Regional pilot tries to run down cops with plane!!!!

[buscap]

We have got to stop these darn regional pilots!!! They are such a problem!!!


ATLANTA (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc said on Thursday it has suspended a pilot who was charged with attempting to run down police officers with his private plane at a metro-Atlanta airport.

Dan Gryder, the pilot, is being held in Spalding County Jail in Griffin, Georgia, charged with aggravated assault and obstruction, according to a statement from the Griffin Police Department.

Two code enforcement officers attempted to issue six citations to Gryder on Wednesday at the Griffin-Spalding Airport, the statement said. Gryder refused to sign the tickets, boarded his 1937 DC-3A plane, and started it up, police said. Gryder almost struck one officer's vehicle with the plane, the statement added.

Gryder eventually shut down the plane after his request for a fuel truck was denied, and was taken into custody.

"He essentially shut the airport down for almost 45 minutes," Griffin police investigator Bryan Clanton said in the statement.

Delta spokesman Anthony Black said in an email on Thursday that Gryder is a Delta pilot and has been suspended pending the completion of the investigation.

Last month, Delta suspended two Northwest Airlines pilots who overflew their destination and lost contact with air controllers during an October 21 flight from San Diego to Minneapolis. The pair told aviation officials they were discussing company policy and using their laptops.

(Reporting by Karen Jacobs)

 

[Max Q]

I'm surprised they didn't mention that 6A2 is "uncontrolled" and "has NO CONTROL TOWER!!!".

 

[COOPERVANE]

The pilot is a good guy.

It was probably some cop wanna-be got his panties in a wad, wanted to flex his muscle.

Are you kidding me? Code enforcement officers. The same people who put letters in your mailbox for having a basketball goal in your driveway? Do they have power of arrest? Or did they call 911 and say some crazy pilot was about to run them down.

Picture yourself at the field about to start up and some Junior-ranger AFROTC type wants to give you a "citation". Would you listen to him? Or would you "almost run him down" by starting up and taxiing past his scooter in your Antique DC-3?

MOVE!!

 

[Captain Morgan]

The pilot is a good guy.

It was probably some cop wanna-be got his panties in a wad, wanted to flex his muscle.

Are you kidding me? Code enforcement officers. The same people who put letters in your mailbox for having a basketball goal in your driveway? Do they have power of arrest? Or did they call 911 and say some crazy pilot was about to run them down.

Picture yourself at the field about to start up and some Junior-ranger AFROTC type wants to give you a "citation". Would you listen to him? Or would you "almost run him down" by starting up and taxiing past his scooter in your Antique DC-3?

MOVE!!

Yeah man.... down with authority... by all means run that f*cker over!

 

[20sx]

Why is he a regional pilot, doesn't he work for Delta? Or is he a DC9 pilot)

 

[Corbon]

You have to respect the authority of the armed tax collector. Sounds like he didn't so they created bogus charges that are probably nothing but typical cop drama and made up BS so they can remind him of who's the boss.

Rest easy in Atlanta tonight. The streets safe with Barney and Gomer on the job.

 

[FishandFly]

The pilot is a good guy.

It was probably some cop wanna-be got his panties in a wad, wanted to flex his muscle.

Are you kidding me? Code enforcement officers. The same people who put letters in your mailbox for having a basketball goal in your driveway? Do they have power of arrest? Or did they call 911 and say some crazy pilot was about to run them down.

Picture yourself at the field about to start up and some Junior-ranger AFROTC type wants to give you a "citation". Would you listen to him? Or would you "almost run him down" by starting up and taxiing past his scooter in your Antique DC-3?

MOVE!!

Are you kidding me? This guy is an idiot. Police officers are not the only enforcers of our laws. If someone is issuing you a citation you are a fool to argue.

 

[jws717]

Remember, Delta pilots think they are god on earth. So why not strike down some tax collectors from above. Its very biblical.

 

[crj567]

I'm surprised they didn't mention that 6A2 is "uncontrolled" and "has NO CONTROL TOWER!!!".

This version didn't include the important part about this guy driving his car all over the runways and taxiways. Many smaller uncontrolled airports do have regulations against driving cars around the places where planes can be operating-for obvious reasons. The citations started with the car, and progressed once he threatened to run people over with his plane.

