Former House Speaker Joe Mavretic has a message for Brian Morris, the 17-year-old pilot who got in trouble for flying a single-engine aircraft at low altitudes over a football stadium: He’ll help pay the cost of any fines against Morris.
Mavretic, an outspoken legislator, Democrat and former Marine who flew jet fighters when he was in the service, says Morris may be in hot water now, but he thinks the teenager is just what the military needs.
“He’s the kind of guy I want to replace me and my Marine pilot buddies defending this country,” says Mavretic, who had 3,000 hours while flying jets in the Marine Corps.
The Federal Aviation Administration may suspend the teenager's license, but Mavretic points out he won’t need it. “He doesn’t need a thing from the FAA to go fly FA 18s,” Mavretic said. “He’s just what we need. Take him to Pensacola” (where the Navy trains pilots).
Mavretic was House speaker for one term (1989-90) when a coalition of Democrats and Republicans ousted four-term Speaker Liston Ramsey.
Friday, November 09, 2007
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3 comments:
Joe Mavretic is wrong, Jack. The military needs pilots whose skills are exercised within a framework of discipline. A hothead with no respect for the rules has no place in a high-powered military jet. Morris would be a danger to his team, and to the public.
Young Mr. Morris needs to learn that flying is a privilege, not a right. Perhaps the FAA will discipline him with a suspension rather than a lifetime ban ... he may yet learn his lesson.
Joe Mavretic is right. This kid has the boldness we need defending our country.
Mavretic is an embarassment as usual. The damage he did in Raleigh...every rural person in NC should be sending him bills. And just like everone else in this fly-over business, they can't tell mischief from mayhem.
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