FAA suspends Bruno Vassel's Pilot Certificate

On Saturday, June 27, 2020 at 7:29:12 AM UTC-5, wrote:
To Shaun's statement,
Yes there is plenty wrong with your comments.
For one, many areas of litigation concerning the Max events are no where near over so to say they got away free is grossly inaccurate.

My bad, JJD.

I was specifically speaking to regulatory oversight, not tort litigation.

Hope this helps.

On Saturday, June 27, 2020 at 12:25:20 AM UTC-5, 2G wrote:
On Friday, June 26, 2020 at 9:46:49 PM UTC-7, Charles Longley wrote:
Wow bummer! Bruno is a super nice guy. I message him occasionally on FB for advice.

Air shows are highly regulated events. I know - I have been involved in several as a volunteer. The FAA oversees each of these events, as is their duty as codified by law. All performers are expected to know the regulations, as in "ignorance of the law is no excuse." Here is an excerpt of these regulations (https://fsims.faa.gov/WDocs/8900.1/V..._006_001.htm):

1) Aerobatic Maneuvering. Requires a Statement of Aerobatic Competency (SAC) with an aerobatic maneuvering endorsement for civilian pilots (see subparagraph 3-146B).
a) In a solo flight, aerobatic maneuvering is when the pitch attitude of the aircraft is greater than 60 degrees above or below the horizon and/or the angle of bank is greater than 75 degrees in reference to the horizon.
b) In a formation flight, aerobatic maneuvering is when the pitch attitude of an aircraft is greater than 60 degrees above or below the horizon and/or the bank angle is greater than 75 degrees to the horizon.
2) Dynamic Maneuvering. Requires a SAC with a dynamic maneuvering endorsement for civilian pilots (see subparagraph 3-146B).
a) In a solo flight, dynamic maneuvering includes abrupt maneuvering, crossing maneuvers, and opposing maneuvers. The pitch and bank limitations are when the pitch attitude of the aircraft is less than or equal to 60 degrees above or below the horizon and/or the bank angle is less than or equal to 90 degrees in reference to the horizon.
b) In a formation flight, dynamic maneuvering includes formation separation, formation configuration/position changes, rejoins, crossing maneuvers, and opposing maneuvers. The pitch and bank limitations are when the pitch attitude of the aircraft is less than or equal to 60 degrees above or below the horizon and/or the bank angle is less than or equal to 75 degrees in reference to the horizon.

All of this has NOTHING to do with Boeing and aircraft certification.

Tom
turd in the punch bowl

n. A person who spoils a pleasant social situation.

This metaphor is powered by a particularly vivid contrast: the inviting sensory appeal of a festive beverage juxtaposed with the revolting suggestion of feculent contagion. Therefore, labeling someone a turd in the punch bowl is most appropriate when the individual's deleterious influence goes beyond mere faux pas or nuisance behaviors, and rises to the level of deliberate offense for its own sake. Consider that the literal act of depositing or excreting fecal matter into a communal food-service container would be sabotage.

The punch bowl and the feces connote certain additional nuances. The former is a symbol of public community, as such dispensers are frequently encountered at parties where they become a focal point for interaction. Freud famously identified feces with aggression and the possessive instinct. Thus a turd in the punch bowl suggests rage toward, and / or the urge to conquer, a community or society as a whole. Defecating into a punch bowl is a very public act, in contrast with poisoning the well or laying an upper decker, which are generally surreptitious. In particular then, to be a turd in the punch bowl is to be a willful and attention-seeking obstructor to the success of a social community.

My sympathy is with is with Bruno but!!!
In England 3 or so years back an occasional display pilot got it wrong
at an air show and put his vintage jet onto the highwayman ,many
dead but not him.The aftermath is still going on.

It's not just the licence the whole flight has to be thought out ,written
out and agreed with every one.
If that was done the organises would have had to ask for all the
paperwork to show their "duty of care",it's not just Bruno's fault.

