Possible nitpick - from how the article worded it I suspect the airport in question does not have a tower. In which case it is even more important to follow standard procedures and traffic flow.
Also from the the way the article is written I’m wondering if he had a pilot certificate (a.k.a “license”) but not a current medical clearance to fly. And de-registering a Piper Cherokee is just… stupid. There is a category of aircraft you can fly in the US that doesn’t require a license or medical but a Piper Cherokee absolutely does not meet the requirements for that. It would be like claiming a Ford 150 is a moped. It’s just not.
Some of us like to call those “pilot controlled airports” - regardless, it’s vital to follow proper procedures and traffic flows.
I say Texas tops Alaska in the loony department. I have a friend who was initially told, by the Texas DMV, that he Alaska driver’s license was not acceptable because Alaska is a foreign country, not a US state.
We used to get that nonsense from time to time. I tried to order a wreath from an online store once and it was rejected. I called the company and got some knot-head who kept telling me that they weren’t allowed by customs to ship outside the country.
Advice. Don’t be a Russian agent. And if you must be a Russian agent, don’t get drunk. And if you absolutely must get drunk, don’t get drunk and tell people in France you’re a Russian agent sent to screw with the Olympics while they’re happening in France.
For all there other faults, spying is something Russia’s pretty good at. I have to think that this is either a stupid prank from someone completely unaffiliated with Russia, or some sort of multi-level devious plan.
It very well could be. It doesn’t even have to be a huge number of levels, when two levels would suffice. Often, Russia wants to be found out when they instigate terrorism/disarray. Unlike most countries they don’t want any plausible deniability as to who perpetrated it (while of course wanting to leave enough implausible deniability that their allies aren’t embarrassed to associate with them).
It might be easier to sow fear at the Olympics, and by extension, open fear of Russia, by simply admitting to such a plan than to actually follow through with the plan.
Or he could just be a drunk idiot.
EDIT: thought of a third possibility. They had a big plan to carry out when they realized it just wouldn’t work, and then,. rather than scrap it entirely, try to salvage some of it by this scheme.
Why would Russia want to disrupt the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics? Whether it becomes known that they are behind it, all it’s going to do is piss people off. I don’t see what strategic benefit they would get from it. It’s not like they need the publicity.
