French Ultralighters Spark Air Security Scramble | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-05.20.24

Airborne-NextGen-05.14.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.15.24 Airborne-AffordableFlyers-05.16.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.17.24

Sat, May 06, 2006

French Ultralighters Spark Air Security Scramble

Perhaps you heard of some tense moments in Key West, FL on Wednesday. For a short time, authorities thought they might be under attack from the air.

An aircraft was inbound from Cuba, with no word on the crew's intention. A fire rescue team rushed to the airport,as did a customs official and an FBI agent. Monroe County deputies responded with lights and sirens.

The aircraft turned out to be a homemade ultralight with two French adventurists onboard: Alexis Peltier, and his passenger, Yves Stindel. The two men weren't armed... nor were they weren't terrorists trying to sneak into the country.

They were just flying over to have their engine worked on.

"The aircraft was determined to be a legal target, meaning that they were communicating by radio and they were not considered a threat to the United States," said Zach Mann, spokesman for Miami's Customs and Border Protection office, to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Of course, the law prohibits Americans from traveling to and from Cuba without special permission. But that doesn't apply to foreign citizens... and for all the hoo-hah surrounding their arrival, the two environmentalists will apparently not be charged.

"They'll be processed and allowed to continue on their way," said Mann.

Mann added the men did not spend much time in Cuba, but stopped there to refuel after purchasing the plane -- painted with black zebra stripes, and emblazoned with the emblem for the "Wings For Earth" environmental group -- in Chile.

The men told authorities they were flying it to Africa by way of Greenland when they stopped in the US for some engine maintenance. Sounds like some adventure...

FMI: www.wingsforearth.org

Advertisement

More News

Airborne 05.20.24: Van's BK Exit, Bud Anderson, Air Race Classic

Also: ALPA Warns, Aviation Meteorology Reference, Jennifer Homendy Re-Ups, CAF Tampa Bay The court has approved Van's Aircraft's bankruptcy reorganization plans, settling a stressf>[...]

Airborne 05.20.24: Van's BK Exit, Bud Anderson, Air Race Classic

Also: ALPA Warns, Aviation Meteorology Reference, Jennifer Homendy Re-Ups, CAF Tampa Bay The court has approved Van's Aircraft's bankruptcy reorganization plans, settling a stressf>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.18.24): Flameout Pattern

Flameout Pattern An approach normally conducted by a single-engine military aircraft experiencing loss or anticipating loss of engine power or control. The standard overhead approa>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (05.18.24)

Aero Linx: VC-25 - Air Force One The mission of the VC-25 aircraft — Air Force One — is to provide air transport for the president of the United States. The presidentia>[...]

ANN FAQ: How Do I Become A News Spy?

We're Everywhere... Thanks To You! Even with the vast resources and incredibly far-reaching scope of the Aero-News Network, every now and then a story that should be reported on sl>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC