Senator Inhofe lands plane on closed runway

[RamboLiberal]

Source: Tulsa World

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe's exploits in the cockpit once again have landed him in the news.

The Oklahoma Republican last week landed his plane at an airport near his home on South Padre Island despite huge X's informing pilots that its runway was closed.

According to the Washington Post, Inhofe said he landed his plane ""well off to the side'' of workmen performing maintenance on the runway.

He blamed the story on an airport official who ""hates'' him.



Read more: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=16&articleid=20101027_11_0_WASHIN537713

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Arrogant dumbass - FAA pull his pilot's license please!

[KamaAina]

1. Almost makes me not want to see him get voted out

lest he take a job flying for one of those commuter airlines like Colgan Air. :scared:

[Dennis Donovan]

2. that's a major screwup!!!

At a minimum, they should review his medical certificate and see if he has eye issues or mental capacity issues...

[av8rdave]

5. His party and his politics say it all about his mental capacity

[armodem08]

6. Even worse, he took off on a taxiway!

"When he left Texas to return to Tulsa on Sunday, the veteran pilot used one of the airport's taxiways to take off, which reportedly can be an issue for the Federal Aviation Administration."

What a self-entitled idiot...

[FLPanhandle]

9. "...which reportedly can be an issue for the Federal Aviation Administration."

Ya think!?!

I agree with you, he's a self-entitled idiot.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

71. is he smuggling drugs?

[Up Quark]

43. Reminds me of Tom DeLay (I believe) with his cigar: "I AM the government"

Inhofe is actually insane...not just a little 'wacky', I mean mentally ill in the medical sense. I'm not a doctor but then I don't have to be a chicken to identify a rotten egg...

[PatrynXX]

48. Better investigate

before he flies his plane into the DNC headquarters :(

[northzax]

63. he admitted he didn't read the Notice to Airmen.

that alone should get his airport privileges at least revoked.

[trud]

82. he's 77

As a senior myself, I get annoyed at the assumption that an older person is incompetent, but those are two major screwups.

[av8rdave]

3. I don't get it...

Did the airport official who hates him make him land on the closed runway? If so, that guy is GOOD!

[walldude]

46. I kinda assume the guy hates him because he lands

on closed runways. I wonder what else Inhof feels he's entitled to do...

[alcibiades_mystery]

85. ROFL

:thumbsup:

"They hate us for our freedoms!"

[denverbill]

4. An 'Oklahoma' Republican who lives in DC and Padre Island. Typical.n/t

[countrydad58]

36. Great minds

think alike! What is a OK. Senator doing residing in TX? Probally1 of 10 homes like johnny Boy. Elitists pricks!

[LiberalArkie]

53. Something to do with taxes.. A lot od CEO's have residences in Texas

[Kolesar]

39. Yes, I had to think about that one.

Too important to spend time with the little people he represents.

[Submariner]

52. Remember that pallet of $9 billion in cash bundles the Republicons stole in Iraq

Well Cheney and his slimey Halliburton/KBR crooks, including Inhofe, needed someplace to spend the loot.

[madrchsod]

7. that`s enough to pull his license

[somone]

8. NEXT: Inhofe demands apology from airport

[kiranon]

17. Didn't the X on the runway mean "land here"? Time to retest this

Senator before he flies again.

[Richardo]

27. "X" marks the spot right?

:dunce:

[kiranon]

45. Right! n/t

[nolabear]

55. *snort!*

[ensho]

10. kick

nt

[neverforget]

11. I bet nothing happens to him. If I had done it though, I'd have the book thrown

at me which is as it should be.

[Angry Dragon]

12. He is another one that knows how to run a business

eventually becoming the president of the Quaker Life Insurance Company. While working for Quaker Life the company went into receivership. It was liquidated in 1986.<5>

[Bitwit1234]

19. AAND get this because of he political pull of a Democrat

Alpert he was saved from a fraud investigation. And then as per usual with republicans he went on to win a seat in congress. What is it with republicans are the dumb or do they not know how to read.

[Bitwit1234]

20. That was Carl Alpert

[madokie]

68. Carl Albert

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Albert

[yesphan]

13. For the love of Good

Jimmy, you are such an embarrassment and I am so very ashamed that you are from my state.
Please go away and soon.
Wait, you will just be replaced by Mary Fallin in 8 years after she's done ruining our state as
governor. Fuck it, what's the diff.

