Just watched most of the video…
This “reporter” is very obviously in no position to judge the risk of somebody driving him around, let alone flying him around 
Was the pilot reckless? He would be if he crashed, and he would not be the first test pilot who crashed doing a customer demo (Grob?).
You can crash without being reckless. Besides, I don’t see anything reckless about that flying. He seems to be handling the aircraft just fine.
LeSving wrote:
You can crash without being reckless. Besides, I don’t see anything reckless about that flying. He seems to be handling the aircraft just fine.
70+ degree bank at 240 ft AGL with the stall warning on is airshow maneuvering. Even if he is handling the aircraft well that’s not something you do with a passenger onboard. I’m pretty sure it’s something you don’t do at all unless you have a permit for low-level aerobatics.
Reckless or not, one might ask what the added value to the flight is by doing steep maneuvers at low altitude? Usually it is just the pilot having fun but the passengers would be equally happy to be at 1500 fit and doing 60 degree turns.
In most cases you will find that there is no real purpose of doing it, unless you’re a crop duster.
…and being a crop duster is not known to be a low-risk occupation…
Regardless of his skill level, the pilot of this aircraft is a total, total idiot. He broke a number of basic aviation rules – flying low level over houses and people, flying acrobatics (banks over 60 degrees) in a plane which I am sure is not rated for them and probably without an acrobatic rating, putting on an “airshow” without a permit etc. If he has not yet lost his licence he should.
More importantly he put the life of an innocent and impressionable passenger at mortal risk.
Far out @Buckerfan imagine the risk he took driving to the airport that day. I expect the majority of the world’s pilots should lose their licence according to the same levels of critique, lucky most flights aren’t fully recorded and published.
Ozdawg wrote:
I expect the majority of the world’s pilots should lose their licence according to the same levels of critique
Thats just not true. In 15 hears of very active GA flying I have never seen a plane being flown all over the airport and surrounding buildings and houses in tight turns up to 70 degrees bank at 200 ft altitude. Buzzing straight down the runway, sure. But not whats on this video.
Even in a licensed airshow, with low level manoeuvres, you will notice that all the acrobatics take place on only one side of the runway axis, away from the crowd. In this video the idiot pilot flies over all areas of the airfield and the close surrounds, including hangars, houses, vehicles and people.
How would an aerobatic rating or certification make this sort of flying any safer?
Sorry couldn’t resist – this has nothing to with rules, it is simply dangerous to fly maneuvres with next to no margin of error / close to the edge of the envelope without an “out”. The “penalty” for getting it wrong is instant death.
It would not have been safer if flown with 60 degree bank and a still blaring stall warner
