Wanna take a ride around the mall on my gyrocopter?

[marylander1940]

Wanna take a ride around the mall on my gyrocopter?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNjfsZ11N9E

 

Doug Hughes, a 61-year-old mailman from Ruskin, told his friends he was going to do it. He was going to fly a gyrocopter through protected airspace and put it down on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol, then try to deliver 535 letters of protest to 535 members of Congress.

 

The stunt seemed so outlandish that not even his closest friend thought he would pull it off.

 

"My biggest fear was he was going to get killed," said Mike Shanahan, 65, of Apollo Beach, who works with Hughes for the Postal Service.

 

After 21/2 years of planning, Hughes came hovering low over the buildings of northeast D.C. about 1:20 p.m., like a distant bird. He rounded the Washington Monument a few minutes later, flew straight up the expanse of the National Mall and brought his small craft down right in front of the Capitol, where he was quickly surrounded by police and surrendered without incident.

 

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/ruskin-mailman-tries-flying-to-capitol-in-gyrocopter-to-deliver-campaign/2225584

 

http://www.aviastar.org/foto/bensen_b-8m.jpg