The law isn’t always an ass!!

I read two reports in my local evening paper tonight that were of interest. The first article described how a court has recently found a 22yr old idiot guilty of shining a lazer pen into the cockpit of the Greater Manchester Police helicopter. The tosser apparently didn’t realise that it was the police helicopter – Why, you prat, does that make a difference?

There have been 28 similar incidents in and around Manchester and any culprits are always prosecuted where possible. The defendant in this case has been warned to expect a custodial sentence. And quite rightly so.

The second recorded how a commercial fixed wing pilot had been prosecuted by the CAA for allegedly low flying over a football match that he had been paid to fly over towing a banner advertising (the now defunct) Setanta sports. The match was taking place at Manchester City’s football ground, but the banner included a Manchester United football shirt. One member of the crowd was so incensed (at the football shirt) that he reported the incident. The pilot was cleared after he was able to demonstrate that he was flying at between 1’600 ft and 1’800ft and had also identified suitable places in the vicinity that he would have been able to use if his engine had failed.

It would seem that the law got it right (for once) in both instances.!