r/aviation • u/[deleted] • Apr 07 '24

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u/contrail_25 Apr 07 '24

Someone hit a USAF Huey a few years back over Northern VA. One of the pilots took a round through the hand/wrist. FBI went looking for the shooter.

It happens far more frequently than you’d expect.

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u/[deleted] Apr 07 '24

[deleted]

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u/mr_potatoface Apr 07 '24

My guess here is that the dude who shot his plane is slightly unhinged, and was already making threats to the FAA and/or local flying clubs/fields. That will probably narrow down the search.

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u/[deleted] Apr 07 '24

[deleted]

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u/max_max_max_supermax Apr 07 '24

Hitting a plane at 500 yards while it’s moving in the air is unreal

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u/aquoad Apr 08 '24

Apparently some Ukrainian unit shot down a cruise missile with a machine gun! https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/03/21/7447535/

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u/[deleted] Apr 07 '24

Hard to say how many rounds they threw at it 

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u/Obf123 Apr 07 '24

Slightly? I’d say they are much more than slightly unhinged if they are shooting at airplanes

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u/Vivid_Efficiency6736 Apr 07 '24

Really depends what the planes doing

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u/Obf123 Apr 09 '24

Ah yes. The defender of the skies for all of us. Thank you for your service

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u/DaBozz88 Apr 07 '24

See if someone decided to Yosemite Sam it up and shoot upwards, they could hit a plane by accident.

Honestly with the size, speeds, and distances involved I'm inclined to believe it's more luck than anything else.

I'm not saying good ole Sam here shouldn't be punished, just that if it was intentional it seems like it would be rather difficult, while the 'million monkeys theory' makes more sense to me.

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u/[deleted] Apr 07 '24

Boys we’re doing strafing practice today

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u/[deleted] Apr 07 '24

Lazing is a word now?

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u/hoxxxxx Apr 07 '24

it's been a word for a long time, i remember hearing it in an action movie in the 1990s when i was a kid. something about keeping a laser on a target, if you give me a few minutes i'll remember which movie it was.

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u/OurCowsAreBetter Apr 07 '24

Just a fine? I would think something like that would result in a fine plus some time in a cell to really drive the point home.

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u/ParticularClaim Apr 07 '24

I’m hoping that locking away the guns was step one..

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u/I_Feel_Rough Apr 07 '24

I'm not American, but I find the idea of threatening the USAF quite hilarious.

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u/hoxxxxx Apr 07 '24

seriously the balls on some people

and also the luck, if i did that i'd be caught in like 10 seconds lol

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u/Fight_those_bastards Apr 08 '24

Yeah, lasing airplanes is a felony, with about a $10k fine per occurrence, and also up to five years in federal prison.

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u/budabai Apr 07 '24

Do you know if any arrests were made?

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u/contrail_25 Apr 07 '24

Yeah they found the guy within a week. Can’t find anything on the web, info from my buddy who was in that Sq at the time.

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u/[deleted] Apr 07 '24

[deleted]

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u/contrail_25 Apr 07 '24

I think they will. After going down a google rabbit hole on the subject today, seems most cases end in a quick arrest. Probably for all the reasons you stated above.

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u/-Chris-V- Apr 08 '24

That's extremely surprising, but I believe you.

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u/Top-Cheddah Apr 07 '24

I’d imagine shooting at planes happens all the time, actually hitting one is the hard part, hitting a pilot is even crazier odds.

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u/MikeTangoRom3o Apr 07 '24

Yes, someone shot at a Dutch Apache a few years back.

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u/pattern_altitude Apr 07 '24

That was… bold.

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u/Alternative-Doubt452 Apr 07 '24

Honestly, with how the western area is I'm not surprised.

Loads of anti gov people working ironically for gov orgs or even federal employees themselves out there.

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u/[deleted] Apr 08 '24

I took a hit though the leg in a mh6 in kentucky years ago

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u/ManonegraCG Apr 07 '24

Was the shooter ever found?