AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 40

PILOT BRIEFING

Self-taught flier's sad saga
'Lying and stealing aren't the way to go about it'
B Y D AV E H I R S C H M A N

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THE SELF-TAUGHT TEEN jailed in November
for stealing a Cessna 150 and flying it
throughout northwestern Minnesota and
North Dakota was well known to general aviation pilots in the region. Geoffrey
Biteman, 18, had a deep interest in aviation, had been taken on many rides with
area pilots, and had enrolled in an aviation
maintenance program at a nearby vocational school.
"He had been given many rides by
family friends and local pilots," said Ward
Anderson, police chief in rural Roseau,
Minnesota. "He had a library of aviation
books and magazines, and he read a great
deal about flying. He also had a personal
computer-based flight simulator at home.
He'd go to the airport and talk his way into
lots of rides. He asked lots of questions and
mimicked the things he saw pilots do."
Anderson said Biteman called the owner
of a 1971 Cessna 150 listed for sale, said he
was considering buying the airplane, and
asked to take it for an evaluation flight. The
owner consented and told Biteman how to
get access to the hangared aircraft. Then
Biteman flew the airplane with a friend
who was a qualified pilot-and returned

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many times to take it alone on a long series
of unauthorized flights.
When the airplane (N6985G) was
reported stolen and later found unattended
in a farm field, its tachometer showed it had
flown about 25 hours. A flight instructor at
a local FBO said Biteman had developed
impressive flying skills during that period,
if not good judgment.
AOPA members were of mixed
opinions about whether the aviation community should shun him, or rally to help
him achieve his aviation goals.
Those who are most familiar with him,
however, say that misrepresentation and
stealing fit a long and troubling pattern of
behavior. Biteman has been charged with
stealing a horse trailer in a neighboring
county, and he already was on probation
at the time he took the airplane. He is currently in jail for another theft conviction.
"There are lies upon lies," Anderson
said. "Pilots here did a lot to help him and
would have gladly assisted him in accomplishing his aviation goals. But lying and
stealing aren't the way to go about it."
EMAIL dave.hirschman@aopa.org

TEST PILOT from page 30

1. Skycatcher, Skyhawk, Skyhook (a helicopter), Skyknight, Skylane, Skylark, Skymaster, and Skywagon.
2. (a) Similarly, the pilot is forced harder into his seat, which is another indication of
more than +1 G.
3. Paraphrasing the FAA's Risk Management Handbook, a hazard is a present condition, event, object, or circumstance that can lead to an unplanned or undesired event.
A risk is the future impact or uncertainty of a hazard that is not controlled or eliminated.
4. 1515 UTC. The aircraft have a rate of closure of 400 knots and will pass each other
when the total distance flown by both equals 800 nm. This will require exactly two
hours.
5. The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.
6. A cowling usually is part of the fuselage (such as on a single-engine airplane),
whereas a nacelle (such as on a conventional twin) is not.
7. (e) Certain events (such as the first three listed in the question) must be reported
immediately to the NTSB, not the FAA. Refer to NTSB Regulation 830.5 (usually
included with FAA regulations).
8. True. Humid air contains water vapor, which is less dense than dry air. This results in
less drag, which aids the ball in flight. This is why humidity elevates density altitude.

40 | AOPA PILOT February 2014

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014

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