Michael Mancuso Cut Out of Great Deal by 'Safety' Rulers

It was a super deal -- Michael Mancuso and his Klein Tools Extra 300 were officially designated the "Official Airshow of the Indy Racing League." How cool is that -- flying in front of enthusiastic, extreme-machine fans, with a huge television audience, to boot!

Too cool, apparently, for those who don't know jack about what they're in charge of. The Indianapolis 500 is an "open-air gathering," and off-limits to low-flying airplanes, because, you see, banner fliers and aerobatic pilots are, um, for lack of better words, suspected terrorists.

It's possible that Michael may fly some other Indy-car events. "As it stands now," he told ANN, "the ban is specifically for the Indy 500 (and for NASCAR); so we may get some events later in the year."

Don't blame the FAA.

"The FAA, in every circumstance," the aerobatic ace told us, "has been absolutely awesome. They're as offended and confused about this as the rest of us. They've been really helpful," he said, "as they always are, with airshows." The TSA, of course, is behind this.

(With the threat level at "Orange," by the way, the no-fly zone over the raceway has been expanded to seven miles and 10,000 feet.)

So, a great deal for Michael Mancuso (and Klein Tools, not to mention the millions of race fans) was trashed, in the name of "security." You know that's balderdash (the bureaucrat's word is 'cautious prohibition'); but our rulers in D.C. have set up agencies whose sole purpose is to govern the rest of us, and that's what they'll do, no matter how idiotic their actions seem to normal people.

Michael, for his part, will be cranking that Extra at eighteen more shows this year, including Oshkosh. [Hey, isn't Oshkosh a large open-air gathering? Don't answer that.] Come see him!

FMI: www.mmairshows.com