The pilot in question

They did it with ball bearings.

The Massachusetts Turnpike actually has a regulation governing the use of the highway by airplanes. You need the written approval of the chief engineer to take off. 730 CMR 7.05(7).

ZAZ: The Massachusetts Turnpike actually has a regulation governing the use of the highway by airplanes. You need the written approval of the chief engineer to take off. 730 CMR 7.05(7).

We Hoosiers SCOFF at your silly-ass laws!

Interstate highways have straight stretches every "so many" miles so that planes can land.

Police did not know where the pilot went after he took off again. He went to the underwear store to get a replacement for those he was wearing when he landed. Landing on I-70 in February = messy shorts after landing. Garan-teed.

fuzzwell: Interstate highways have straight stretches every "so many" miles so that planes can land.

No, they don't.

Is one mile out of every five on Interstate highways straight for emergency airplane landing strips?

mmmmm..... landing strips.

The fact that this is allowed to happen for planes in distress is remarkably sensible and I am in perpetual wonder that busybody lawmakers don't outlaw this loudly and often.

For every 5 miles of airport runway, one mile is curvy to allow for cars.

theurge14: For every 5 miles of airport runway, one mile is curvy to allow for cars.

and because it keeps the pilots on their toes.

Cheops: The fact that this is allowed to happen for planes in distress is remarkably sensible and I am in perpetual wonder that busybody lawmakers don't outlaw this loudly and often.

Yeah, every time I hear something used for good in a novel way I mentally tremble at the thought of some bureaucrat somewhere dreaming up new regulations to prevent such an event ever happening again.

And no tailgating allowed for planes.

/It's cuts to shreds the bumper in front of you.

Chapman did not know where the pilot was headed after taking off from his makeshift interstate airstrip.

With a name like Suleman, my guess is the nearest tall building.

fuzzwell: Interstate highways have straight stretches every "so many" miles so that planes can land.

And the roadsigns have markings on the back so they can be read by the blue helmet guys without them knowing English.

Eisenhower interstate system, 1 mile of every 5 mile stretch is required to be straight in case it's needed for planes to land/take off.

clit hero: Chapman did not know where the pilot was headed after taking off from his makeshift interstate airstrip.

With a name like Suleman, my guess is the nearest tall building.

I admit it. I LoL'ed.

I blame the snakes.

This happened near downtown Montreal a year and a half ago... I was there and took photos (pops)... here's the related news article (pops).

You mean it wasn't JJ and Victor going for beer?

/obscure?

Or I guess fark doesn't like target="_new". So no pop... oops.

phillydrifter: Eisenhower interstate system, 1 mile of every 5 mile stretch is required to be straight in case it's needed for planes to land/take off.

It's bad enough you're repeating an urban legend, but to do it after someone else has already done it and been corrected...that's a special kind of fail.

FAA: we're not happy till you're not happy.

damiangerous: It's bad enough you're repeating an urban legend, but to do it after someone else has already done it and been corrected...that's a special kind of fail.


If his username is any indication, phillydrifter probably is quite accustomed to special kinds of fail.

So, let's review.

A man landed his plane on the highway...
...joked with the cops about getting a parking ticket...
...wasn't cited for anything...
...and took off again without anyone knowing where he was going?!

Either this guy was the most charming motherfarker you've ever met, or he had an enormous pair of tits.

I blame the non-tasty water.

semiotix: The guy didn't do anything wrong. What would that ticket be for, exactly?

Whoa... that's, like, far out cool, man.

semiotix : So, let's review.

A man landed his plane on the highway...
...joked with the cops about getting a parking ticket...
...wasn't cited for anything...
...and took off again without anyone knowing where he was going?!

Either this guy was the most charming motherfarker you've ever met, or he had an enormous pair of tits.

You may be on to something here

planes: semiotix: The guy didn't do anything wrong. What would that ticket be for, exactly?

Since when have you ever heard of police not issuing tickets before someone's even found to have committed a crime? Since when have you heard police not search for something to charge someone for, let alone make up a new charge if necessary?

farkingatwork: planes: semiotix: The guy didn't do anything wrong. What would that ticket be for, exactly?

Since when have you ever heard of police not issuing tickets before someone's even found to have committed a crime? Since when have you heard police not search for something to charge someone for, let alone make up a new charge if necessary?

