Gyrocopter Lands on D.C. Capital Lawn

Feb 25, 2013
2,938
1,512
Casper, WY
Name
Paul
I cant seem to get a video to upload right so will have to look into it yourself.

I applaud the idea and the concept of the message.
See you in about 20 yrs. or so when you get out of prison.


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Mailman's friend warned Secret Service about plan to land gyrocopter on U.S. Capitol lawn.

UPDATE 2:45 p.m.: ST. PETERSBURG — Doug Hughes' close friend and co-worker, Mike Shanahan, said today that the Ruskin mailman is not a terrorist and...
tampabay.com

A small gyrocopter landed on the West Lawn of the Capitol on Wednesday, according to the U.S. Capitol Police.

"‎The U.S. Capitol Police is investigating a gyrocopter with a single occupant that has landed on the grassy area of the West Lawn of t‎he U.S. Capitol," said a Capitol Police spokeswoman. "The U.S. Capitol Police continues to investigate with one person detained and temporary street closures in the immediate area."

The security breach is sure to spark questions about how the pilot was able to land the small aircraft on the grounds of the Capitol.

The landing came on the same day that a Florida mailman named Doug Hughes, 61, said he would land his gyrocopter on the lawn of the Capitol and deliver letters demanding campaign finance reform to members of Congress. In a photo taken from the Capitol, the gyrocopter appeared to be decorated with the logo of the United States Postal Service.

Hughes told the Tampa Bay Times that he was particularly upset by the Supreme Court's ruling in the Citizen's United case, which allowed corporations and unions to donate unlimited funds to super-PACs.

Campaign finance reformers say that the decision fundamentally changed the nature of politics and gave too much power to the very wealthy.

But Hughes said he decided to consider taking action, rather than just writing about his political views, when his 24-year-old son killed himself and another person in a car crash, according to the Times.

Hughes told the newspaper he had been visited by the Secret Service before he put together the plan for his copter protest — but that nothing came of the interview.
The Times later reported that the pilot who landed on the Capitol grounds was in fact Hughes.

The House Radio TV Gallery said crews were expecting Hughes and thought he would land on the East front of the Capitol.

The incident sent police and reporters in and out of the Capitol scrambling to the scene.
Within the Capitol, chaos briefly ensued in the House Radio TV Gallery with reporters and plain-clothes police officers running to the front windows for a view.

U.S.

Capitol Police put the building briefly on lockdown after the small craft landed.
With the rotor still spinning, an officer approached the aircraft on the West Lawn, got down on one knee and appeared to talk to the pilot. He was followed by several more members of the Capitol police force who removed the man and detained him.

An officer and a police dog then did a quick inspection of the craft. The dog smelled gasoline in the copter, prompting an inspection by a small Capitol Police robot.
The copter is still on the West Lawn of the Capitol. Officers in cars and trucks on the road near that part of the lawn are monitoring the scene.

President Obama was briefed on the incident involving the gyrocopter landing on the Capitol grounds, White House spokesman Eric Schultz said.
 

Thanks Zook the video is a good one and I like the write up underneath it.

isn't it bazaar that the man has planned the protest for two years and was visited by authorities who did nothing about it until it happened and then made a national scandal out of it?

I wonder if he ever applied for a protest permit if not it was a bit short sighted wouldn't you think?

The really absurd thing about it as the video pointed out he flew at 25 mph. 200 ft. off the ground for what did they say? 20 miles through the most protected airspace in the country without raising alarms?

Or was there more to the response than meets the eye?

I would like to see some response from the rest of the trike community. What are your thoughts?
 
Thanks Zook the video is a good one and I like the write up underneath it.

isn't it bazaar that the man has planned the protest for two years and was visited by authorities who did nothing about it until it happened and then made a national scandal out of it?

I wonder if he ever applied for a protest permit if not it was a bit short sighted wouldn't you think?

The really absurd thing about it as the video pointed out he flew at 25 mph. 200 ft. off the ground for what did they say? 20 miles through the most protected airspace in the country without raising alarms?

Or was there more to the response than meets the eye?

I would to see some response from the rest of the trike community. What are your thoughts?


I've got to give the guy credit for actually doing something to bring attention to his cause, but good luck changing campaign finance laws.
 
Can't help but notice 3 wheels on that contraption. My full support goes to this triker of the air.
Now, where can I get one?
 
Great Point ThumbUp
Flying Triker Brother calling out the Tyrants and the Scoundrels :clapping:

Secret Service was just doing their job vetting and frisking the visiting Envoys from the Pole-Dancers Union prior to their Trade Conference with crazy ol' Shot-Gun Joe and the Confiscator & Confounder in Chief.
Well some of them... The rest were on a Booze and Carton of Kools run :D

