This is bizarre. Gryder flies the Herpa DC-3, and is part of  a reputable airshow and DC-3 flight training operation.

http://www.thedc-3network.com/


I don't know the guy, but this behavior seems way out of character. Just starting and taxiing a DC-3 without a second pilot aboard is bad enough... add the strange driving and threatening to it, and it really gets weird. I have a funny feeling that there's more (or less) to this than the article indicates (it completely lacks any statement from Gryder). Either that, or he';s suffered a nervous breakdown or something. 

I do wonder about "the rest of the story".  Too much doesn't make sense.  Like why an officer was writing driving citations on the airport.  Even if the pilot was driving on the airfield, there is nothing a local cop can cite you for, only the FAA.  The airport in question is only a non-towered GA airport, so even then there is nothing that says he couldn't be driving out there.  I almost wonder if this is a supercop who was in over his head, then a pilot making some bad decisions to continue.  From my knowledge of the subject, he could technically press charges on the police for interfering with an aircraft.

I'm not sure a DC-3 requires a second pilot, so I'm not sure if that is strange or not.

DaveSims wrote on Nov 12^th, 2009 at 4:50pm:

This got me thinking, and digging... the DC-3 was not certified as requiring at least 2 crewmen, but in the US, it seems that all airworthy DC-3s, even if they are operating under Part 91, are flown with 2 pilots, in keeping of 91.531 (second in command requirements), as pertains to "large" and  "multiengine" airplanes.

Maybe someone with his experience could handle a DC-3 by himself, but it would probably be a no-no in the eyes of the FAA, and not very smart to try it. Just dealing with the cowl flaps from the left seat or trying to raise or lower the gear- especially if it has to be pumped by hand- while flying the airplane would be very interesting, to say the least.    And watch any video or old film of a crew taking off in a Gooney, and you'll see one pilot on the yoke and the other on the throttles. It can feasibly be done by one person, but it works much more smoothly with two.
As far as just taxiing it goes, I don't know where that stands, regs-wise. But it would not surprise me to discover that this is an accepted practice, provided the pilot is rated to act as PIC in the type.

beaky wrote on Nov 12^th, 2009 at 11:46pm:


Not just the USA Sean..........CAA.....Campaign Against Aviation!!

Matt

machineman9 wrote on Nov 13^th, 2009 at 9:32pm:


In accordance with FAA regulations, aircraft always have right of way over ground vehicles.     The more that comes out of this, the more I wonder.  The original incident began when a female "code-enforcement officer", which I'm told is basically someone who makes sure you grass is cut, etc, approached the pilot.  Now his reaction to her to be ellusive was probably not the best, but I think when it all shakes out the charges will disappear.

No updates on any local stations :|.... real odd...
guess this drunk pilot isn't "big enough news" but HS football is...

FWIW, here's some comments found on a pilot forum, posted by someone who seems to know more about the history leading up to this...

"The Airport Commission and the petty city of Griffith have had Dan in their cross hairs for years now. Ever since the Carvair accident about 8 years ago they have been trying to get rid of the DC-3 and the associated training activities. Recently they erected concrete poles at the approach end of the runway and Dan and AOPA made then remove them as they were illegal. Dan has been (harassed) ticketed for excessive noise (no mufflers on DC-3s), oil leakage on the ramp contaminating the water supply, improper oil storage (in the onboard DC-3 oil tanks), cited for parking his airplane where he had specific approval from the airport manager prior to his departure (later proved) He's also got the court system there in a bind because the city violated state and federal law in trying to evict him from the airport, but the judge has been sitting on the ruling for over three years rather than rule against the local officials there in their little town.The local cop pulling him over for driving on the airport is just another example. Hopefully the good is the Airport Commission and the Mayor will all be looking for new jobs. Dan finished changing a cylinder and was preparing to fuel up to do a run-up. The credit card did not work so he drove to the FBO to pay.
By the way, to the individual stating that he drives with the students on the airport demonstrating procedures and checklist usage, when I got my type rating this summer he did that but it was in the isolated area around his T hangar bank, not on taxi ways or runways. There is more to this than the media knows and like I said, I hope the city gets their house cleaned in the end. The only thing that he initially did that was in violation of FAR was not to provide a picture ID to the cop when requested. Whether or not she had authority to pull him over for driving on the airport in the first place will soon be seen. Yes he should have just taken the ticket and have it thrown out as has happened before."