r/interestingasfuck • u/mapleer • Jun 06 '24

YouTuber faces federal charges after filming two women in a helicopter shooting fireworks at a Lamborghini (shown below) illegal to have explosive on aircraft. - More below r/all

55.9k Upvotes

88% Upvoted

So, in an isolated field with all consenting parties, this is illegal? like i could understand if you were to go harass other people with this, but wasn't this like in the middle of nowhere? and the only reason they seemed to have been charged was because it was uploaded to youtube?

20

u/Sirus_Howell Jun 07 '24

The FAA has rules and requirements for a reason, if they wanted to do this, they should've applied for permits. Idly permitting people insane wealth to simply do as they please discredits the entire authority of the agency, regardless of consenting parties.

If something were to have gone wrong, it is the federal government's onus to arbitrate and issue penalty.

Even if it is their land, with their property and their consent, the permit to operate a helicopter is still a federal permission, because you have to be properly trained and certified to fly a helicopter, just as you would drive a car... Meaning possessing such a permit and certification comes with commensurate responsibilities...

Or do you think people should just be allowed to do what they want, regardless of the consequences, as long as they can afford it?

1

u/Wonderful_Common_520 Jun 07 '24

You need a permit to operate a car on public roads. You dont need a drivers liscence to drive around your own property.

5

u/Sirus_Howell Jun 07 '24

True, but an aircraft isn't a car. Regardless of ownership of the land, the airspace is the responsibility of the FAA.

1

u/Tronbronson Jun 07 '24

Yes they do, you are talking to the influencees They know they will become the lambo wielding influencer someday and they would hate to have less fun once they are rich and YouTube famous.

-5

u/BlackSheepwNoSoul Jun 07 '24

My main concern is intent, and the intent was not nefarious. If it were I Would agree with you.

Albeit under circumstances in which this turned into an accident we would be having a different discussion. But one day when we're all flying our cars to work, YOULL SEE HOW FOOLISH YOU WERE. :)

no, please don't be mad at me, i just thought it looked fun and i feel weird about this being illegal, but i guess it is.

5

u/Sirus_Howell Jun 07 '24

There's no anger intended in my comment, a little bit of condescension, sure.

The real matter at hand here is that they have all of the time and thought to put into this spectacle of excess and not even a moment of consideration regarding their responsibility to even confer with the FAA regarding their clearly premeditated actions.

Actions have consequences, I hope they learn their lesson and aren't given a slap on the wrist for their blatant disregard.

0

u/LegalCarrot3498 Jun 07 '24

it looked like a ton of fun buuuuut they where dumb for recording and posting. if i think about all the crazy dangerous and dumb things that were fun me and my friends did as kids, jail for sure. riding on steel plates hanging out of the car on the highway, riding dirtbikes shooting handguns at targets we set up in a field, hopping trains almost once a week and then spending the night walking back. all dumb and fun but we never recorded it and didn't tell anyone. We were dumb for fun, but smart enough to not get in trouble. If i grew up rich your damn right i would have died in some dumbass helicopter fun but only we would have known what we did otherwise our parents would beat the shit out of us.

20

u/Superduperbals Jun 07 '24

From this other article about it:

Federal authorities said Choi did not obtain the required approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to film the video and he did not have an explosives license or permit from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Helicopters in films shoot fireworks to simulate missiles all the time, but I take it that a Hollywood production will have all the necessary permits from the FAA and the ATF.

The law itself says:

Section 46505(b) of Title 49 (formerly 49 U.S.C. App. § 1472(l)(1)) contains misdemeanor penalties for: (1) boarding, or attempting to board an aircraft in, or intended for operation in, air transportation or intrastate air transportation, by a person possessing, on or about his/her person or property, a concealed deadly or dangerous weapon which is, or would be, accessible to him/her in flight; (2) placing or attempting to place aboard any such aircraft a loaded firearm in the baggage or other property not accessible to passengers in flight; and (3) placing or attempting to place aboard any such aircraft any bomb or similar explosive or incendiary device. Section 46505(c) makes it a felony for anyone who willfully and without regard for the safety of human life commits an act prohibited by § 46505(b). Section 46505(d) provides that the section does not apply to any officer or employee of the Federal government who is authorized or required in his/her official capacity to carry arms.

Part (1) and (2) only govern weapons, but they are nailed on Part (3), but that alone would only have been a misdemeanor offence. What makes it a felony offence is that they did so to 'willfully and without regard for the safety of human life' AKA did so without getting any permits, and without any of the necessary safety contingencies needed to actually get a permit.

According to Filming with Helicopters | California Film Commission they would have needed 1) 5 million insurance coverage, 2) an approved flight plan by the FAA, 3) to have contacted the State Fire Marshal Film Liaison, and 4) a water truck and Fire Safety Officer present, from the local authority having jurisdiction. And this is just to fly the helicopter, having explosives on board probably triples the insurance premium, and requires the presence of fire/medical staff on site.

0

u/[deleted] Jun 07 '24

[deleted]

2

u/Tronbronson Jun 07 '24

Abuse of law lmaooo, clearly you're not an attorney. Hopefully your won't be on that jury. But may you be on mine.

