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Tuesday, Apr 20, 2004 - 05:17:29 pm EDT


Man downs blimp with shotgun

By Jonathan Weaver, Salisbury Post
Someone fired a shotgun blast and hit a remote-controlled advertising blimp Saturday as it flew in a field next to Team Chevrolet-Cadillac-Geo on South Jake Alexander Boulevard.

The blimp was advertising Cloninger Ford-Toyota.

Police gave this account of the shooting:

Shortly before 4 p.m. Saturday, officers responded to 404 S. Jake Alexander Blvd. after someone reported a shooting nearby. Tim Wyatt with Huntersville's Carolina Airships told police that a man had pulled up in a black Chevrolet pickup near the car wash at Team Chevrolet.

The man stepped out of the truck, shotgun in hand, and fired at the blimp.

Wyatt told police he approached the man as he was getting back into the truck. Wyatt said the man pointed the gun at him, then got into the truck and took off. Wyatt wrote down the tag information before the truck drove away.

The truck had a dealer tag registered to Team Chevrolet, according to the police report.

Police are still trying to determine who was driving the truck, said Salisbury Police Chief Mark Wilhelm.

Team Chevrolet owner Thom Dillard could not be reached for comment Monday night.

Cloninger Ford-Toyota owner Larry Cloninger said he was not at the site when the shooting happened. But he learned about it shortly thereafter.

"I really wished it hadn't happened,"he said.

Cloninger rents the field between Team Chevrolet and Sagebrush Steak House and keeps cars on the lot.

Controllers needed 150 feet to get the airship off the ground and were using that field, Cloninger said.

"People just need to get past it and go on,"Cloninger said. "It's kind of sad, don't you think?

"We didn't do anything wrong ... Obviously, it made somebody mad"and that was not the intent, he said.

Cloninger said he plans to continue using Carolina Airships for advertising. "We're supposed to do it this Saturday,"provided the company can supply another airship.

The blimp is about 30 feet long and carries 5-foot by 16-foot banners on each side, said Carolina Airships owner Erik Sparks. The company does advertising and aerial photography and had been working in Salisbury with Cloninger Ford-Toyota about 4 1/2 hours on Saturday.

Sparks estimated the damage at about $10,000, but "that's not resolved yet,"he said. The airship costs about $23,000 to build.

After the shotgun pellets struck the blimp, controllers were still able to land the craft, Sparks said.

Sparks said the airships are built in Fort Mill,S.C. The blimp damaged Saturday has been taken to that facility, and "it's being evaluated as we speak," Sparks said.

Contact Jonathan Weaver at 704-797-4266 or jweaver@salisburypost.com.


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Let me offer a serious comment to this humorous event. A moored, unmanned balloon is not considered an aircraft, so it is probably subject to local laws.

Manned balloons and blimps are a whole different picture. I am a hot air balloon pilot. I am aware of a few incidents where pilots have had firearms pointed at or discharged in the direction of flying aircraft. To the FAA, manned balloons are manned aircraft, just like a Boeing 747. The are licensed as aircraft and their pilots have FAA pilot certificates.

This is just a reminder, that as humorous as this event above appears to be, shooting at or pointing a "gun" at a manned aircraft is a federal offense. The FAA will quickly treat "harmless" events as "aircraft terrorism."

Don't do anyting that might be interpreted by non-gun owning people as a threat. Its not worth the possible legal ramifications.

My local FAA agent tells me that pointing a "gun" at an aircraft is good for two years in federal prison. Remember that balloon pilots have a verrrry good look at what's on the ground, especially when carrying passengers.

If you have a problem with a balloon landing on your property, call law enforcement, if you have a problem that can't be resolved with the pilot. Balloon pilots know they are trespassing, if they haven't been given permission. Most will bend over backwards to avoid an issue.

Just a friendly reminder in a growingly anti-gun world.

I might also point out that pointing a shotgun at someone to intimate them will generally garner a charge of Agravated Assault.

I fear that the cost of the targets, the UNMANNED RADIO CONTROLED blimps/air ships might be a little high at $23,000 each. Of course there was ONLY thought ot be $10,000 in damage from the one shooter, but what if he had been a REAL good shot.

The two Bobs do have a start on some of the rules for the new venue.

How about Road Sign shooting. I see, out in the rural areas of some parts of the country that folks are practicing this sport already. I found a target somewhere on the web, that can be printed on an 8 1/2"x 11" piece of paper, that has road signs as targets. Could be altered to use as shotgun, rifle small bore and big bore, and all pistol venues.

Respectfully,
Bubba [/b]

Hi

My Mom is from Webster County Kentucky. My great uncle still lives there. Years ago he informed me that there was a Kentucky state law that "No Trespassing" signs are required to have at least 3 bullet holes in them. You may shoot them before or after mounting them on your fence, your option. Must be a law since I NEVER saw a single "No Trespassing" sign without at least 5 .22 holes, or a bunch of #7.5 shot dents in them.

Mike
Wichita KS

I worked on the Naval Airship Program for about ten years, and had contact with most of the commercial blimp operators in the U.S. They routinely have to hangar their blimps about twice a year to patch bullet holes - about 40-60, typically. There are some bozos who'll shoot at anything.