Pilot Apologizes After Landing on Public Beach
Proving that public beaches aren't a suitable place for aircraft operations, a Kitfox pilot found himself arrested May 23 for reckless conduct after landing on a beach at Tybee Island, Georgia. The plane touched down on the remote north end of the beach without incident, but people were present. It was no emergency; the pilot and passenger got out and went for a sightseeing stroll. Read more

What really sucks is that this is a crime! If the guy landed in a remote part of the island, what is th harm? Is it because people were present that the guy got arrested? WTF!

I would never do such a thing (on purpose) especially with people around! Z you be quiet.

We all know the rules about this stuff. Poaching a NFZ is like going 150MPH on a crotch rocket(I never did that either )

Good day

almost got arrested by Border patrol for landing at a back country strip here in San Diego.. But I took off before they could get to me... They were running towards me from the other end of the strip... Found out a month later that they were looking for a Cessna with numbers similar to mine with red stripes on the wings... Said the pilot dove his plane at the officers trying to kill them.. They wouldn't know a cessna from a PA 22 if it killed them and making up a story like that was pretty lame if you ask me... I climbed out at a pretty steep angle and was about 500 feet above the strip when I passed over the two officers. I called border patrol and got a sergeant who wanted to know my name. I never did tell him but I told him his officers were damn liars about diving to hit them...

It's actually a law for not motorized vehicles on the beach at Tybee. You can't even pull a jet ski up to the shore there or you get a ticket.

obxbushpilot wrote:What really sucks is that this is a crime! If the guy landed in a remote part of the island, what is th harm? Is it because people were present that the guy got arrested? WTF!

The original article said it wasn't exactly remote where he landed, it was one of the public beaches. I've actually been to Tybee several times and I can't imagine trying to land in summer except maybe very early in the morning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC_7tZj60F4

In this video (I posted earlier on another thread), We land (pull off in a turnout to relieve ourselves) and takeoff on the Parks Hwy south of Denaili Park the the Thursday before Memorial Day (peak traffic for tourists). My Bushpilot instruction included a section for learning how to fly under wires (we didn't actually do it beacuse we could select a section of road that had none) and counting cars and shuffling in on the roadsystem with traffic as an emergency preparedness exercise. All legal in AK. I'll not try that while transiting MA on my up to the 4th annual bushwackers fly in. I guess thats why Ak is the "last frontier".

On the subject of beach landings: I live near the outer banks of eastern NC. Most of the islands are "National Seashore" which is sort of like a national forest, but for sand. Cars and trucks are permited to drive all over this (except for areas where seabirds and turtles nest). Are aircraft permitted to use the beach if it does not jeopordize other's safety or endanger animals?

Well I live in Denali Park and Memorial Day weekend is no where close to peak period for tourists

But you are right there is no law saying you can't land on the highways here so long as you don't interfere with traffic. After five years the only highway I've landed on is the Denali Highway which resembles a 150 mile gravel airstrip.

But as to your question...all national parklands in the lower 48 are closed to landing unless specifically open in specific park regs located in part 7 of the 36 code of federal regulations. It's looked at differently than simply motorized use.

Contrast this with the Beach Act or whatever it's called in Georgia. Aircraft are lumped in with all motor vehicles.

Thanks for the clarification on the beach landings (and peak traffic time).

There are two real nice park maintained airstrips on the outer banks. My favorite is Ocracoke Island. You land and walk a very short few steps to the easts best sand beaches in a beuatiful secluded island community. Its just a short flight from my airpark home too, but hardly back country.

I am arriving in Anchorage again on 22 June for a little more adventure. Only thing planned so far is an upper Kenai fly fishing (drift boat) trip.

obxbushpilot wrote:Thanks for the clarification on the beach landings (and peak traffic time).

There are two real nice park maintained airstrips on the outer banks. My favorite is Ocracoke Island. You land and walk a very short few steps to the easts best sand beaches in a beuatiful secluded island community. Its just a short flight from my airpark home too, but hardly back country.

I am arriving in Anchorage again on 22 June for a little more adventure. Only thing planned so far is an upper Kenai fly fishing (drift boat) trip.

I love Ocracoke. This is the first summer in years I have missed the family trip to the Banks

One of the many reasons you couldn't pay me to move back to the "lower 48". Wouldn't mind visiting the Idaho, Montana, Dakotas are though...forget the major population centers though. Landing on the gravel bars is one of the major things to do when you like to fish and what better way to experience the boonies than to be able to land there.

hey Grouch, are any of your fishing spots landable with say 8.50's or are bushwheels required for all those sand and gravel bars?