Even Arrogant Clowns Can Do Some Good, Even If By Accident

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) has proposed legislation designed to ensure pilots fairer treatment and more access to information in FAA enforcement actions, reform the appellate process, and create advisory boards to help improve the notices to airmen and medical certification processes.

Why is Inhofe so concerned about pilot's rights? It's because that boob landed on a closed runway, scattering the men working on the runway.

O course, nothing much happened to Inhofe, because he is a sitting U.S. Senator, and, because as he put it: "I was supposed to have unlimited airspace." He had to take some "remedial training."

Boo-fucking-hoo. If any non-politician had landed an airplane on a runway that was closed by a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), marked with large "X"s and had construction equipment on the runway, the FAA likely would have gone for an emergency suspension, followed by maybe a long-term sit-down, ending with a repeat of the last flight test, otherwise known as a "709 ride". And that's if the FAA didn't go for a full revocation. of the pilot's certificate.

As this article noted, 709 rides are given for "minor violations" of Federal Air Regulations. Other than maybe inside of Inhoe's mind, there probably isn't anyone in the aviation world who would regard landing on a closed runway that was obstructed by construction equipment as "minor." Even if there was no NOTAM, landing on a runway that is obstructed is a violation of both the Federal Aviation Regulations and common sense. But no. Inhofe was required to get four hours of ground school and three hours of flight instruction. And he is obviously outraged that he even has to do that.

Still, it is a common complaint in the aviation community that when it comes to acting against pilots, the FAA acts as judge, jury and executioner. Some reform there is necessary. Too bad, though, that it comes because an arrogant and unrepentant douchebag like Inhofe came close to killing some people.