[hamsterjill]

31. I know how you feel!

Texas has our own set of embarrassments!

This idiot should have been arrested immediately as he left the plane. I don't care who he is! I'm sure the safety of the workers that he mentions "far off to the side" was not important to him. They were, after all JUST workers, and he's more important, of course! What a jerk!

[BrklynLiberal]

14. ..and he has not been arrested because..............????

[valerief]

15. Rules don't apply to him. He's a deity. nt

[PfcHammer]

16. Should've scrambled fighters all over his ass

All your bases are belong to us

[ck4829]

18. If anyone else tried this then they'd probably be looking at federal charges

[kiranon]

47. Exactly. Senator's pilot license should be pulled. n/t

[molly77]

59. Esp a democrat

[shoreline]

21. He really should have his license pulled...

...but I would be surprised if it actually happened. The runway maintenance workers should have a word with him.

[madokie]

69. Yeah like kick his sorry ass

right square up between his shoulder blades

Oh

[RamboLiberal]

22. WPost on this

There were these huge (60 feet long by 10 feet wide) yellow X's on the main runway, which aren't there to mark the landing spot. The big signs were laid out to indicate that the runway was closed. There were workmen painting and doing general maintenance on the runway.

Inhofe, who was traveling with three others, told us Tuesday that he was "getting ready to land, then I saw a big X," and the workers and equipment. So he flew the six-seater over the workers and landed "well off to the side," he said.

Runway closures and other important information are highlighted in what's called a Notice to Airmen, or NOTAM, which all pilots are supposed to read before take-off. Inhofe said he "didn't have a NOTAM."

An airport official - "he hates me, I don't know why," Inhofe said - apparently was none too pleased with the use of a closed runway.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/26/AR2010102606944.html?hpid=moreheadlines

[Blue_Tires]

30. Well obviously the FAA is some oppressive, freedom-hating, big gummitt entity...

:sarcasm:

Don't you need ATC permission to land and take off?


And I don't care how many strings are pulled and payoffs made under the table, if the FAA allows him to fly again I'll lose all respect for them...

[LuckyLib]

33. Not if the airport is uncontrolled -- meaning pilots use radios to announce their

planned landing/headings. This idiot is so dumb that this stunt along should disqualify him from public office, let alone flying an airplane.

[Up Quark]

44. Regardless of notams, any sane pilot knows what an X on the runway means.

He -has- been a pilot for at least 40 years...it's beyond me how he can hope to excuse this one...

[CanonRay]

81. I only have 40 hours of time

and I know what an X on the runway means. He's just arroagant, and thinks..no, he KNOWS he's above the law.

[JHB]

84. "he hates me, I don't know why," Inhofe said ...

Maybe because you're a reckless idiot and safety hazard to everyone around you, eh, Jim?

[Angry Dragon]

23. He was in a hurry to get the hookers back home

[SnowCritter]

25. Hey, Jimmy! Let me hazard a guess

as to why the airport official "hates you" - you're a menace. Whether on the ground, in the air, or stalking the halls of Congress.

[Ezlivin]

24. Prediction: FAA will DO NOTHING

And it will be yet more evidence that there are multiple levels of justice and law enforcement in this country.

You know which level you're on, right proletarian?

[atreides1]

54. How much more evidence do you need?

It's pretty clear that there are different levels of justice in this country, and have been for years.


Justice isn't blind, it's just deaf and dumb....

[Sherman A1]

26. The old saying goes... "There are old pilots and bold pilots, but

no old bold pilots".

He should have his pilot certificate immediately suspended and an investigation should be conducted, with the potential to revoke his license.

[kenfrequed]

28. So...

Not only does he not believe in global warming but he also doesn't believe in aircraft safety?

Fine his ass and cancel his damned license.

[baldguy]

61. God is his co-pilot.

[awoke_in_2003]

64. he needs his ticket pulled, too. nt

[droidamus2]

29. Typical Republican

They want to control our live by instituting their religion as the 'national religion' when of course that is just them hiding behind their 'holy book' to force us all to live by their close-minded precepts,but when it comes to them the rules don't apply because they are rich and/or 'gods chosen people'. I realize Inhofe didn't say anything about religion but it is the same attitude do as I say not as I do.

[sakabatou]

32. ... and asshole.

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

34. Email the FAA to complain and investigate

Landing on a closed runway (the big 'X' means closed) is a violation of Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) and grounds for discipline of the pilot.

