Pilot lands at RAF base to see the beach.

[martin-w 3,235]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-wales-55739524

Oh come on, claims he didn't know RAF Valley didn't serve civilian pilots. But then claims he's a highly experienced pilot.

 

"A light aircraft pilot who landed at a closed RAF base during lockdown "to see the beach" has been fined.

Richard Charles Priestley Wood, 60, of Crescent Place, London, landed without permission at RAF Valley, on Anglesey, on 25 May.

When stopped by fire crews he was dressed in shorts and said: "It's OK I had Covid two months ago."

 

Edited January 21, 2021 by martin-w

[Chock 17,769]

To be honest, the guy sounds crackers. Could just be the slant of the reporting, but I doubt it, as you say, which UK pilot doesn't know what RAF Valley is about?

[martin-w 3,235]

Does that mean you can land at Area 51 if you want to build sand castles?

[Christopher Low 5,354]

I think the difference between RAF Valley and Area 51 is that you would be a smoking pile of burned out wreckage long before your wheels were scheduled to touch the ground at Area 51!

[martin-w 3,235]

19 minutes ago, Christopher Low said:

I think the difference between RAF Valley and Area 51 is that you would be a smoking pile of burned out wreckage long before your wheels were scheduled to touch the ground at Area 51!

 

😆 Fair point Chris. 

What about RAF Fairford then? Is it okay to land there in my Cessna if I want to visit the Cotswolds Wildlife Park? 

Seriously though, think Chock is right, this guy sounds like a nut job. I mean you might surmise that as the base was not operating due to Covid lockdown, and he got no reply from the tower, he thought he could get away with it. But not even that makes sense because its pretty obvious military police would still be on duty.

[martin-w 3,235]

25 minutes ago, Christopher Low said:

I think the difference between RAF Valley and Area 51 is that you would be a smoking pile of burned out wreckage long before your wheels were scheduled to touch the ground at Area 51!

 

This guy landed at Groom Lake in 1957.

http://roadrunnersinternationale.com/coldwarstories/gl_emergencies.html

[Christopher Low 5,354]

That was before the aliens set up a base camp there

[HighBypass 2,339]

Confused - the RAF Police were called. The guy was told he could not take off until 08:00 the next morning, but he left anyway.

... the MPs had no powers to detain him then?? 

[martin-w 3,235]

32 minutes ago, HighBypass said:

Confused - the RAF Police were called. The guy was told he could not take off until 08:00 the next morning, but he left anyway.

... the MPs had no powers to detain him then?? 

 

Yeah, good point. Why wasn't he taken into custody? Or rice pudding? 

[Dave Morgan 68]

The pilot's name is here, and his annual income (£375 000). The plane was a PC12, reg N412MD previously G-ILMD, previously N412MD. He apparently has 2000+ hours, a US and a Canadian licence. The possible convenience registration -- change of reg and back again -- suggests something suspect about his UK qualification.

The incident occurred in May last year, the court heard the case earlier this week.

RAF Valley does accept civilian flights but only by PPR, and not on public holidays. And not when work is being carried out on RY19... And not during the May 2020 lockdown... And not when a Notam has been issued indicating that the airfield is closed...

He apparently chose Valley as a destination after dumping a plan to visit his mother in Yorkshire, having found RAF Valley on Google Earth and Wikipedia.

MPs told him he couldn't depart until he had clearance, which would have meant the following day, but he ignored them and left anyway. Perhaps they didn't stop him because they were glad to be shot of him. In any case, they'd already informed North Wales Police by that point and must have decided that the entire problem (bad airmanship & breach of covid laws) belonged to civilians.

The CAA prosecuted and I don't understand why they accepted his drivel: "He described himself as 'an experienced pilot who sees flying as a great privilege to be taken seriously.' " nor why the magistrate at court decided that a couple of days' income was sufficient punishment. With that many hours and flying a PC12 he obviously wasn't a newly-fledged numpty and must have known exactly what he was doing, and almost certainly done it deliberately. If I'd done it, would I receive a fine under £300? Both the magistrate and the CAA's solicitor must have been hopelessly word not allowed of aviation.

 

* the WNA was the adjective derived from 'ignore'

Edited January 21, 2021 by Dave Morgan
word not allowed

[LHookins 3,103]

5 hours ago, Chock said:

Could just be the slant of the reporting...

After reading both links I strongly suspect that if we'd had a GoPro camera on the guy the whole time (plus the statement he filed with the court) we would have seen a slightly different story.  Basically the fines he was charged paid for getting the emergency crews called out... at least that's how he probably viewed it.

Thanks due to Dave for the second link.

Hook

Edited January 21, 2021 by LHookins

[Dave Morgan 68]

For those of you who are aware of the hardly-missed Cummings' recent history, I found this by Fortissimo in a PPRuNe thread from May last year:

"As for why this man decided to land at Valley, perhaps he didn't see the "This is a prohibited place..." signs from the air. Having allegedly had the virus, perhaps he just flew there to test his vision? That would explain everything, and would make it a very reasonable and legal action too."

He also mentions that the AOC Ops' decision not to block the departure was probably correct as it would only have led to more trouble.

Only for the pilot, surely?

[goates 576]

9 hours ago, Christopher Low said:

I think the difference between RAF Valley and Area 51 is that you would be a smoking pile of burned out wreckage long before your wheels were scheduled to touch the ground at Area 51!

You can fly surprisingly close to both Groom Lake and Tonopah though.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/32919/pilot-takes-amazing-images-of-area-51-and-tonopah-air-base-while-skirting-restricted-airspace

[HighBypass 2,339]

6 hours ago, Dave Morgan said:

* the WNA was the adjective derived from 'ignore'

Yes... it's a strange censor is that..  It's a good job AVSIM isn't Twitter or else we would not be able to refer to Sir Richard Branson's airline; Twitter have apparently banned the use of the word virgin, mind you they've also banned "simp" too.

6 hours ago, LHookins said:

Thanks due to Dave for the second link.

Hook

I wholeheatedly concur 🍻 Thank you, Dave.

[goates 576]

1 hour ago, HighBypass said:

Twitter have apparently banned the use of the word virgin, mind you they've also banned "simp" too.

Think you mean Twitch?

https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/16/22179256/twitch-bans-simp-virgin-incel-new-sexual-harassment-policy