Narrative:

Departed centennial airport, denver, co, in small aircraft for platte valley airport, hudson, co. At a point 12 SM south of buckley air national guard base I remembered the NOTAM re: buckley's air show, so as a more direct route to platte valley airport I called buckley tower and requested a northbound transition and asked if they would like a fly by. Both requests were approved by buckley tower and I was told to report a right base to runway 8. I acknowledged and proceeded. At about a 3 mi right base to runway 8 I requested to buckley tower 2 fly-bys with right hand traffic and after completion a departure to the northeast. Buckley tower replied 'approved as requested!' I began my right hand descent from 800' AGL to the centerline of runway 8. I leveled off at approximately 100' AGL on centerline runway 8. At about mid runway length I pulled the aircraft up into a straight maximum performance climb at vx (68 IAS) and at 800' AGL (pattern altitude) began a turn to the right for a right downwind leg for my second pass. After a right downwind approach I made my second pass like the first. At midfield again I pulled the airplane into a maximum performance climb to 800' AGL approximately, this time turning the aircraft to the left for my northeast departure. Buckley tower then thanked me for my help and approved frequency change for further ATC help. On 12/wed/88 I became aware that the denver office of the FAA was trying to reach me. I called the FAA at XA30 hours approximately only to find out that I was under investigation by that office for my fly by in 12/88. The investigator was concerned about 2 things: my reason and approval for being there, and my maximum performance climbs during the fly-bys which he alleged were intentional aerobatics. He first claimed I had executed a hammerhead aerobatic maneuver, after I explained what a hammerhead was he became concerned about what had appeared to him as a near vertical climb. I explained why I made the fly-bys to help the show, and that as a member of the air show community and pilot in the southern military flying club that this kind of fly-by is done routinely at all air show that we attend. He asked if I possessed a low altitude aerobatic proficiency card. I told him that I do not and to my knowledge no one else does in our local wing as pilots who participate in fly-bys. He left the conversation saying that the matter is under investigation. The question I was left with was why were they now investigation for possible violation of aerobatic rules when at so many other air show and events the same and similar maneuvers go unnoticed and approved by other FAA reps in attendance? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: FAA advised they are investigating the incident. A report giving the same information as filed with ASRS has been submitted to FAA. Does not feel the pull up in the aircraft was aerobatic in any way. Suspects the base commander was upset because he was not on the program and pushed the FAA to investigate.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLYBY AT AIRSHOW WITH TWR CLRNC QUESTIONED BY THE FAA. PLT ACCUSED OF PERFORMING ILLEGAL UNAUTH AEROBATIC MANEUVER.

Narrative: DEPARTED CENTENNIAL ARPT, DENVER, CO, IN SMA FOR PLATTE VALLEY ARPT, HUDSON, CO. AT A POINT 12 SM S OF BUCKLEY AIR NATL GUARD BASE I REMEMBERED THE NOTAM RE: BUCKLEY'S AIR SHOW, SO AS A MORE DIRECT ROUTE TO PLATTE VALLEY ARPT I CALLED BUCKLEY TWR AND REQUESTED A NBOUND TRANSITION AND ASKED IF THEY WOULD LIKE A FLY BY. BOTH REQUESTS WERE APPROVED BY BUCKLEY TWR AND I WAS TOLD TO RPT A RIGHT BASE TO RWY 8. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND PROCEEDED. AT ABOUT A 3 MI RIGHT BASE TO RWY 8 I REQUESTED TO BUCKLEY TWR 2 FLY-BYS WITH RIGHT HAND TFC AND AFTER COMPLETION A DEP TO THE NE. BUCKLEY TWR REPLIED 'APPROVED AS REQUESTED!' I BEGAN MY RIGHT HAND DSCNT FROM 800' AGL TO THE CENTERLINE OF RWY 8. I LEVELED OFF AT APPROX 100' AGL ON CENTERLINE RWY 8. AT ABOUT MID RWY LENGTH I PULLED THE ACFT UP INTO A STRAIGHT MAX PERFORMANCE CLB AT VX (68 IAS) AND AT 800' AGL (PATTERN ALT) BEGAN A TURN TO THE RIGHT FOR A RIGHT DOWNWIND LEG FOR MY SECOND PASS. AFTER A RIGHT DOWNWIND APCH I MADE MY SECOND PASS LIKE THE FIRST. AT MIDFIELD AGAIN I PULLED THE AIRPLANE INTO A MAX PERFORMANCE CLB TO 800' AGL APPROX, THIS TIME TURNING THE ACFT TO THE LEFT FOR MY NE DEP. BUCKLEY TWR THEN THANKED ME FOR MY HELP AND APPROVED FREQ CHANGE FOR FURTHER ATC HELP. ON 12/WED/88 I BECAME AWARE THAT THE DENVER OFFICE OF THE FAA WAS TRYING TO REACH ME. I CALLED THE FAA AT XA30 HRS APPROX ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT I WAS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THAT OFFICE FOR MY FLY BY IN 12/88. THE INVESTIGATOR WAS CONCERNED ABOUT 2 THINGS: MY REASON AND APPROVAL FOR BEING THERE, AND MY MAX PERFORMANCE CLBS DURING THE FLY-BYS WHICH HE ALLEGED WERE INTENTIONAL AEROBATICS. HE FIRST CLAIMED I HAD EXECUTED A HAMMERHEAD AEROBATIC MANEUVER, AFTER I EXPLAINED WHAT A HAMMERHEAD WAS HE BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT HAD APPEARED TO HIM AS A NEAR VERT CLB. I EXPLAINED WHY I MADE THE FLY-BYS TO HELP THE SHOW, AND THAT AS A MEMBER OF THE AIR SHOW COMMUNITY AND PLT IN THE SOUTHERN MIL FLYING CLUB THAT THIS KIND OF FLY-BY IS DONE ROUTINELY AT ALL AIR SHOW THAT WE ATTEND. HE ASKED IF I POSSESSED A LOW ALT AEROBATIC PROFICIENCY CARD. I TOLD HIM THAT I DO NOT AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE NO ONE ELSE DOES IN OUR LCL WING AS PLTS WHO PARTICIPATE IN FLY-BYS. HE LEFT THE CONVERSATION SAYING THAT THE MATTER IS UNDER INVESTIGATION. THE QUESTION I WAS LEFT WITH WAS WHY WERE THEY NOW INVESTIGATION FOR POSSIBLE VIOLATION OF AEROBATIC RULES WHEN AT SO MANY OTHER AIR SHOW AND EVENTS THE SAME AND SIMILAR MANEUVERS GO UNNOTICED AND APPROVED BY OTHER FAA REPS IN ATTENDANCE? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: FAA ADVISED THEY ARE INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT. A RPT GIVING THE SAME INFO AS FILED WITH ASRS HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO FAA. DOES NOT FEEL THE PULL UP IN THE ACFT WAS AEROBATIC IN ANY WAY. SUSPECTS THE BASE COMMANDER WAS UPSET BECAUSE HE WAS NOT ON THE PROGRAM AND PUSHED THE FAA TO INVESTIGATE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.