At a UK comp you need your comp licence ,glider inspection certs
,insurance and medical cert to compete.Because the organisers can't
afford any jack the lad thats done a bit turning up and putting
everyone else's life at risk.
And they do "forget their medical has lapsed or they forgot to pay
the insurance" .Thats why we check





At 17:11 27 June 2020, Scott Williams wrote:





On Saturday, June 27, 2020 at 12:25:20 AM UTC-5, 2G wrote:
On Friday, June 26, 2020 at 9:46:49 PM UTC-7, Charles Longley
wrote:
Wow bummer! Bruno is a super nice guy. I message him
occasionally on
FB=
for advice.
=20
Air shows are highly regulated events. I know - I have been
involved in
s=
everal as a volunteer. The FAA oversees each of these events, as is
their
d=
uty as codified by law. All performers are expected to know the
regulations=
, as in "ignorance of the law is no excuse." Here is an excerpt of
these
re=
gulations

(https://fsims.faa.gov/WDocs/8900.1/V...%20Admin/Chapt
er%20=
06/03_006_001.htm):
=20
1) Aerobatic Maneuvering. Requires a Statement of Aerobatic
Competency=
(SAC) with an aerobatic maneuvering endorsement for civilian
pilots (see
s=
ubparagraph 3-146B).
a) In a solo flight, aerobatic maneuvering is when the pitch
attitude
=
of the aircraft is greater than 60 degrees above or below the
horizon
and/o=
r the angle of bank is greater than 75 degrees in reference to the
horizon.
b) In a formation flight, aerobatic maneuvering is when the
pitch
atti=
tude of an aircraft is greater than 60 degrees above or below the
horizon
a=
nd/or the bank angle is greater than 75 degrees to the horizon.
2) Dynamic Maneuvering. Requires a SAC with a dynamic
maneuvering
endo=
rsement for civilian pilots (see subparagraph 3-146B).
a) In a solo flight, dynamic maneuvering includes abrupt
maneuvering,
=
crossing maneuvers, and opposing maneuvers. The pitch and bank
limitations
=
are when the pitch attitude of the aircraft is less than or equal to 60
deg=
rees above or below the horizon and/or the bank angle is less than
or
equal=
to 90 degrees in reference to the horizon.
b) In a formation flight, dynamic maneuvering includes
formation
separ=
ation, formation configuration/position changes, rejoins, crossing
maneuver=
s, and opposing maneuvers. The pitch and bank limitations are
when the
pitc=
h attitude of the aircraft is less than or equal to 60 degrees above
or
bel=
ow the horizon and/or the bank angle is less than or equal to 75
degrees
in=
reference to the horizon.
=20
All of this has NOTHING to do with Boeing and aircraft
certification.
=20
Tom
turd in the punch bowl

n. A person who spoils a pleasant social situation.

This metaphor is powered by a particularly vivid contrast: the
inviting
sen=
sory appeal of a festive beverage juxtaposed with the revolting
suggestion
=
of feculent contagion. Therefore, labeling someone a turd in the
punch
bowl=
is most appropriate when the individual's deleterious influence
goes
beyon=
d mere faux pas or nuisance behaviors, and rises to the level of
deliberate=
offense for its own sake. Consider that the literal act of depositing
or
e=
xcreting fecal matter into a communal food-service container would
be
sabot=
age.

The punch bowl and the feces connote certain additional nuances.
The
former=
is a symbol of public community, as such dispensers are frequently
encount=
ered at parties where they become a focal point for interaction.
Freud
famo=
usly identified feces with aggression and the possessive instinct.
Thus a
t=
urd in the punch bowl suggests rage toward, and / or the urge to
conquer,
a=
community or society as a whole. Defecating into a punch bowl is a
very
pu=
blic act, in contrast with poisoning the well or laying an upper
decker,
wh=
ich are generally surreptitious. In particular then, to be a turd in the
pu=
nch bowl is to be a willful and attention-seeking obstructor to the
success=
of a social community.

If it was a true "airshow" with other performers that had done the low-level demo for FAA (that's how you get SAC) then the organizers surely knew better. Beware amateurs!

On Saturday, June 27, 2020 at 9:16:34 AM UTC-4, wrote:
Definitely unfortunate, but a teaching moment compliments of Bruno.

In getting a private, there is FAR 91.303. Section e appears to cover the low pass. Sections a and b seem hard to avoid for the loops. Is there another FAR specifically related to the video?

Not sure about the SAC. It appears to be a carefully controlled path to exempt 91.103 to allow an airshow?


§ 91.303 Aerobatic flight.
No person may operate an aircraft in aerobatic flight -

(a) Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement;

(b) Over an open air assembly of persons;

(c) Within the lateral boundaries of the surface areas of Class B, Class C, Class D, or Class E airspace designated for an airport;

(d) Within 4 nautical miles of the center line of any Federal airway;

(e) Below an altitude of 1,500 feet above the surface; or

(f) When flight visibility is less than 3 statute miles.

