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[bananafactory]

Man is quoted saying "I did it in Pilotwings 64!!!"

Spoiler

He really wasn't.

Great game.

 

[Syriel]

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/politics-government/article18601650.html


That's one dedicated courier. How the hell did he get that close to the building in an airborne vehicle? I didn't think that was possible in 2015

That's one dedicated jackass. He's lucky he wasn't shot down.

They should have delivered a rocket up his ass. What an idiot.

An ultralight aircraft is too small to be detected on radar.

That's one of the reasons why you're not supposed to fly them near airports. If you drift into a flight path (especially over a runway), a jet won't see it in time and will just cream it with the force of a freight train hitting a Prius.

 

[Dishwalla]

Are they sure it wasn't

 

[Foffy]

I love the message he was trying to send, but there are a few issues with that. The most glaring that the use of such aircraft is considered extremely dangerous to be used near government locations, because of terruhism?

 

[Veritigo_X]

Ah the Floridacopter, one of the many vehicles in Florida Man's arsenal.

 

[ramuh]

Wonder if he is going to jail. At the bare minimum the Capitol Police or whatever can sue him for all it cost to deploy bomb squad etc.

 

[ChoklitReign]

Are they sure it wasn't

Troy McClure lives!

 

[Rabbi_Vole]

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor threat of secret service rocket fire stays these Florida couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.

 

[Wag]

According to ABC News the postal worker was in contact with the Secret Service a year ago telling them he was going to do this. lol

 

[IdreamofHIME]

These things are real?

Holy shit, i thought FarCry4 made them up. lol

 

[bananafactory]

According to ABC News the postal worker was in contact with the Secret Service a year ago telling them he was going to do this. lol

Poor Florida Man

No one listens to him

 

[Goro Majima]

Wonder if he is going to jail. At the bare minimum the Capitol Police or whatever can sue him for all it cost to deploy bomb squad etc.

I'd imagine he'd get 3-5 years for something like this.

 

[Syriel]

These things are real?

Holy shit, i thought FarCry4 made them up. lol

http://www.rotorfx.com/aircraft_services/mosquito_helicopter_sales

Just one example.

Search Google for ultralight helicopter and ultralight aircraft. Hell, one of those might be useful for the Bay Area commute.

Why get stuck on the 101, when you can fly over the 101?

 

[Orbis Tabula]

Didn't someone shoot themselves near the Capitol just a few days ago? In fact, I think it was also an attempt to draw attention to Campaign Finance Reform or something like that. What is going on with these unusual forms of protest?

 

[Zoolader]

Florida taking over man.

 

[Coins]

This guy is a post office employee?

Well, WAS.

He won't lose his job.

 

[Old Gimlet Eyes]

He is so lucky he didn't get shot down. But as others have said that is one dedicated postal employee lol. Gotta love the USPS logo on the gyro as well.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Hey at least he is willing to do something about political issues unlike democrats in midterm elections.

 

[Machine]

This guy is a post office employee?

Well, WAS.

He may still have his job - never underestimate the power of the postal workers' union.

 

[SolKane]

I hope Obama pardons him as his last act as President. In another time, a man with this kind of courage of conviction would be put on Mt Rushmore.

 

[CraigerGamer]

Those Capitol lockdowns are no joke. Having been in a Cap office building on Sept 11 and seeing just how deficient their protocols were, it's amzing how quickly they got their shit together.

Dudes lucky he's still alive.

 

[Palculator]

Video of him flying in: https://youtu.be/PNjfsZ11N9E

Weird. The low framefrate makes the rotor blades stand still every other frame making it look like someone just pasted a photo of a copter into the sky.

Not calling the actual event into question, though. The video just looks weird.

 

[Piggus]

Lol, do some of you honestly think they would shoot down a tiny helicopter like that? Can you imagine the shitstorm?

 

[bananafactory]

Lol, do some of you honestly think they would shoot down a tiny helicopter like that? Can you imagine the shitstorm?

Should have scrambled some jets

 

[TheJLC]

Lol, do some of you honestly think they would shoot down a tiny helicopter like that? Can you imagine the shitstorm?

They could but not with missiles or anything like that. Probably with a 50 cal sniper like the ones the NYPD bought to shoot down helicopters and small planes.

The shitstorm would be bigger if a tiny copter like that carrying explosives was allowed to attack a national monument and building of government.

 

[Parakeetman]

Seriously am surprised he didnt get his ass shot up also like what others said.

Incoming budget approval for our tax dollars to be put to "good use" once again...

 

[Extra Sauce]

Florida Man again?

lol

 

[Parakeetman]

Weird. The low framefrate makes the rotor blades stand still every other frame making it look like someone just pasted a photo of a copter into the sky.

Not calling the actual event into question, though. The video just looks weird.

It happens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-IVw8OKjvQ

Having been on birds before (OH-6, AS332, UH-1) and watching some footage others filmed from the ground that was my first time finding out that could happen lol. Though not as perfect as that youtube vid.

