A Colorado man is facing federal fines and jail time, after he landed a helicopter for a picnic (allegedly) in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Earlier this year, Peter Smith of Gunnison, Colorado was cited for flying a fixed wing aircraft below minimum safe altitude, against FAA regulations in the Curecanti National Recreation. A federal judge ordered him to pay a $530 fine for that.
This time, however, he allegedly decided to level up and take a helicopter and a lady for a lakeside picnic. Which sounds nice, except for the fact that unauthorized helicopter landings are illegal inside Grand Teton National Park.
Rangers took a boat to confront and cite Smith
According to the National Park Service, rangers were alerted to Smith’s illegal landing on June 24, when he landed on a remote beach in Moran Bay, on the west shore of Jackson Lake. The area is only accessible via boat or a 10-mile hike.
And it wasn’t as if he didn’t think nobody would notice. There was boats and jet skiers on the lake, so he claimed he thought he was outside of the park’s boundaries.
Whatever the case, if he assumed nobody would report him, then he obviously doesn’t ‘vibe’ with other outdoor enthusiasts in the area. They love their parks and won’t hesitate to turn in someone who is disturbing the experience ESPECIALLY helicopter pilots who think they can play wherever and whenever they want.
Whatever the case, the rangers responded by boat and issued Smith two federal citations. One for operating an aircraft in an undesignated location and another for not following FAA regulations.
More specifically, he has been charged with violating the following:
“Operating or using aircraft on lands or waters other than at locations designated pursuant to special regulations” and “Use of aircraft shall be in accordance with regulations of the FAA.”
Each violation is a Class B misdemeanor that could include up to a $5,000 fine and/or 6 months in jail ($10,000 & 1 year jail total if convicted of both). He is scheduled to go before a federal judge in Wyoming on August 15.
Smith claims bad weather forced him to land, NPS says no way
Smith denies the ranger’s claim that he was picnicking. In an interview with the Associated Press, Smith claimed the weather was getting bad and he was “trying to cross over the Tetons and we couldn’t, so we landed. We were not having a picnic. We were landing. If that’s the safe course of action, that’s what needs to happen.”
Smith declined to comment about where he and his passenger were coming from and going to. He also would not confirm if it was a hired or personal flight.
“It’s pretty clear that this guy is just throwing whatever he can up against the wall,” said Dave Sollitt, executive director of the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, which has spent years fighting helicopter tourism in the Tetons.
But that, is another story by itself.