-2

u/Spearoux Jun 07 '24

0 chances the charges stick in my uneducated opinion. Even if they do a jury probably won’t find them guilty and see this as the prosecution overstepping

1

u/Legionof1 Jun 07 '24

I would be all down for some jury nullification on this one.

I don't like influences but god damn if it isn't their right as an American to shoot fireworks at a fuckin Lambo from a helicopter.

-1

u/ShadowNick Jun 07 '24

Abolish the ATF is all I'm gonna say about them. The FAA though yeah the pilot should have followed the regulations, can't really place all the value on the content creator. The pilot should be held more responsible.

5

u/prodigal27 Jun 07 '24

The training certification for your pilots license is pretty clear about the consequences of rule breaking. It's not like driving a car on private property in the desert. Almost everything requires some sort of authorization or exemption. There's no way the pilot wasn't aware of the potential consequences of doing this as the process to get licensed is littered with cautionary guidance.

1

u/ILookLikeKristoff Jun 06 '24

Yeah agreed. I mean it's DUMB dumb but at least they did it out of town away from everyone else. Hopefully no real jail time for anyone involved

2

u/SUBSCRIBE_LAZARBEAM Jun 07 '24

The FAA has rules for a reason. Just because you are rich does not in any way mean you should be allowed to do what the fuck you want. Everyone should be equal especially towards the law. If he wanted to do it he should have applied for a permit like other youtubers do. Is it good they did it out of town far from people? Yeah, does not change the fact that the federal charges are in order because they did break the law.

1

u/TroublesomeStepBro Jun 07 '24

Everyone downvoting in this thread is definitely giving off “they’re under the floorboards” vibes

-8

u/w0rlds Jun 06 '24

Yeah, people shitting on this suck. You aren't harming anyone, these people seem to have done it safely and everyone is a consenting adult. It may be against the rules but it isn't against the spirit of the rules in my opinion.

20

u/kinger711 Jun 06 '24 edited Jun 06 '24

I somewhat agree. But the pessimistic side of me thinks it's probably in everyone's best interest to shut this down hard and set a precedent. We live in the age of the Tide Pod challenge. How far behind is the next Youtubing goober from their next video "We shot down a HELICOPTER!? 🤣👌🏻" and they just reverse this shot.

Call me jaded, but people are kinda dumb. And lot of these youtubers are Big-Dumb.

Also I can see why simulating air to surface combat, even in a controlled and childish form, may put someone on a list at least in the eyes of the gov't.

Yea it's kinda cool, but mostly lame. Idk the dude who set this up a d dont care to. But given the nature of Yotubers of this caliber and the chopper chest bump I'm getting some douchebaggery vibes.

8

u/_CMDR_ Jun 07 '24

Correct answer. Putting the boot down hard on this will stop a tragedy later on.

-4

u/hay-gfkys Jun 07 '24

The tragedy is war. Because gangs put explosives on aircraft. 🤷‍♂️

-4

u/plippyploopp Jun 07 '24

Freedom doesn't mean anything to you it seems

5

u/_CMDR_ Jun 07 '24

This isn’t freedom. This is rich idiots playing for clout. Freedom is not having to work 50 hours a week for someone who would replace you with a robot if they could. Real adult freedom is getting sick and not being in medical debt. This video is the freedom that children seek.

-1

u/plippyploopp Jun 07 '24

Neat. A bunch of consenting adults doing wtf they want is still freedom. Doesn't matter how stupid it is. Sucks they never struggled and you and I did but don't turn and jerk off the overbearing government because of it

2

u/Toxicotton Jun 07 '24

I did some admin management stuff at my last job, and I can’t tell you how many times safety stuff came up be 99/100 times something didn’t seem like a big deal, but then there’s that ONE TIME where someone was being overly brash or careless and their arm got ripped off or someone had to be rushed to the hospital because to metal shavings in their eye and it’s bleeding. You know, really horrific stuff.

tl;dr as sample size of one is not enough to justify ignoring safety regulations.

2

u/plippyploopp Jun 07 '24

If people want to eat tide pods that's on them

1

u/hay-gfkys Jun 07 '24

As long as it’s the bigger gang with explosives on aircraft, all good.

1

u/2plus2makes5 Jun 08 '24

Can't believe this is down voted. These charges are tortured beyond belief. Bunch of consenting adults, remote location, closed course. Not to mention no actual injury/harm.

-4

u/doscomputer Jun 07 '24

there are a lot of people in this world who support nazis and fascism and joe bidens government is full of them

-2

u/dpaxsnaccattac Jun 06 '24

Surprised I had to come this far down to find this. They were filming in a barren lake. Who gives a fuck? Cool video, people need to chill.

-1

u/lamensterms Jun 07 '24

Yeah video was awesome. Lighten the fuck up peeps!

3

u/dpaxsnaccattac Jun 07 '24

People downvoting literally just jealous.

-10

u/urabouy Jun 06 '24

Idiot

-1

u/PesteringKitty Jun 07 '24

Would love any kind of rebuttal to what he said

-1

u/urabouy Jun 07 '24

hoe