Dude, your tin foil hat, its showing.

phillydrifter: Eisenhower interstate system, 1 mile of every 5 mile stretch is required to be straight in case it's needed for planes to land/take off.

overall system-wide? perhaps - but only by coincidence

the flat str8 stretches w/o overpasses are especially concentrated in nebraska, kansas, oklahoma, iowa, rural texas etc and not so much in populated areas

hope your plane can make it 1/4 of the way across the country to find a suitable section of interstate highway. Then again, an airport might sometimes be closer

That had to be one hell of an interesting approach for the pilot.

Hambone9: farkingatwork: planes: semiotix: The guy didn't do anything wrong. What would that ticket be for, exactly?

Since when have you ever heard of police not issuing tickets before someone's even found to have committed a crime? Since when have you heard police not search for something to charge someone for, let alone make up a new charge if necessary?

Dude, your tin foil hat, its showing.

No tinfoil bro, but if you live in Chicago you'd be feelin the same.

The Interstate system is actually *made* for landing airplanes. People may not realize it while they're driving, but every five miles is a straight area that can be used as a runway.

No, no, no. Switzerland is the place where they have straight roads and rivetments for planes in wartime. In the U.S. they're just trying to get the things out of there as fast as they can and flying them off is it. Removes a huge distraction.

studebaker hoch: The Interstate system is actually *made* for landing airplanes. People may not realize it while they're driving, but every five miles is a straight area that can be used as a runway.
----------------------
So... don't read threads much, do you? 2 other people have already said this, and it's already been shown to be the urban legend it is.

No, no, no. Switzerland Sweden is the place where they have straight roads and revetments for planes in wartime. In the U.S. they're just trying to get the things out of there as fast as they can and flying them off is it. Removes a huge distraction. FTFY

Kansas, Nebraska, Texas - states that had SAC bases - coincidence?

The cool thing is that the interstates are designed for this exact thing! I read somewhere that Eisenhower made sure that every 5 miles is a straight section that can be used as a runway.

UVbLue: cool thing is that the interstates are designed for this exact thing! I read somewhere that Eisenhower made sure that every 5 miles is a straight section that can be used as a runway.

SHUTUP ALREADY

If the interstate was moving backwards, would the plane still have taken off?

farkuufarkinfark: You mean it wasn't JJ and Victor going for beer?

/obscure?

Cannonball Run (#1)
My son watches it every night to goto sleep..

/he's 4 and loves the stunts
//nothing on fark is obscure.

///Captain Chaos ftw!

what's cool about interstates are that every single mile can be used as a landing strip. lol just watch out for the cars

Park your car in a lane of any high way and see what happens to you !

Its called impeeding the flow of traffic ....even drive 35 mph on it !

This pilot should have been ticketed for this act and loss of his lience for it !

Lunk Head: Park your car in a lane of any high way and see what happens to you !

Its called impeeding the flow of traffic ....even drive 35 mph on it !

This pilot should have been ticketed for this act and loss of his lience for it !

I'm going to bite.

Obviously he didn't just go "well I think I'm going to make a risky landing on a HIGHWAY" It was more like "Oh my god, oh my god, my engine has failed, my engine has failed!!!!" Since he was able to successfully land on the highway I'm guessing he somehow radioed a air tower which then got the cops to block the highway (maybe).

Then he fixed his plane and took off.


Thats like if your engine breaks down in the middle of the highway, except you can't call a tow truck.

I went home one night and accidentally put my cessna key in my front door, and the house started right up. So I flew it around for a while. I ran out of gas and had to land on a straight stretch of interstate highway. As I was telling all of these people to get their cars out of my driveway, a cop showed up and asked me where I lived.

"Right here."

/is this the "nothing is obscure" thread?

Interesting.. Hey everybody, did you know that the interstate needs to be straight for one state out of every five for this purpose? i-70 is curvy in PA and IL, so it is straight in Indiana and Ohio. (they messed up calculations when building, establishing a 1:1 state curvy ratio (SCR). As a reult, so they added additional curves in Iowa.

/true story

The cool thing about the Interstate Highway System is that one interstate in every five is completely straight from start to finish, so that planes can land on it in an emergency. Eisenhower made sure of that.

The cool thing about this thread is that one reply out of every five lets you know that Eisenhower wanted planes to land on interstates.