Safety?
By Mark Pensenstadler
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Please watch this video then read my thoughts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dR2zUf_zQw&feature=related

I believe it was Paul Poberezny who once said that Oshkosh is not about airplanes, it's about people. That's how I feel about this whole Experimental airplane hobby. Of course I thoroughly enjoy crafting a beautiful airplane from a box of parts, but more than that I like the people who also share this hobby. Well...most people. As in any group, or club, there's always a few that try their very best to ruin it for everyone else.

The pilot in this video is, in my opinion, one of them. I'll give my opinion on why common sense says one should just not do this, but let's start with the legal reasons-like FARs.

FAR 91.13
This FAR states that, "No person may operate an aircraft in a careless or reckless manner so as to endanger the life or property of another".  Do you consider this type of showing off careless or reckless? I do. As this pilot was busy performing for his buddy with the camera, do you think he was watching out for any other traffic that might be entering the pattern? I doubt it. What if a pilot in a Piper Cub with no radio was entering the pattern just as Mr. Hot-Dog was doing his pull up or 90 degree banked turn?

FAR 91.119
"...an altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface" It is very clear that he is not flying his "patterns" at a safe altitude recommended by the AIM. What if his engine exploded on his downwind? It appears that the aircraft is only a couple of hundred feet in the air. What's on the other side of those trees? Houses? Farm fields? I don't know but I'm pretty sure that screaming along at 200 feet and 200kts isn't exactly flying at a safe altitude should an engine fail....

FAR 91.303
No person may operate an aircraft in aerobatic flight-
(c) Within the lateral boundaries of the surface areas of Class B, Class C, Class D, or Class E airspace designated for an airport.
(e) Below an altitude of 1,500 feet above the surface.

FAR 91.303 also defines aerobatic flight and there is no question this is aerobatic flight. He is clearly at an airport, and he is clearly performing aerobatic maneuvers.

There may be other regulations he is breaking but these are the ones that immediately come to mind. Aside from regulations, how about just plain old common sense?? It's almost unbelievable to me that a pilot could be so stupid and selfish not only to perform low level aerobatics right over an airport (not NOTAMed for an airshow), but then to post the video on YouTube! The worst part is that there are many more videos like this on YouTube-mostly from pilots of a certain 'brand' of homebuilt.

Is this how we want to present general aviation to the non-flying public? Do we want the person considering flight training to be worried that he or she is going to get knocked out of the air by some idiot hot-dogging over the airport? Did this pilot ever consider what would happen if someone was entering the pattern while he was zooming around and neither of them saw each other? Did he ever consider what message he is sending out to other new pilots who might have witnessed his complete lack of regard for safety? Did he consider what might happen to him or his airplane if his engine suddenly stopped from the stress placed on it? I wonder if he has ever had any actual aerobatic training since he is performing low-level aerobatics? And finally, would he have performed this routine if he knew that there was an FAA safety inspector at the field? (I wish there was!)

What if this guy crashed? The news media would be all over this like flies on...well, you know. This would give the news media one more opportunity to bash all the 'wealthy' guys flying around polluting the air with their personal airplanes...

Watching this video made me think back to my motorcycle. I used to have a Ducati 800 sport bike which was a lot of fun to ride. If any of you are bike riders, you know the joy of an early morning or late evening cruise. But most of the dangers involved in motorcycle riding do not come from the rider himself, they come from other drivers. I ended up selling my bike for this reason. The risk was no longer worth the reward. Now I'm wondering if the risk of flying is worth the reward knowing there are pilots like this polluting the airspace.

Please think about this video the next time you fly. I think in general RANS fliers are not out performing low level aerobatics over an airport, but remember-it's the OTHER guy! Don't rely solely on the radio when you enter a traffic pattern. Keep your eyes, and the eyes of your passengers, outside as much as possible when flying at all times, but especially around the airport environment.

You have a role in safety whether you are the PIC or the passenger. If you are the passenger, did the pilot perform a preflight? Did he calculate a weight and balance? Did he drain and sample the fuel for water? Did he get a weather briefing? Did he ask about TFR's? Maybe all of this isn't practical for every local evening flight, but the more thought we put into flying routine flights the safer this hobby is-for all of us! General aviation is in a fragile state right now and may not be around for much longer. We as pilots should be doing everything we can to promote aviation and show it in a positive light. This video does the exact opposite. But hey, we are all impressed by him right?