P.s. Wonder if he is running an MPA or a BT and whether he is a Forward or Reverse mount guy :xzqxz:
What Oil does he use?
That thing raked and to what degree?
Really need to sign that Dude up here.....
Just imagine the Input and Insight he could give.
Anybody make a Chrome Shaft and Rotor conversion Add-On kit for Road Trikes and should ya run a Brace on it?
That thing got a CB and a GPS and wonder which kind?
How would one tie it down on a Trailer?
Wonder what's best: Short and narrow or long and wide?
How is it in the "Twisties" ?
How fast can ya run the Dragon with it?
What's most important on a Flying Trike:
That the Conversion is good or the Installer be competent? AND be within 15 miles of your Home and a Cracker Barrel?
Can a person install it themselves if they have a killer Tool Set and have once been a TV Repairman or got their Certificate in 3 Wheel Engineering from Ringling Brothers & Phoenix online?
:laugh:
 
Sometimes some people think out side of the box...
And sometimes those who are ''watching'' the box don't:Shrug:
 
At the end of the day, he accomplished nothing. His 15 minutes of fame is rapidly running out and nothing changed. Good chance he'll lose his job. He already spent time in jail. He has a monitor on him, can't fly anything anymore. A year from now, nobody will remember or be talking about him, what he did, or the nothing that he accomplished. Basically in the long run all he did was screw himself.
 
At the end of the day, he accomplished nothing. His 15 minutes of fame is rapidly running out and nothing changed. Good chance he'll lose his job. He already spent time in jail. He has a monitor on him, can't fly anything anymore. A year from now, nobody will remember or be talking about him, what he did, or the nothing that he accomplished. Basically in the long run all he did was screw himself.

He did unintentionally accomplish something' That was to point out a Big Hole in the White House air Defense Shield :blush: As they say in Brooklyn, Coud'da been Wortster...
 
At the end of the day, he accomplished nothing. His 15 minutes of fame is rapidly running out and nothing changed. Good chance he'll lose his job. He already spent time in jail. He has a monitor on him, can't fly anything anymore. A year from now, nobody will remember or be talking about him, what he did, or the nothing that he accomplished. Basically in the long run all he did was screw himself.



Well that was the reason I questioned rather or not he filed for a peaceful protest permit? Might have saved his bacon?

He himself stated that no person in his right mind would be doing what he planned for two years?
I just got a feeling they were expecting him to do just exactly what he said on the day he said he would do it?

Why do I think that?

He flew around 20 miles through arguably the most highly monitored air space in the country with no defense thrown up to impede his efforts.

He filed a flight plan and the whole nine yards. And publicly announced his intent loud and clear! Even made a video about it and published it.

They did nothing to stop his plan when he made no secret of it and this was after homeland security investigated him.
If they thought he intended harm they would have never let him get that close, or would have shut down the whole show before it ever got started. Is it me? Am not seeing something here?

What if he played his little game publicly and at the last minute decided to carry a bomb?
I have to believe someone thought about that before hand and dismissed it, be it the reason that they knew he meant no harm or he was under close surveillance before he even took off?

I got to wonder with all the bad publicity concerning the secret service etc. They planned to let him do this whole circus with the intent to bust him entirely to put a positive spin on their existence and draw some heat off themselves? ( I would love to hear your take on this my friends?)

Haven't I seen this whole charade carried off before in a different manner with the same ultimate effect?

Example:
How many times have I seen our politicians or congress, F.b.I, political partys etc. mess things up so bad as to draw the Ire of all citizens screaming for their heads and to take the heat off themselves television news suddenly starts showing American Flag burnings in different locations at the same time all over the country?

And for no apparent reason?

There was nothing note worthy to start such doings.
I noticed the American people caught on to that ruse a few years back and called them down on it.

I'm not telling you what to think, Just asking your opinion?

Is this the same dodge tactics in a different form?
Get the people upset over something else and draw the heat off themselves and what better way than to start flag burning rallies ( I.e. Gyrocopters) that fizzle just as fast as it happened after the hubbub and heat dies down over their little follies?
What better way than to engineer a situation that makes you a Hero and justify your existence? Pointing out that the flying mailman brigade could have been carrying a bomb and we saved the country from this awful threat!

Does something stink about this?
What's your thoughts?

I'm not naturally a conspiracy advocate, I have dissed people for such negative concepts but damn folks, with our current system of government wich to all appearances subscribes to the " government by obstruction mentality"

What am I to think?



- - - Updated - - -

:Coffee:Guess what?
I haven't forgotten the original question was campaign finance reform!
And im not really buying the idea that all this took place as a big surprise?:Shrug:
 
Well that was the reason I questioned rather or not he filed for a peaceful protest permit? Might have saved his bacon?

I'm not naturally a conspiracy advocate, I have dissed people for such negative concepts but damn folks, with our current system of government wich to all appearances subscribes to the " government by obstruction mentality"

And im not really buying the idea that all this took place as a big surprise?:Shrug:

Do you really think you can get some protest permit and fly in restricted air space and land on the capital lawn? Permit or not he screwed himself. You're not a conspiracy advocate, but if the government is involved, it appears you are exactly that. You wrote a awful lot to support your theory that the government knew, and did nothing about it just so they could deflect criticism and somehow justify the existence of the FBI. You are digging pretty deep to fault the government for his stunt happening.
 
Who cares about this?

Really? Are you serious? This is an insignificant flea bite on the back of my dog. Scratch, scratch....done and gone.

There's nobody in that crumbling old house worth worrying about.

Are you nuts?
 

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