For the purposes of this section, aerobatic flight means an intentional maneuver involving an abrupt change in an aircraft's attitude, an abnormal attitude, or abnormal acceleration, not necessary for normal flight.
[Doc. No. 18834, 54 FR 34308, Aug. 18, 1989, as amended by Amdt. 91-227, 56 FR 65661, Dec. 17, 1991]

Here's a few questions I have regarding this issue.
Was Bruno cleared or signed off by the airshow administration to conduct his routine or did he just decide to enter the controlled airspace and "do his thing?"
Airshow flying here in the U.S. is a highly regulated affair. I would say that 100% of airshow performers are members of ICAS - International Council of Airshows. To fly airshows, one must have his personal pilot certificates as well as aircraft documents to show the FAA upon inspection prior to the airshow. They will go over EVERYTHING including checking the currency of repack for the chute. All possible documentation will be scrupulously gone over.
Each airshow pilot must have a certificate of demonstrated ability or a "low level card". One is retested annually. It takes years to work your way down from the first level of 1,500 agl to a surface level card.
There are no restrictions with regard to what a pilot can and cannot do in an airshow aerobatic box - within limitations: no energy toward the crowd is one.
I personally cannot believe Bruno was cleared to fly his routine at a U.S. airshow by the organizers nor the FAA. The strictest guidelines are in place to protect both the performer and the crowds. An innocent mistake by Bruno, perhaps but unless he was sanctioned to fly the airshow by the organizers and the FAA, he should have know better.
Steve Coan
5 Time U.S. National Glider Aerobatic Champion
Airshow pilot for decades (retired)

7 months on the bench, bummer, I'd think you could surrender your license and earn a new one in a couple of weeks. Bonus it is cheaper than throwing lawyers at the gov't.

Sad, but interesting.Â* All military pilots are competent at aerobatics.Â*
Do they still need a SAC to perform at an air show?Â* Is this for any
aerobatics or just for low level aerobatics?Â* Inquiring minds and all
that...

Hey Bruno - I'm so sorry for your trouble and dumbfounded, too.

Dan

On 6/27/2020 7:36 AM, son_of_flubber wrote:
The FAA found that he performed aerobatics without holding an SAC (Statement of Aerobatic Competency). https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/...N_8900.427.pdf

--
Dan, 5J

On Saturday, June 27, 2020 at 10:45:20 PM UTC-4, Dan Marotta wrote:
Sad, but interesting.Â* All military pilots are competent at aerobatics.Â*
Do they still need a SAC to perform at an air show?Â* Is this for any
aerobatics or just for low level aerobatics?Â* Inquiring minds and all
that...

Hey Bruno - I'm so sorry for your trouble and dumbfounded, too.

Dan

On 6/27/2020 7:36 AM, son_of_flubber wrote:
The FAA found that he performed aerobatics without holding an SAC (Statement of Aerobatic Competency). https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/...N_8900.427.pdf

--
Dan, 5J

Military pilots are competent at some level of aerobatics and are not bound by the FAA the way civilian pilots are - ie SAC. At an airshow sanctioned by the FAA, a Statement of Aerobatic Competency card must be presented to the FAA Safety inspectors. A civilian pilot is not permitted to fly aerobatics at any altitude at an airshow without the card.
Sorry Bruno. An innocent mistake.
Steve C.

On Saturday, June 27, 2020 at 9:37:26 PM UTC-5, wrote:
7 months on the bench, bummer, I'd think you could surrender your license and earn a new one in a couple of weeks. Bonus it is cheaper than throwing lawyers at the gov't.

In previous cases, once the FAA begins an investigation into an incident, they will not allow you to surrender. Once the verdict has been pronounced, it’s too late...

Well, it looks like I need to go back and erase a number of videos I did of people doing low passes, some in formation with other gliders? I know the occasional "impromptu" aerobatic performance is done here and there. Maybe those acknowledgments too need to be, shall we say, HIDDEN? The bottom line is that we do not know that which we do not know. And what we don't know might get us grounded if it does not kill us.

Always enjoyed Bruno's videos on Youtube.

Walt Connelly
Former Tow Pilot
Now Happy Helicopter Pilot