Follow-up to 'First Solo'

Matthew

Matthew

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Matthew
Back in May (the 19th) I posted my first solo experience.

That was the day of the attempted hijacking at my airport.

A recap in 200 words or less:

A guy with a t-shirt that said 'Show me the money' and a Glock .40 walked into the local bank, robbed the place, made the employees and customers strip to their underwear, flex-cuffed and chained 6 hostages together, walked as a group to the parking lot, piled into a minivan, had one of the hostages drive, started shooting out the windows at the cops, headed east the 2 miles to the airport with every cop in town on his tail, drove into the airport, onto the ramp, grabbed one of the women hostages, dragged her to a 172 that was doing a run up and tried to open the left door.

Then the time compression began - the police car dashboard video and TV helicopter video show that (within 1-2 seconds) the CFI pulls the mixture, CFI/student dive out the right door, hostage breaks loose and ducks under the tail, and the shooting starts.

Aircraft in the pattern are allowed to land, then the airport is closed.

This is the day I'm scheduled to solo. I got to the airport later that day, just after the airport reopened. The runup area on the east side of R18 still had crime-scene tape and police cars around it, I was using the west side of R18. All the reporters doing their talking head remotes like to set up so they can get a picture of an airplane in the background. That would have been me doing my solo.

Anyway, the guy has been in a prison rehab hospital ever since. He plead guilty yesterday. He had been 'stressed out' because of the loss of his job and needed the money to open a restaurant. He's likely to be sentenced to 10 yrs for the robbery, 7 yrs on weapons charges, and 20yrs for attempted air-piracy, minimum. Probably not bad, considering the district attorney and the feds ran out of books to throw at him.

I just hope the press isn't out to record my checkride, too.
 
I remember that post. :eek:

They should also nail him for getting an innocent airplane shot in the process.

One thing about it, no on in that town will not remember your solo day. "what day was that?" "it was the day the guy got shot trying to hijack a plane" "oh I remember that day!"
 
Yeah, the airplane still pretty much had that 'new-airplane' smell.

Can't remember the total dollar amount in damage, it was in the tens of thousands. Several of the bullet/pellet holes went through the doors and, I think, the seats. CFI and student both were handcuffed and laid face down for a while until everything could be sorted out.

The guy parked his car midway between the airport and the bank, then walked to the bank. I probably drove right past him on my way to work.
 
Matthew said:
He's likely to be sentenced to 10 yrs for the robbery, 7 yrs on weapons charges, and 20yrs for attempted air-piracy, minimum.
Click to expand...
Consecutive sentences, I hope.
 
Not sure about consecutive. The paper says 10+20+7, but then says the agreement was for a guilty plea in exchange for a recommended minimum of 27 yrs (maybe it's 27 yrs before eligible for parole). The judge has the final say at sentencing in March.

Th guy claims he is a pilot, I'll have to look up his name somewhere. I still didn't get any indication that the hijacking was part of the 'master plan' or just something that happened. I guess his medical will expire and he'll still be eligible for sport? Hmm, he'd still have to renew his driver's license every 5 yrs in Kansas, or wherever he ends up.
 
Wow...a nut ticket for sure.

Well he has time to "open" his restaurant to a captive audience...hope he stays there for many many years.
 
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