Complain to the FAA here:

http://www.faa.gov/contact/safety_hotline/

[activa8tr]

35. Can't make this stuff up!!!! n/t

[WolverineDG]

37. Great, now I don't want to go to the beach

with that idiot nearby. bad enough I have to deal with home-grown idiots.

dg

[butterfly77]

38. Another insane bastard who ...

jumps out of his hole every few months,with some more nonsense. Is every government official in Oklahoma insane. Add Peter King of Iowa to that bag of nuts

[alp227]

40. "blamed the story on an airport official who 'hates' him" Personal responsibility?

Oh well, I guess those good ol' mom-and-Apple-Pie values don't really apply when you're a Republican who's gotten your life together and are living on the top of the world on a Congressional paycheck! Chances are: a judge will just chastise Inhofe but not pursue ANY criminal charges.

[bergie321]

41. Obviously, there are too many regulations at that airport

He will introduce a bill allowing pilots to land wherever and whenever they want.

:sarcasm:

[thereismore]

42. Any particular reason they hate him? Any chance he might kill himself next time? nt

[CreekDog]

49. "Sorry I got caught"

this is the fault of the people that reported me!

:wtf:

[swilton]

50. Senator Jackass

[jaysunb]

51. South Padre Island ?

Last time I looked, it was in South Texas. His home ? :shrug:

[Edith Ann]

56. He's

probably flying drunk.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

57. He violated FAA regulations. Nothing to do with an airport official who "hates" him

Jerk.

He is (or should be) expected to follow the same damm regs as everyone else. In other words, this sociopath believes that the fact that he violated the LAW is not the problem; but rather the problem is that he got CAUGHT.

Typical Republican.

[Heywood J]

58. Please tell me that fines are doubled when workers are present?

[AlbertCat]

60. He blamed the story on an airport official who ""hates'' him.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!

:rofl:


What a wanker!

[MNBrewer]

62. what's up with Republican Senators and airport misconduct?

[matt819]

65. These people are truly astounding

They really believe a) that rules don't apply to them and b) that reality doesn't apply to them. Given his antics over the years, is there anyone who doesn't hate him, apart from his fellow extremists?

[exboyfil]

66. Quote from Animal Farm

Four legs good, two legs better!
ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL
BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS.

[GETPLANING]

67. Next, Republicans will want to eliminate the FAA

Let the market decide when aircraft will take off and land

[GoddessOfGuinness]

73. Let's put flying back in the hands of fliers, where it belongs.

While we're at it, let's have "no rules" driving too!

[wordpix]

75. say goodbye to all airport regs and car traffic regs, too---"big governemtn is killing us!"

[Jakes Progress]

70. Obeying laws is for the little people.

Typical republican.

[donheld]

72. GOP = above the law.

[pa28]

74. The FAA and his fellow pilots know there is no excuse.

If you don't notice the huge X on the runway near the touchdown point you probably should not be at the controls of an airplane in the first place.

This really burns me because he's trying to avoid accountability and deflect for the inexcusable. Work was being done on the runway and the fleeing airport workers were close enough to be pelted by debris.

All this because he did not want the inconvenience of driving a few extra miles from an alternate airport. I know I'd have my license suspended for a similar mistake and this guy should be grounded too.

[wordpix]

76. or, he could have just been drunk

[pa28]

77. Lol. That's probably the best defense.

The only other alternative is "I'm a US senator landing on this closed runway and you'd better run or you are going to be confetti in a few seconds".

"I was drunk" sounds better.

[Rex]

78. We live in a time when total assholes and worthless shitbags act

as though they where dukes and duchesses. I just hope they all get piked soon, I hate the whole lot of them. Worthless and causing harm to America since they learned how to steal and lie.

[Shallah Kali]

79. was he on his way from one of his Junkets for Jesus (& The Family)?

http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/11/doug-coe-inhofe-siljander-c-street
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/sen-inhofes-jesus-thing
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/sen-inhofe-c-street-and-jesus-thing

[Enthusiast]

80. Typical arrogant Republican fuck.

That is all.

[KurtNYC]

83. he was in quite the hurry to get to that airport... wouldn't want to keep Larry Craig

waiting

[felix_numinous]

86. If Anyone Else did this

they'd be taken away in handcuffs, and would lose their pilot license.

Republicans are too corrupted to lead.

[denpat1]

87. I hate him too

and oklahoma