O.T. question for pilots

just another old geezer · Oct 20, 2013

I am considering my options for getting in the air in this comming year. ultralight, light sport, powered parachute or something of that nature. I wonder if low flying pilots like this ever spot illeagle activity and how they feel they should handle it. I'm not talking about anything minor like a couple kids on the wong side of a fenceline or anything like that. I'm thinking more like a big patch of alternative crops, outside chop shop, or something like that. To not report it would make me feel culpable. And people looking the other way I feel is a big part of whats wrong with things right now. However, to report a "weed patch", if you can't keep your name out of it, makes you a target for all the local potheads and dealers who have just lost a years supply. And I have heard that those guys just don't have a sence of humor about those things. Then there is the factor of the local sherif's dept who is about 50/50 split down the middle on going out and destroying these types of things, or going out and demanding their share of the crop.
Just wondering how established pilots handle this type of thing, if it even happens.

RBnSC · Oct 20, 2013

Be sure to sign up as an organ donor.
Ron

Gene Dotson · Oct 20, 2013

I have been flying for 46 years and have never seen anything worse than a hunter in a no hunting area. Certain illegal crops are hard to spot from a light plane without special imaging cameras. Flying, especially low demands constant concentration and likeleyhood of spotting certain small things is remote.

At present the easiest and most rewarding flight rating is the sport pilot license. No medical required, with restrictions on aircraft type and size, no night flight and no controlled areas. Can take one passenger and cross country trips with special training. Minimum 20 flight hours flight training. Easy written test.

Gene

Gene Dotson · Oct 20, 2013

Yeah, you may get t-boned on the drive to the airport.

Gene

KYfarm · Oct 20, 2013

Here in KY the best thing to do with information about alternative crops is to just forget you ever left the porch that morning

MarkB_MI · Oct 20, 2013

If you're flying low enough to spot weed, you're probably flying too low. Not only do you have to worry about an engine failure at low altitude, you also have to worry about kooks and pot growers who like to shoot at aircraft.

Ray · Oct 20, 2013

I know guys that have been flying for 30 years and never had a license.No one has ever asked to there license.

HuskerMedic · Oct 20, 2013

I got my private license about 12 years ago. Haven't flown in about 5 years, moved and got too expensive. Hope to fly again someday.

Sport pilot wasn't available when I was learning. Now, that would probably be the route I would go, although I would miss being able to fly at night. Otherwise, it covers most of the flying I have done.

Statistically, you're safer flying than driving.

dr sportster · Oct 20, 2013

First thing the instructor is going to tell you is altitude is your friend. Flying low there is much less time to react in a crisis situation. Let the DEA find the pot fields. If you do fly low you are going too fast to recognize things unless your passenger does.

just another old geezer · Oct 20, 2013

I asked that question only because there was a state patrol officer from california who flew helicotpter and clamed to be able to spot a single "weed" plant from 1500 ft.(if that was true or not I do not know, but he wes well known for finding these gardens. they Had a news story about him) he said that it has a different shade of green from any other vegitation out there. If if is noticably different color, large patches might stand out.

Wheat Farmer · Oct 20, 2013

Been flying for 47 years. Report an accident or two, but the best was a guy on a county road NUDE stopping cars. Stayed overhead until the sheriff got there. I was safe because I could see he wasn't carrying a gun. Before cell phones. I called the local tower, and they called the sheriff.

Brad Buchanan · Oct 20, 2013

Hey Geez.

I am considering getting a gyrocopter because I can't get a regular ticket because of my diabetes.

I have to agree with other post about altitude. An old saying is that you can never use the runway behind you or the sky above you.

If you are low enough to identify individual plants you are way to low. Watch out for that telephone pole!

Brad

JF in MI · Oct 20, 2013

Been flying for 23 years and can't remember spotting any illegal anomalies on the ground. Usually too busy watching what was ahead. If you want to report something send an anomomus letter to the sheriff, state police, or District Attorney or all of the above. If you've ever been finger printed don't handle the paper or lick the envelope. I dare anyone to find out who sent it. Nothing may happen but your conscience will be clear.
I usually TRY to instigate stuff from the air. I used to drop notes to couples I spot in remote hiking areas that said "show me your t*ts". Occasionally got some interesting responses but mostly thay acted like they were already stoned out of their minds so bad that they didn't even know what an airplane was.

