So, even after the FAA declined to revoke his certificate, you think the Nantucket locals should be able to stop him from flying? Is that it? If so, why?
If one follows the saga back into 2018 and finds all the various documents on file with the FAA, it looks like someone of “authority” and very special at the Nantucket airport had some beef with Mr. Walsh.
Okay, now I get it. I thought this forum was still mainly about aviation. No. It’s gone full over into politics.
Disregard.
I’m wondering how much research those talking about looking below the surface have done. I’ve read the full court decisions, both the preliminary injunction issued 3 years ago and the final one issued last week. They are publicly available on the Massachusetts Court’s website.
I love the part where he gives his security access credentials to a convicted drug dealer. Admitting this, Walsh’s response was, “Hey, they let him in!” All the other things they claim he did? Like leaving the passenger and disabled airplane for others to take care of? Or having his air carrier certificate revoked for multiple safety violations? Or flying after the revocation of his medical certificate? Also a better of record or admitted.
So… the FAA didn’t really decline his certificate. They did revoke his certificate according to the article yoy supposedly just read:
“Walsh’s history with the airport includes operating the former air charter service Nantucket Express from 2005 until its FAA certificate was revoked in 2020.”
“‘Nantucket Express operated in a careless or reckless manner so as to endanger the life or property of others,’ the FAA said when issuing the notice of revocation."
The FAA is also incredibly understaffed right now due to (idiotic) budget cuts. So they just don’t have the budget to look into cases like this properly on their own… which is why they literally said that it is now a local safety issue:
“The airport has continued to update the Federal Aviation Administration on the matter, prompting the FAA to tell the airport this is now a local safety and security issue.”
Also… his violations are pretty egregious, here are a few listed in an update article and records:
Using his lawyer to lie about federal orders to obtain permission to fly
“Walsh was permitted to fly out of the airport after Papcsy falsely claimed to police that a January 2021 document from the FAA determined Walsh could not be banned from utilizing the airport”
Impersonating another pilot:
“Walsh flew into the airport using an aircraft owned by a different pilot and did not radio to airport operations for parking. Walsh eventually had no choice but to reveal his true identity and radio into the FBO to request assistance because his aircraft had a flat tire.”
Reckless driving
“Walsh proceeded to taxi his aircraft adjacent to a private hangar, unguided, and only left an estimated 15’ of wingtip clearance between his aircraft and the building. The FAA minimum is 45’ in order to ensure enough space for emergency vehicles”
Obstructing a runway with a disabled plane
“In August of 2018, Walsh experienced a flat tire while landing at the airport, left the aircraft on the runway, and departed the airport with another aircraft. He left behind the disabled aircraft, an airplane seat on the taxiway, and a passenger in the aircraft.”
Improper/unsanitary disposal of human waste:
“On April 26, 2019, Walsh urinated on the airfield in the presence of three FAA inspectors and dumped a full urinal onto the airfield grass.”
Evading fees
“Walsh was seen by airport employees picking up passengers in an area he wasn’t allowed to be and departed without paying a landing fee or ramp fee for the trip.”
Possibly was an accomplice in a drug trafficking incident
“In 2019 it was determined following an investigation by the Flight Standards Service Department of the Federal Aviation Administration that on March 24, 2018, an individual with a federal criminal record involving trafficking drugs by aircraft used Walsh’s credentials. The airport proceeded to revoke Walsh’s airport access badge and not renew their agreement with Walsh following this investigation.”
Improper communication with operations
“On July 14, 2021, the airport says Walsh’s actions escalated. Instead of contacting airport operations when he landed, he taxied across a grass island and into a parking position adjacent to the FBO without any supervision.”
There’s a lot of documented evidence for all of this too. Like… there’s CCTV footage and/or credible witnesses for everything described. It’s honestly a wonder that he has managed to keep his licenses for as long as he did.
His pilot certificate was never revoked by the FAA. Again, the FAA, the agency responsible for policing aviation safety never revoked his pilot certificate. If some company he was associated with lost its certificate, that is not the same as him losing his pilot certificate.
He is still qualified to operate the aircraft indicated on his pilot certificate subject to many other FAA restrictions and rules.
Don’t you think that if the FAA had a good excuse to pull his certificate they would have done so? They could not find a good reason to because there is none. Nobody likes the guy. But he obviously knows where the line is in terms of safety or he would have lost his ticket. He has not.
Those eager to stand with the airport folks are locals who just don’t like the guy (somewhat understandably) or folks who do not understand who is in charge of aviation safety, or who have politics as a higher priority.
Do you want to pull the certificate of everyone on this forum who parked a plane withing 45 feet of a building? Please address this question.
If the FAA caught him flying an aircraft requiring a medical without one, they very likely would have taken action against his certificate. They did not do that.
Why?
Maybe because it never happened like that. Most of the accusations are made by people who are not FAA safety inspectors. Just folks around the airport (who don’t like him, for obvious reasons).
I am still waiting for someone to say what is documented by the FAA to have happened that proves his airmanship lacking. Waiting…
You never let a tire cross grass that someone might have objected to? Should we revoke everyone who has let rubber touch grass, say, in order to untangle a dicey parking situation. Nothing like that ever happen to you? If so, either you only operate huge airplanes, or never operate near any grass, or you just haven’t flown enough yet…
I am unaware of an FAR prohibiting tires from touching grass. Please tell me where that appears in cfr 14.91. Oh, you can’t…
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