"Flying morrrrrrons from the skyyyyyy..."

Proof once again that some folks ain't too brite: Grandfather flies kids to school, lands on football field

The Associated Press
9/17/2003, 12:32 a.m. CT

SEMMES, Ala. (AP) -- Three students arrived at Semmes Middle School in style Tuesday, via helicopter, much to the chagrin of school administrators.

A visitor from Oregon transported the three children, one of them his grandson, by helicopter, landing on a football field without warning and touching off concern for student safety by school administrators.

Larry Tardie, 55, landed the four-seat Robinson helicopter on the football field Tuesday morning, about 150 feet from the students who were waiting to enter the school, principal Monte Tatom said.

"The children saw it coming and ran toward it, and I yelled stop, don't go any further," the principal said of the helicopter. "I didn't know if someone would get out shooting or they were having mechanical problems and were going to crash."

Tardie, of Eugene, Ore., was in the Mobile area to visit his son, Jeff Tardie, and other family members, according to Vickie Wade, the mother of Jeff Tardie.

Must. Resist. Urge. To. Make. Series of Obvious. Puns.

Anyway, Grampa Tardie probably has some sort of condition or something which requires him to do things like this. Don't be too hard on him.

While the children may have enjoyed it, Harold Dodge, superintendent of the school system, said the landing was a tense moment for the principal and teachers.

"I understand and sincerely appreciate the idea of doing something special for the middle school student," he said, "but the opportunity for disaster with 1,500-plus children and high tension lines nearby simply scared the principal and staff to death."

Oh, what a bunch of nervous Nellies--whyyyyyy, back in my day, we used to have fleets of helicopters that would fly up and down beside hydroelectric plants dangling kids from ropes! What good fun--especially when we even gave a few of them some Tommy guns--until them derned LAWYERS made us stop! Now everyone gets all mad even if you just barely clip a high tension line or two, or if a couple of the little shavers get their arms too close to the rotors...what's this world coming to when a grandpa can't enjoy the simple pleasure of taking his grandson to school?

Sgt. Donald Lunceford, Sheriff's Department detective, said no charges were immediately filed, but it's possible Tardie could be charged with reckless operation of aircraft. [...]

Imagine that.
posted by Terry at 8:19:00 AM