While not as extreme here are other examples which makes the rotor blades look like they are spinning slowly, which I can assure you is not the case lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYbx5H5e9Es
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWN5-jMQCgs

 

[Palculator]

It happens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-IVw8OKjvQ

Having been on birds before (OH-6, AS332, UH-1) and watching some footage others filmed from the ground that was my first time finding out that could happen lol. Though not as perfect as that youtube vid.

While not as extreme here are other examples which makes the rotor blades look like they are spinning slowly, which I can assure you is not the case lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYbx5H5e9Es
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWN5-jMQCgs

Oh wow this is mindblowing. It looks so weird.

 

[Parakeetman]

Oh wow this is mindblowing. It looks so weird.

It is pretty cool though. Its kinda like if you stare at a ceiling fan and blink rapidly would be another example. Though if its going too fast it doesnt really work.

 

[AxelFoley]

He'll either die a hero or live long enough to see himself become the villain

Outstanding!

 

[shinobi602]

Yep. The gyro even had the USPS logo.

Holy shit lol.

 

[Radec]

 

[Neuromancer]

I know it's a terrible security risk, but can we all agree that that was totally rad anyway?

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

Didn't someone shoot themselves near the Capitol just a few days ago? In fact, I think it was also an attempt to draw attention to Campaign Finance Reform or something like that. What is going on with these unusual forms of protest?

Mind control agents seeping into our water supply!

 

[A Human Becoming]

Dude has guts. From what I heard his friend had contacted capital police about his approach.

 

[Lucky Forward]

Scarborough on DC Gyrocopter Activist: 'Shoot Him Down... Shoot Him Down!'

MSNBC host Joe Scarborough went on a tear during Thursday's "Morning Joe," saying that security at the U.S. Capitol should've shot down the 61-year-old man who flew his helicopter onto the Capitol lawn.

"Is it just me?" Scarborough said. "Shoot 'em. Just shoot 'em."

"If you're in charge of security for the Capitol do you let him fly around or do you shoot him down?" Scarborough continued. "Shoot him down. Magical pony flying through the sky? Shoot it down."

 

[HoosTrax]

I never knew these things were for real. All these years, I thought these contraptions were fictitious and invented by the James Bond movies. Never figured a helicopter (yes, yes I know it's not really a helicopter) powered by what looks like a glorified lawn mower engine could achieve flight.

 

[Parakeetman]

I never knew these things were for real. All these years, I thought these contraptions were fictitious and invented by the James Bond movies. Never figured a helicopter (yes, yes I know it's not really a helicopter) powered by what looks like a glorified lawn mower engine could achieve flight.

If you feel like getting yourself potentially killed there are plans out there from various sites for purchased.

 

[andycapps]

I want to know how far he flew this thing.

 

[Fox318]

 

[Hari Seldon]

Lol, do some of you honestly think they would shoot down a tiny helicopter like that? Can you imagine the shitstorm?

Yeah the missile used to shoot that down would be larger and heavier than the actual craft, thereby causing more damage even if that craft was loaded to the max with C4 lol.

 

[Fox318]

Yeah the missile used to shoot that down would be larger and heavier than the actual craft, thereby causing more damage even if that craft was loaded to the max with C4 lol.

That sounds like America I know and love.

 

[Lightning_Roller]

Scarborough on DC Gyrocopter Activist: 'Shoot Him Down... Shoot Him Down!'

Seems Scarborough is an ASDFmovie fan. But really though, shooting down the gyrocopter would be a terrible mistake.

 

[Lunar15]

Silly Rubio, that's not how you get into the White House!

 

[bananafactory]

Rewatching the vid, this seems like a really low budget sequel to White House Down

 

[Slackerchan]

Man is quoted saying "I did it in Pilotwings 64!!!"

Spoiler

He really wasn't.

I loved replaying the Mecha Hawk levels over and over again. Launching a barrage of rockets at it was so much fun.

 

[Lucky Forward]

I want to know how far he flew this thing.

From the article in the OP:

Hughes flew to Washington from the vicinity of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, which took about an hour, said Ben Montgomery, a reporter with the Tampa Bay Times.

 

[pizzapizza64]

When is Florida Man joining the MCU? Or does Sony still have the rights to him?

 

[Oppo]

Of course not, they fly low and are small that they can't be detected by radar. Which is why the US secret service was looking into lasers and cameras that actively scan the environment to detect small drones and small aircraft after a drone landed on the White House lawn.

talk about a tough technical problem. they have Canadian Geese landing on the mall all the time. easily the size of a drone. cNt even do metal detection (carbon fibre) or radio detection (LoS), I don't see how they can lock down targets that small and fast.

small arms fire would cause all sorts of parabolic bullets falling around DC and probably miss a great deal. maybe a super sophisticated ballistic net thrower or a laser tracker with a shitload of silly string.