The FAA Is At The Door...But No One Seems To Be Home At The Controls! 

Of course, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, you don’t actually have to be home to ‘answer the door’.  All you need to do (if appropriately equipped) is open the app, press the talk button, and voila!    

Normally, when one hears of ‘uncrewed’ aircraft, one usually imagines drones and other remotely piloted/operated aircraft where someone, seen or unseen is ‘in control’ of said aircraft.  Because of all the sunshine of late, we’ve certainly had a lot more hay to munch on these past few months regarding ‘uncrewed’ aircraft, or should we say unscrewed as suggested by the autocorrect?   

Circa November 2021, he who shall not be named, without any announcement or forewarning, vacated his modestly equipped, unmodified vintage (1940’s) single-engine Taylorcraft BL-65 aircraft above seemingly uninhabited bumpy terrain.  Prior permission was not requested from the Administrator for special exemptions to knowingly violate the regulations that expressly demand unwavering compliance by aircraft operators in the national airspace system.  He who shall not be named subsequently posted video footage of the experience online, complete with first-person view and multiple camera angles that would make a certain streaming service currently losing subscribers mighty jealous of his resourcefulness and meager budget!   

The Administrator conducted a review/investigation of said content, sans wreckage, since he who shall not be named performed a cleanup with a chartered helicopter on aisle three…or was it thirty-three?  It’s kind of difficult to decide where to start counting those valleys.  April 2022, some five months later, via low-tech means, the Administrator informed he who shall not be named of a litany of violations and subsequent reasoning that culminated in the revocation of his private pilot license.  He who shall not be named did not appear to be disappointed with the ruling; in fact, he seemed relieved and jovial.  

Before April came to a close, an opportunity for a two-for-one one-of-a-kind deal presented itself.  Who doesn’t love a good deal…or no deal?  The premise?  Two pilots launch specially modified aircraft to an altitude of around 14,000ft, vacate via parachute, enter the other pilot’s aircraft, and land.  In this instance, two skydivers and commercial non-instrument-rated pilots spent ten years planning this special event, with a team of engineers, 3D CAD modeling software, manufacturing resources, and the deep pockets of two well-known sponsors.  

The result, two very colorful, ‘experimental’ Cessna 182’s modified with ‘special’ air brakes, autopilot, and other tidbits beyond what Textron Aviation could possibly have imagined for their venerable hauler, and all seemed to come together, with the major goal being, according to the preview video, “to make aviation history.” The stunt team had partnered with a ‘competing’ streaming service to broadcast the event live, billed in the teaser trailer as “10 years in the making, 2 pilots, 2 planes, no one at the controls, 1 moment to watch.” The Administrator had received a request from the “team” for an exemption from 14 CFR 91.105(a) several days before the event, however, not seeing any semblance of this exemption being “in the public interest”, the request was denied on 22nd April 2022.  

Two days later, on 24th April 2022, the team went ahead with their plans anyway.  Murphy and the best-laid plans usually take every opportunity to humble and deliver teachable moments to those whose cups runneth over with hubris, and this was no exception.  The plots entered their respective aircraft, departed in formation, and once at altitude, activated the ‘dive profile’, proceeding to exit and swap airplanes.  One pilot completed his swap, but the second airplane spiraled out of control and crashed on the surface, but its pilot parachuted to safety.  One of the pilots held a Remote Pilot certificate, but I don’t think the actions performed herein is what the Administrator had in mind when that certificate was issued!  

While both pilots emerged unharmed from the experience, and one aircraft was destroyed beyond repair, we could argue or agree about their reckless and careless actions, ultimately yielding a combination of violations too numerous to list here. If the plane swap was a success, would the Administrator have found pilots guilty and still have them drop off their green cards on ‘Revocation Way’, or would they have been celebrated for pushing an envelope that shouldn’t be?  Or should they be sent on their way with term-limited suspensions? Anti-authority behavior is one of many hazardous attitudes upon which the FAA frowns, and if the stunt team thought it better to ask forgiveness than permission, surely they are mistaken.

Law-abiding pilots are mightily aware of how their rights and access are slowly being stripped away, thanks to overzealous unsympathetic neighbors, developers, and others who infringe to erase airports one by one through subterfuge or nefarious machinations.  Additionally, they also recognize that while some [sic favorable] ‘publicity’ is in the public good, it takes but one loose screw to undo all the good deeds of the law-abiding ‘operators’ in our national airspace system which, in this authors opinion, remains one of the best and safest on this marble called Earth. The aviation history likely being made this month, or in the coming weeks depending on how soon the Administrator concludes its investigation, may be the revocation of six additional pilot certificates (2 Commercial, 2 Private, 1 Remote Pilot, and 1 Master Parachute Rigger). The aviation community’s head is still spinning as they await the outcome of this “one moment to watch.” 

FMI: https://www.redbull.com/us-en/events/plane-swap