Blatherskite

Oh my Gawd!:
MercuryNews.com | 06/03/2005 | Pilot who buzzed beachgoers identified

The incidents took place May 24 between 4 and 5 p.m., a sunny Tuesday, “a really nice day,” said Stephen Foltz, an Aptos High School English teacher who was enjoying an afternoon at the beach.

“We saw somebody fly by — and it seemed like they were barely clearing the Seacliff pier,” said Foltz, 60. “And then the plane flew directly over us. I would say it was between 10 and 20 feet from us. . . . We just froze, we were like paralyzed.”

Foltz said the plane “banked, did a turn, and was coming back, straight back where he came from. Then we took off running. We weren’t going to give him a second shot, in case he was homicidal.”

From Seacliff, witnesses reported, the plane — a 1979 Cessna, according to FAA records — flew north over Capitola Pier, Twin Lakes State Beach and on to the beach by the boardwalk, traditionally the areas most crowded. There, witnesses said, the plane made several passes, coming within a few feet of hitting people on the beach.

I would have been 36 miles away at work, so didn’t hear it. I would have really heard something like that since we live a few blocks from where this happened. It must have been loud!

I didn’t know about this until today. It’s times like these when I regret subscribing to the local paper. I really should, so I know what the f**k is going on in my community. My problem is frugality. I probably wouldn’t have time to read it if I subscribed. But I should just make the damn time, you know?