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Small helicopter lands on Capitol lawn prompting lockdowns for Capitol, White House
NewsChannel 8 ^ | 04-15-2015

Posted on 04/15/2015 11:12:46 AM PDT by RS_Rider

WASHINGTON (WJLA) -- A small helicopter has landed on the Capitol's West Front in D.C. and the pilot was taken into custody. The Capitol building and the White House are currently under lockdown. More details to come...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Government; US: District of Columbia; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: 1; airspace; capitol; citizensunited; dc; helicopter; lockdown; lockdowns; nationalsecurity; securitybreach; uscapitol; whitehouse
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To: fwdude
I thought Obama didn’t want to defend this country with a military, but this is getting scary.

Oh I don't know, how about flying a commercial airliner into the Pentagon with 45 minutes notice?

61 posted on 04/15/2015 4:37:00 PM PDT by Carry_Okie (The fourth estate is the fifth column.)
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To: Tijeras_Slim

That’s a gyro-copter.


62 posted on 04/15/2015 4:38:58 PM PDT by semaj
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To: funfan

“I am surprised they did not shoot it down almost as if they knew who it was or to expect it.”

Never attribute to malice that which can be shown as incompetence.


63 posted on 04/15/2015 4:53:37 PM PDT by Usagi_yo (Enormous wealth without God, something's bound to go wrong here.)
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To: Tijeras_Slim

Perfect!


64 posted on 04/15/2015 5:12:37 PM PDT by rockrr (Everything is different now...)
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To: funfan
I am surprised they did not shoot it down

His little gyrocopter represents capability for approximately as much potential harm as a motorscooter. Frankly this guy could operate in and out of there all day and if something went wrong there's plenty of open space to fall into.

Those laws he broke exist for the primary purpose of maximizing police convenience so they may crack down on idiots. But they don't hold much water when pressed up against the first amendment. That's a peaceable petition for redress of grievances and trying to make an example of him is a pointless waste of our tax dollars.

65 posted on 04/15/2015 5:26:08 PM PDT by no-s (when democracy is displaced by tyranny, the armed citizen still gets to vote>)
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To: pabianice

I know what a gyro sandwich is but not a gyrocopter.


66 posted on 04/15/2015 5:33:07 PM PDT by 353FMG
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To: taildragger

That’s a Benson gyrocopter. Nice kit copter. I’d love to have one. Just don’t have the cash.


67 posted on 04/15/2015 5:34:29 PM PDT by NCC-1701 (You have your fear, which might become reality; and you have Godzilla, which IS reality.)
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To: Larry Lucido

ROFLMAO! I LOVE Mr. Burns! He’s my Favorite Evil Capitalist. :)


68 posted on 04/15/2015 5:54:58 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set...)
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To: RS_Rider
Flashback to 28 May 1987 ... Mathias Rust, 18, lands a Cessna 172 in Red Square ...
Said he wanted to build an imaginary bridge to the East.


Marshal of the Soviet Union Sergei Sokolov and WW2 fighter ace Chief Marshal Alexander Koldunov were among those fired.

69 posted on 04/15/2015 6:01:19 PM PDT by cynwoody
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

:-)


70 posted on 04/15/2015 6:22:35 PM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: taildragger

You’d have to be nuts to fly that thing in the first place.


71 posted on 04/15/2015 6:29:51 PM PDT by Rome2000 (SMASH THE CPUSA)
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To: Tijeras_Slim

What is that picture from?


72 posted on 04/15/2015 6:32:06 PM PDT by ConservativeMind ("Humane" = "Don't pen up pets or eat meat, but allow infanticide, abortion, and euthanasia.")
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To: ConservativeMind; Tijeras_Slim

It’s the Gyro Captain from “The Road Warrior”!


73 posted on 04/15/2015 6:35:54 PM PDT by ClearCase_guy ("Victim" -- some people eagerly take on the label because of the many advantages that come with it.)
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To: the OlLine Rebel

‘Although I must say I didn’t know such things exist now. But the design is completely different. Still looks mostly like a helicopter, not at all like a plane which was the point of autogyros in days past.’

Autogyros are more like airplanes, than helicopters by aerodynamic principles but their capabilities and limitations are somehow in between two mainstream types of aircraft.
Their rotors are unpowered, driven by airstream instead of engine (unless there is a ‘jump’ capability) and it basically serves to maintain lift the way airplane wing does while it is controlled in airplane fashion.
It is by far the easiest to fly type of aircraft and it is much more affordable to buy and maintain than helicopter.


74 posted on 04/15/2015 6:39:54 PM PDT by Paid_Russian_Troll
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To: cynwoody

Fascinating story.


75 posted on 04/15/2015 9:28:09 PM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: no-s; funfan
His little gyrocopter represents capability for approximately as much potential harm as a motorscooter.

I dunno, little flying choppers might pose a risk to other bigger choppers which often fly in the area. The Secret Service would probably frown on that. But who knows.

76 posted on 04/15/2015 9:53:26 PM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: Sarah Barracuda; All

Apparently he had notified authorities repeatedly, months in advance that he was planning to do this to promote campaign financing reform. No need to shoot him down if they had already check out that he was a protester, not a terrorist. If they were keeping track of him which they should have, they would know if he bought weapons or explosives, which apparently he had NOT.


77 posted on 04/15/2015 9:55:21 PM PDT by gleeaikin
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To: taildragger

I believe that’s a Benson B-8 autogyro. A friend of our family had one when I was a kid in Southern California.


78 posted on 04/16/2015 1:03:42 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You can help: https://www.tedcruz.org/donate/)
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To: Usagi_yo

“But dont rule out malice” Heinlein’s Razor


79 posted on 04/16/2015 3:43:33 AM PDT by Crim (Palin / West '16)
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To: taildragger

very cool looking. can’t believe it actually flies.


80 posted on 04/16/2015 5:12:49 PM PDT by 9thLife ("Life is a military endeavor..." -- Pope Francis)
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