacceptable number of aircraft losses during instrument flight, the US Army Air Corps ordered 6 Link trainers at $3,500 each ($43,000 in today’s dollars). These were the first of over 10,000 Link ANT-18 units delivered during WWII. The Link trainers, affectionately called “Blue Boxes”, were so successful at molding proficient instrument pilots that they became a cornerstone of pilot training throughout World War II and for decades beyond.
We have come a long way since those “Blue Boxes”, but the mission of flight simulation remains the same; keeping pilots and their passengers safer by creating and maintaining a high level of proficiency. That is also our goal at King Schools and is why we are so excited to partner with Redbird Flight Simulations.
The Redbird FMX Full Motion Simulator
As Link trainers represented the pinnacle of technology in the 20’s, Redbird is at that peak today. They are delivering an amazingly high amount of safety potential per dollar spent. In fact, their FMX simulator is the first full-motion, full-visual simulator that is affordable by most flight schools.
The Redbird TD Home Simulator - The latest technology at a stunningly low price
You will be especially excited about the Redbird TD. This home simulator will really keep you sharp! Unlike other “desktop” models, the TD desk-mount places the yoke and controls under the table, achieving the feel of a real cockpit while you practice instrument procedures to any airport in the world, or maybe pre-fly that upcoming cross-country. It can also be ordered with either a “glass” or “analog” instrument panel—each option providing realistic system failures. With airplane manufacturers restricting the use of circuit breakers to simulate system failure in the air, a good simulator has become essential in preparing pilots to deal with emergencies—and the Redbird sims really deliver.
We have to tell you though, what we like most about the family of Redbird simulators is that they take advantage of the very latest technology to deliver unheard of capabilities at stunningly low price points. This fits our mission of providing highly effective training that leads to safe, fun flying!
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