Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site ihnp3.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ihnp3!cfiaime From: cfiaime@ihnp3.UUCP (Jeff Williams) Newsgroups: net.aviation Subject: Re: Fixed Base Operators - Comments and Impressions Message-ID: <159@ihnp3.UUCP> Date: Fri, 27-Sep-85 09:54:01 EDT Article-I.D.: ihnp3.159 Posted: Fri Sep 27 09:54:01 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 29-Sep-85 04:54:17 EDT References: <156@ihnp3.UUCP> <1668@brl-tgr.ARPA> Reply-To: cfiaime@ihnp3.UUCP (45261-J. Williams) Organization: ATT Bell Labs Lines: 65 In article <1668@brl-tgr.ARPA> wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin (DRXAL-RI) ) writes: >In article <156@ihnp3.UUCP> cfiaime@ihnp3.UUCP (Jeff Williams) writes: >> >>...in Petersburg, Virginia, ... The FBO was very unpleasant, to the >>point of calling the FAA and complaining that I was doing illegal >>low-level aerobatics in an illegal airplane. (I saw the FAA arrive >>in a State of Virginia King Air on my first take off.) While I supposedly >>was endangering life and limb at the airport, I was snarffing up some >>good biscuits and gravy in downtown Petersburg. Truely not a friendly >>reception. >> >Well, you've left us hanging on this one... What happened?!?! Did he >mistake some other aircraft that really was doing illegal things for >yours? Or did he make it up out of meanness or an inherently evil >nature? How did you find out about it -- did the FAA contact you? > >I hope you are suing this FBO! > More on the Petersburg incident. Those of you who remember the February Private Pilot magazine have seen a picture of the Starhawk. As mentioned in the magazine, Condor Enterprises of Sugar Grove is wanting to put the airplane into production. The powers that exist in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, are making a bid for the factory. When we arrived from Patuxant River, Maryland, the FBO was to wash the airplane and generally get it ready for the county and state officials to look at. There was very little time to do this, seeing that the Navy extended the test program up to the last possible instant. Anyway, when we arrived at Petersburg, the FBO started making comments about how any homebuilder could make an airplane such as this, and why is it so special, and how tatty it was looking. (As for tatty, if you had spend a week with the Navy at Pax River, you would look tatty, too. They worked that poor airplane, and crew, to death.) The county officials had arranged for the FBO to wash, and hangar the airplane, and to give the crew a lift to the local HoJo's to get cleaned up for the evening's meetings. They did wash the airplane, but did not care for the crew as they promised. On the following morning, he called the FAA about the Starhawk before we even started flying. When I landed after the first flight, the FAA asked me to get out of the airplane and show them my license, logbook (which never travels with me), medical, pack date on the parachutes, the airplane papers, and the like. The FED then proceeded to lecture me on proper aerobatics (not over towns, over 1500 feet AGL, in VFR conditions, with a parachute, in a properly certificated airplane). Because the FAA did not witness the "illegal" display, they would not violate me. There were also some fairly ironclad alibis, such as the county adminstrator and representatives of the governer's office, and the press, and other county officials. I got off with a slap on the wrist, or a talking to. About this time, several Marine helecopters landed. They were from Pax River, and were wondering what we were up to? They also explained the facts of life to the FAA as to what the airplane was doing on the east coast. Later, the FAA apologized for the misunderstanding. Matter of fact, the GADO staff in Richmond are pretty nice people. The FBO is in business, but the county officials (who signed the lease) are angered. The president and vice president of Condor are both lawyers, and will handle the legal aspects of the situation. jeff williams ihnp3!cfiaime Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com