Prawn Farmer · Oct 20, 2013

Your personal convictions should be the same whether you are operating an airplane, truck, 8N Ford or a lawn chair with 45 helium filled weather balloons attached as did "Lawn Chair Larry" in 1982. Pilots reported seeing a guy sitting in a lawn chair at 15,000 feet banishing a rifle to the Long Beach"s airport approach control. Things apparently went south after Larry accidentally dropped his pellet rifle that was intended to control his descent.

jon f mn · Oct 20, 2013

Statistically you are safer in a commercial plane, not in a private plane, unless things have changed since I got my license in the late 80's.

earlschieb · Oct 20, 2013

I know the feeling, up here ON, the Ohio River, we have a drug dealer of some kind, that gets his dope via float plane, and we can"t get ANYONE to investigate it. The plane never comes the same day or time of day, so it makes it almost impossible to get any pictures, but we have seen it land, dump the package into the water, and take off, all in under 3 minutes.

Need to be in Kentucky, to get the pictures better, because of the trees. Needless to say, when you live in Ohio, that makes it tuff.

Larry NEIL · Oct 20, 2013

You CAN get a private pilots license with diabetes as long as there are no complications like very high blood pressure.

RayP(MI) · Oct 20, 2013

What would you do if you happened on similar activity while on land, say hunting, hiking, or driving along the road? I"d turn them in in a heartbeat. If you"re concerned that local authorities won"t do the job, call the state police, or state attorney general. THen there are the "silent observer" hot lines. There you don"t need to give your name or whatever. I have used them once in a while, even if they were for a neighboring county, word will probably get back to your local authorities. Around here, many of our agencies have multiagency task forces dealing with drugs, etc. Tips would be passed through that task force, and local sheriff would have a harder time ignoring it. And drug dealing is clearly beyond just county lines. They recently had a multi-million dollar bust with 25 arrests in west Michigan. Clearly not just a individual with a few plants squirreled away in some farmer"s cornfield.

Rick Kr · Oct 20, 2013

If you are flying over my place, I am the guy peeing behind the barn, sometimes on the side.

I fly now and then Robinson R44 or Bell 47, and you wont see what you think. When we are low you are more worried about eating the ground than you are scanning for pot plants. Don't look down when you are flying!!!

Now that pot is legal here in Michigan, not sure authorities care that much now.

My two cents.
Rick

Dachshund · Oct 20, 2013

A "relative" was questioned by the local autorities a few years back. Seems that the barnyard on a place he owned had some "ditchweed" in it (ok....it was COVERED by it....). One day a low flying airplane spotted the barnyard had been "harvested". Someone crawled through the outside 10-15 feet, and cut down the inside. You couldn't tell it from the road...

Jimmie D. Phelps · Oct 20, 2013

I Have flown with a student lic. from 1950 to 1957. Got my private lic. and kept legal with 2 yr flight review and Med. . In 1985 I had a little heart problem and knew I could not pass my PHY. So for the next 20 years I always flew with a lic. Pilot(manly my Dad. When they came with sport lic. I was able to get it by just being ck"out by a FAA Inst. Flew that way for two years and sold the plane 2006 and haven"t flown since. My first planes were J3-Ercoupe-Aeronca Champ-Piper PA-14 (Family cruiser) Piper Tri-Pacer--and back to last plane Ercoupe. To ans. his question, I would by a Aeronca Champ. start by getting your sport lic. and than work up to your Private Lic. and fly above min.alt. allowed and you will have the best flying experience ever. Ill show the Champ and me in 1952 and me landing the Ercoupe same year.

Pete-IN · Oct 21, 2013

I flew a hot air balloon for 25 years. Sometimes a passenger would spot a pot patch and point it out to me. I never reported it because balloons fly low and slow and are an easy target for anyone with a rifle.

O.T. question for pilots

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