[TheNoonans]

"On the other hand, I would never presume to tell everyone at Logan that I have a "federally guaranteed right" to circle over the center of the airport & take photos 10 times a day, while they all put their operations on hold."

Good morning Mr. Hemmel, nice to have you back again. Still waiting for your answer, when the FAA says LCI can safely sustain skydiving will you accept their expert opinion, or will presume to reject it and state that you know better because your a local pilot?

To be fair, I don't expect you to answer, and the reality is that your opinion carries little consequence, it's the LAA making the decision. Now.....if a member of the LAA were to share your position, if they were to reject the findings of the FAA and issue a contradictory decision........suffice to say, I have done my due diligence on the subject and know (from the FAA' s perspective) where that will end. All I will say is that I would not want to be the one that has to justify to the FAA why their decision was thrown out.

Anyone that has turned on a television in the last year has seen Congress hold the auto industry, the financial industry and the mortgage industry entirely accountable for living up to the standards and responsibiities of accepting federal money. Do you think the FAA will hold the LAA to the same standards? I do. I am 100% sure of it. The federal government doesn't have a sense of humor about things like this, nor should they. I believe the figure stated last night was $600,000+ of federal money allocated for last nights projects at LCI.

Going back to your statement of smoke and mirrors, if the FAA, in it's infinite wisdom, stated that you could safely circle Logan, I would say more power to you, go do it. It's legal and it's approved by the FAA. I wouldn't try to interject my own personal opinions on aerial photography safety because I am not an aerial photography safety expert. That's the difference between us, I respect the established process of the FAA.

For what it's worth though, your mocking comment isn't entirely accurate, on those busy Saturday and Sunday days you keep talking about (the ones that we have same rights and access to the sky as you), we may fly more like 15-20 loads a day. If we totally under estimated demand, then we may even bring in a second airplane and as one is climbing, have the other descending, or better a larger one, like a Cessna Grand Caravan that drops 17 skydivers at a time. All perfectly legal and "protected" by the FAA. As for the inconvenience you will be forced to endure, if your a competent pilot, then you will not be inconvenienced at all.

But that is besides the point really. You can scour the FARs all like, you won't find a single line item referring to "inconveniencing" other aircraft. We won't complain when we have to spin and wait for you to taxi and take off, and the FAA expects (demands really) the same courtesy from you in return. Don't believe me, then draft a letter of complaint to the Portland FSDO and cite in your complaint that you are being inconvenienced. See what you get in return as a response..........

We have already done our due diligence, we know the answer, write them and find out for yourself.

To the rest of the community that is interested in the facts, supporting a free economy and pursuing freedoms, we continue to appreciate your support. For all the pilots out there, from the beginning, we have stated that we want to work with you, not against you. We are 100% willing to listen to whatever concerns any pilot may have and work with you to reach a mutually agreed solution. We will even host "Pilot Night" once a month or so, so that local pilots can come down and talk to us and our pilots and learn everything there is to know about how our flights are planned and made. We want you all to have all the information we have, so we can all work and ultimately fly, together.

Blue skies to all and to all a good flight,

Tom

Editted to add: Does anyone find it even mildly ironic that the same guy (Mr. Hemmel) that points out above that Mr. Hayes is on a 72 acre industrial airpark, so you can't compare Zephyrhills and Laconia, yet he makes a subsequent statement comparing circling Laconia to um.......circling LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT? Laconia may be a busy airport Mr. Hemmel, but I think Logan may be in a class all it's own sir. Nice analogy though..........