A Florida postal worker was arrested Wednesday after his gyrocopter protest flight landed him in Washington DC and the lawn of the US Capitol. The purpose of his protest was to make a statement against corruption in the government.
Hughes allegedly took off in his small helicopter without giving anyone the details of his flight plans, not even his wife or his four children. However, one of his friends, Mike Shanahan, reported that Hughes had called the Secret Service ahead of time to tell them about the planned travel. He was quickly apprehended and charges are pending against him, according to the US Capitol Police.
Gyrocopter Protest Flight Made to Call Out Corruption
Doug Hughes, 61, a resident of Ruskin, Florida, reportedly made the gyrocopter protest flight as part of a demand for campaign finance reform. Hughes told reporters in his home state that he was declaring a voter’s rebellion like former President Jefferson wrote about in the Declaration of Independence.
Hughes wrote about his plan to make the gyrocopter protest flight and travel to DC on the Democracy Club website, saying he wanted all Congressional candidates to take a stand on corruption in 2016 saying he wanted all Congressional candidates to take a stand on corruption in 2016.
Gyrocopter Pilot is Married, Prior Military Man
Hughes is married father of four children who went to school and grew up in Santa Cruz, California, and who previously served in the US Navy. He currently has worked as a postal worker for more than ten years, lives in Ruskin, Florida, and has been piloting gyrocopters for over a year. The craft Hughes flew during the gyrocopter protest flight travel was a one-seater, open-cockpit Bensen-type gyrocopter, which can fly at about 65 miles per hour and doesn’t need to take off from an airport.
Hughes allegedly had been planning his “freedom flight” for at least two years, ever since he lost his son to suicide, who drove his car head-on into another car, and ended up dying, plus killing the other driver. After that happened, Hughes admits that he wanted to take a stronger stand on political activities. He said that he understood that his protest flight was likely to get him fired from his job and get him arrested. Hughes allegedly had been planning his “freedom flight” for at least two years, ever since he lost his son to suicide, who drove his car head-on into another car, and ended up dying, plus killing the other driver. After that happened, Hughes admits that he wanted to take a stronger stand on political activities. He said that he understood that his gyrocopter protest flight was likely to get him fired from his job as well as getting him arrested.
White House, Capitol Put On Aler
Due to the gyrocopter protest flight by Hughes, both the Capitol and the White House were put on alert and locked down, as Congress was in session at the time of his landing. The airspace in this area of Washington, DC, is highly restricted. His miniature helicopter was inspected for bombs and weapons, but none was found, according to officials. Authorities from the House Homeland Security said that had Hughes landed any closer to the area of the speaker’s balcony during the gyrocopter protest flight travel, he would have been shot down. The airspace in this area of Washington, DC, is highly restricted.
His miniature helicopter was inspected for bombs and weapons, but none were, according to officials. Authorities from the House Homeland Security said that had Hughes landed any closer to the area of the speaker’s balcony during the gyrocopter protest flight travel, he would have been shot down.
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