Radio Show Antics

[TDTURBO]

Interview????

I could care less what some old crusty airline check pilot thinks of me, I own the plane, have no aspirations of taking the fun out of flying by doing it for a living and am too **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** old to even consider a career change at this point in my life.

 

[Flywrite]

Then you should also be old enough to realize how stupid this whole stunt is.

 

[flywithastick]

Turbo -

Sounds like you're getting all kinds of advice. The only thing I'd throw in is to think about it a while. get a little more technical advice from people face to face. Then think about it a little more.

Sometimes even seemingly innocent jokes, pranks or whatever can seem really stupid after you've done them and wished you'd thought of this one bad consequence.

Remember Orson Wells' little radio prank?!

 

[A Squared]

As far as the advisability of this from a legal standpoint. A lot of it depends on whether the news reporter will be in on it or not. Your post isn't clear on this.


If the reporter is in on it, and you're just flying the airplane while he or she is broadcasting the hoax, there's no clear FAR violation. There may be implications with the FCC for braodcasting fradulent distress signals though. If the local Airport Crash and Fire Rescue unit (or other emergency services) is alerted and is mobilized, both you and the reporter may have some questions to answer.


If the reporter is not in on the prank and you fake a heart attack for the reporters benefit, all of the above applies, except you'll be the one answering the questions. Additionally the FAA could make a very good case for careless and reckless operation. I would think that the FAA would take a dim view of a non-pilot being led to believe that he was flying the plane, while you a non-cfi supervised the operation while feigning unconsiousness.

hey, I don't want to sound like a wet blanket, but I've been a party to more than a few pranks, and I'vew learned a couple of things:

1) Sometimes these things turn out a little differently than you thought,

2) persons in authority tend to have an astonishing lack of humor.



regards

 

[enigma]

If the station wants to run a hoax, let them. I would take their reporter up for a normal flight and let them tape the flight. They can then dub in their fake problem. Make it a VFR flight so that you never put your N number on an ATC tape. Use a fake number for the transmissions that they tape, or just don't talk on the radio since there's no requirement to do so unless your in controlled airspace. Hey, it seems to me that having a reporter seem to make a safe landing would be positive, besides the media can fake the event without any pilots participation.

regards,
8N

PS How's this for a good fake tail number. N-FAKE

 

[TDTURBO]

Ok guys,

The guy is not a reporter, it's Turd from the Mancow show in Chicago. He is in on the prank, there will be no communication with control towers, fire and rescue will not be an issue since we are saying that were in Wisconsin. I checked it out with a few legal sources, it seems ok.


BTW....Q101 is the station, it will be live tuesday, weather permitting.


Now I need some funny stuff for the "talk down" pilot on the ground.

 

[ShawnC]

Give me the number and the time to call, I can think up some classic material.

"Hang in there with me mongoose. Just a few more miles. I'll be on your wing."

"Do it like a real man... glide in... see that red knob that was fuel... turn it to off."

 

[Mickey]

You're getting too old to switch careers? I don't understand. It sounds to me like you're wanting to pull off a high school prank. Grow up. The airplane is no place for pranks. Right now it would even be a foolish prank on the ground. We don't need anybody trying to scare people on the ground because of an aircraft. Please! Don't take part in this sophomoric media stunt while I still have respect for you. Let some idiot 17 year old do it right after he drops toilet paper on the high school football game and buzzes the local fair grounds.

 

[cjh]

I'm with A-Squared. It sounds like a hoot, but I wouldn't do anything that might increase the public's fear of GA. The non-flying public has no idea what it takes to land a plane. After all, didn't Kurt Russel land an airliner in some movie with zero time in it and a pp certificate? How often have you been asked stupid aviation questions by people who don't fly? Doesn't the non-flying population think the government has solved the issue of airport security? I rest my case!! Think hard about it before you go through with it.

 

[tarp]

Hmmm.

The media and airplanes. If it sounds like oil and water, why would you try and mix them?

Another vote for think again.

AOPA has a whole media guide and set of people that can help you give a positive spin if you are so foolhardy as to think you can tangle with the media's representation of aviation.

If you think this is a great hoax like a "War of the World's" broadcast, I again vote for "think again".

My prediction is that you will get your 15 minutes of fame, you will also get fined by some local authorities. In my neck of the woods, you would get charged for the emergency services which will ultimately be called out to "rescue" you. There is a good chance you will get arrested akin to shouting "fire" in a movie theatre causing a stampede that injures people. Does it still sound funny?

I'm sorry that you have already rationalized this as a good idea. The best outcome you can hope for is that you yell in the woods and nobody hears!