-Real classy-ace.

 

[Max Q]

This version didn't include the important part about this guy driving his car all over the runways and taxiways. Many smaller uncontrolled airports do have regulations against driving cars around the places where planes can be operating-for obvious reasons. The citations started with the car, and progressed once he threatened to run people over with his plane.

-Real classy-ace.

I understand that. I am just surprised the news article didn't point out that the field has no control tower and pilots can just take off and land without anybody's permission.

 

[crj567]

I understand that. I am just surprised the news article didn't point out that the field has no control tower and pilots can just take off and land without anybody's permission.

Yes.... I think that is correct. I think the attempt to run people over is where things got a bit pissy-bad form, no matter how you cut it-controlled or uncontrolled, things are likely to end poorly.

-I just wonder what the FAA will do to this jerk-should be interesting.

 

[fastback]

Why is he a regional pilot, doesn't he work for Delta? Or is he a DC9 pilot)

Don't worry about it. Please go back to your booger collection.

 

[WayBack]

really? He attempted to run someone over with a DC3? Have you ever been around a DC3? It's not like they can really sneak up behind you, or swiftly attack you like they're a Ninja. It's a friggin DC3.
I'm guessing Paul Blart:Airport Code Officer blew the story out of proportion.

 

[urflyingme?!]

When I worked banner tow some dude would come over and give the boss a citation every day. It had a "suggested fee" for "voluntary" noise abatement violations. he had a full drawer of them, it was great.

 

[DX Rick]

When I worked banner tow some dude would come over and give the boss a citation every day. It had a "suggested fee" for "voluntary" noise abatement violations. he had a full drawer of them, it was great.

The State of Illinois sends it's pilots a "suggested" $10 fee to keep their pilots license "current" on a yearly basis.
It's amazing how many people don't think about it, and pay the state $10 every year to keep their license.
It's a Federal License, not a State.

 

[inthegoo]

The State of Illinois sends it's pilots a "suggested" $10 fee to keep their pilots license "current" on a yearly basis.
It's amazing how many people don't think about it, and pay the state $10 every year to keep their license.
It's a Federal License, not a State.

Back in the early 90's the state of Illinois would tell you that if you didnt pay the fee then you could not legally air navigate over Illinois or land in Illinois, I asked the FSDO (known then as GADO) and they confirmed it, they also said though that folks from other states (who obviously were not asked to pay the fee) were welcome in Illinois.

HA!

 

[Ad Lib]

The Code Enforcement Officials in question had been known to ask about oil quantity in an airplane's engine and when you answered appropriately for a large engine they would write a citation for illegally storing oil.

No, I'm not making that up.

At my local airport (not Griffin) where Dad and I helped lay out and build the taxiways with our own supplies they decided we could not drive on the ramp without signing up for their vehicle safety course, that they did not offer. Same with washing an airplane, now it is "illegal" without their also unavailable HazMat course. But the airport manager's buddy will wash your airplane for a few hundred dollars. Apparently he's the only one qualified and most of the time the guy has Mexicans spraying 401 on everything in sight (not good for aluminum).

At small airports driving your car out and parking by your airplane is a regular occurrence. For some reason the "Code Enforcement Officials" feel that only they can drive around the ramp - go figure.

Griffin's just trying to hide the fact they permitted a bunch of building in the airport's required runway clear zone and now they want to have all the big airplanes move off field before someone does another aborted take off and blows up the Piggly Wiggley (no, not kidding about that either)

 

[FishandFly]

Although I agree there are many stupid laws, I still can not imagine a critical thinking professional pilot doing anything but saying thank you for the ticket and taking the issue to the judge or city office that it demands. If they made demands that seemed out of line he should have called 911, not cranked number 1. I am willing to bet that the code enforcement folks knew the law and the delta guy broke it. If he didn't like the law he should try and change it, not act stupid towards the people paid to enforce it.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

The State of Illinois sends it's pilots a "suggested" $10 fee to keep their pilots license "current" on a yearly basis.
It's amazing how many people don't think about it, and pay the state $10 every year to keep their license.
It's a Federal License, not a State.

Somebody should mail them a $10 bill from MONOPOLY just for the fun of it.

 

[Oneflap]

This was a MAINLINE PILOT!!!