US man lands helicopter in shop parking lot, says driving would take too long
A 69-year-old man landed a helicopter in a shopping center parking lot in Wisconsin, telling police he chose to fly because driving there would have taken too long. No violations were found.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office in Wisconsin, USA, shared an unusual story on social media after officers responded to an odd call on a Saturday evening around 6 p.m. in the city of Richfield.
Witnesses reported seeing a helicopter land right among parked cars in a local shopping center's parking lot. A deputy arriving at the scene spoke with the pilot, a 69-year-old man from Rosendale.
An unusual explanation
When asked why he chose such an extravagant way to travel for an ordinary shopping trip, the man simply said that driving there by car would have taken too long.
After checking his documents, police found that the pilot held all the required licenses, had landed the aircraft safely, and had complied with all Federal Aviation Administration regulations. He willingly answered further questions from officers about the requirements for landing an aircraft in an urban area.
In the end, no violations were issued, and the man was neither fined nor detained. The sheriff's office noted with humor on social media that this was hardly an everyday complaint about an improperly parked vehicle.
