French fliers spark security scramble in Florida

[tocqueville]

By Laura Myers
48 minutes ago

KEY WEST, Florida (Reuters) - Two French adventurers in an ultralight plane touched off a security scare on Wednesday when they flew across the Florida Straits from Cuba and made an unauthorized landing in Key West.

Agents from the Border Patrol, Customs and the FBI rushed to the Florida Keys tourist town's airport with lights flashing when the tiny, zebra-striped two-seater touched down.

Customs officials later learnt the homemade plane carried French bush pilot Alexis Peltier, founder of the Monaco-based environmental group "Wings for Earth," who picked up the ultralight in South America at the start of a journey through North America, Greenland, Europe and Africa.

The plane's fuel tank is so small that the pair have to land often to refill

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060503/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_plane

[Ecumenist]

1. Hmmm but they couldn't scramble planes to intercept

the planes that struck the pentagon and wtc on September 11, 2001.. Interesting...

[babylonsister]

2. Simply amazing, isn't it. nt

[marmar]

3. Perhaps they didn't want to...

:tinfoilhat:

[tocqueville]

5. well it's a "bush pilot".... nt

[acmejack]

4. That's what we've been saying!

I'm an Air force brat. We spend all this money on the best we can buy. You can't fly a pi[per cub off course in East Jesus, Arkansas-but you can fly hijacked planes all over the Country for hours and no one notices? Sure...

[Ecumenist]

6. Amen

I remember thaqt situation with Payne Stewart when his plane went off course and there was no reply to contacts from the Air traffic controllers. Werent there two jets scrammbled and ordered to escort that plane over, 4(?) states, IIRC, until the plane crashed and noone was pilotting that plane. There was a loss of air pressure and they passengers not only suffocated but they froze. Hmmm, there were jets scrambled and ordered to escort a private plane but noone cold figure out that it might be within the best interests of the country to stop the 3 planes that crashed into those buildings?

BY the way,AcmeJack, I'm not an air force brat but I grew up in an air force town, Atwater California, (Castle AFB), and I married an Air Force Vet, (last station was McClellan AFB),so I understand completely.

[patriothackd]

7. They know which things to react to and which things to make a show of

Nowdays there's precious few chances to get the news back on scary attacks. They knew this wasn't a big deal, probably knew where the plane came from and who was flying it and heard its conversations on the radio.

[newyawker99]

8. Hi patriothackd!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: