# Superman vs. the FAA **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 12, 2014, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-vs-the-faa/692908 "2014-07-12T02:05:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2014, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-vs-the-faa/692908/21 "2014-07-13T07:34:09Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > According to the FAA an Ultralight is “a vehicle.” As Superman is not a vehicle he is not subject to ultralight rules. Is he a vehicle when carrying Lois Lane? ---
**Author:** ![GoodOmens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2014, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-vs-the-faa/692908/22 "2014-07-13T10:56:29Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > What does the military do when Superman violates White House air space? Shits their pants if they’ve read Red Son or played Injustice. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2014, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-vs-the-faa/692908/23 "2014-07-13T11:03:06Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > What does the military do when Superman violates White House air space? Nervously wave whilst giving him a _very_ wide grin? He’s a representative/diplomat from another world - I doubt the usual rules would apply. Although Joss Ackland proclaiming “Dip-Lo-Matic Im-mun-ity” didn’t do him a lot of good… ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2014, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-vs-the-faa/692908/24 "2014-07-13T12:18:10Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Well, if Supes is under 254 pounds he’d fall under ultralight rules, meaning no license required, but he’d be restricted in what airspace he could fly in and cruising over Metropolis would be a no-no. I doubt he’d be content with a max airspeed of 63 mph 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2014, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-vs-the-faa/692908/25 "2014-07-13T15:10:04Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > This prompts the question of whether Superman has to file a flight plan with the authorities. If I were a bad guy, I’d find me an FAA employee and lean on him for that info. Probably not - most flights in the US don’t require a flight plan. Flight by vision, as opposed to flight by instruments, does not require it. Since I’ve never seen Supes bothering with installing flight instruments on his cape or wrist watch or belt or whatever all his flying is VFR so no, no flight plan required. In the US. Other nations have different rules but, um, good luck enforcing them. > [@Raguleader](#): > > Actually, Superman being from another planet probably wouldn’t factor into it given that the FAA’s authority is derived from the airspace being US territory, not from the pilots being US born. ^ This. > [@Odesio](#): > > According to the FAA an Ultralight is “a vehicle.” As Superman is not a vehicle he is not subject to ultralight rules. Correct - that tangent was just if some lawyer-type tried to argue he should fall under some regulation or other. > [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > I doubt he’d be content with a max airspeed of 63 mph 🙂 No, I doubt it - but, hey, good luck enforcing that one, too. There really isn’t a goddamned thing the US, or any other Earth government, can do to impose restraint on Superman. Good thing he’s a nice guy and likes us. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-vs-the-faa/692908/26 "2014-07-13T15:33:53Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > …Either [Superman will…] ignore [a homing missile] or he might even throw it back at you. Heh. Less than 30 minutes ago I made a similar warning about messing around attempting radar-directed attacks on Superman. [Post 51]. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-vs-the-faa/692908/27 "2014-07-13T16:22:45Z")
Has Superman ever accounted for his whereabouts on 9/11? ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2014, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-vs-the-faa/692908/28 "2014-07-13T19:10:20Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > What does the military do when Superman violates White House air space? > [@Raguleader](#): > > They politely ask him to leave. Or they shoot at him, which probably has about the same effect. Superman has impeccable manners. Asking politely would get much better results. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-vs-the-faa/692908/29 "2014-07-13T20:27:37Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > What does the military do when Superman violates White House air space? Assuming the President is not Lex Luthor, Superman has usually had a free pass to visit the White House, standing for truth, justice, and the American way as he does. He has traditionally been welcomed in the Oval Office, especially during times of national crisis. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2014, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-vs-the-faa/692908/30 "2014-07-13T20:34:53Z")
**Moderator Action** This thread has been straddling GQ and CS from the start. Since the factual aspect of this (what exactly are the FAA rules) has been answered probably about as well it can be, I’m going to move this over to CS which will allow folks a bit more freedom of discussion related to the fictional aspects of this. Moving thread from General Questions to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2014, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-vs-the-faa/692908/31 "2014-07-14T04:54:02Z")
> [@GoodOmens](#): > > Shits their pants if they’ve read Red Son or played Injustice. Or the 500 times he’s been mind-controlled. Of course, there is [a universe where he’s President](http://superman.wikia.com/wiki/Calvin_Ellis) already, which has to be a bit harder on the secret identity or making flight plans than being a reporter. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-vs-the-faa/692908.md?page=1)