Message stifiled, pilot frustrated
RUSKIN, Fla. – The letter carrier who caused a full-scale security review in Washington when he violated national airspace by landing his gyrocopter on Capitol Hill expressed frustration Sunday that his message wasn’t getting through.
Doug Hughes had hoped to raise awareness about the influence of big money in politics by deliberately breaking the law to deliver 535 letters, one for each member of Congress. Instead, the overwhelming focus of news coverage has been about the gaps he exposed in national security.
“We’ve got bigger problems in this country than worrying about whether the security around D.C. is ironclad,” Hughes told The Associated Press. “We need to be worried about the piles of money that are going into Congress.”
Hughes, spoke as he returned to his home in Florida to await prosecution on charges of violating national airspace and operating an unregistered aircraft.
Researcher denied flight after tweet
WASHINGTON – United Airlines stopped a prominent security researcher from boarding a California-bound flight late Saturday, following a social-media post by the researcher days earlier suggesting the airline’s onboard systems could be hacked.
The researcher, Chris Roberts, attempted to board a United flight from Colorado to San Francisco to speak at a major security conference there this week but was stopped by the airline’s corporate security at the gate. Roberts founded One World Labs, which tries to discover security risks before they are exploited.
Roberts had been removed from a United flight on Wednesday by the FBI after landing in Syracuse, New York, and was questioned for four hours after jokingly suggesting on Twitter he could get the oxygen masks on the plane to deploy. Authorities also seized Roberts’ laptop and other electronics, although his lawyer says he hasn’t seen a search warrant.
A lawyer for Roberts said United gave him no detailed explanation Saturday why he wasn’t allowed on the plane, saying instead the airline would be sending Roberts a letter within two weeks stating why they wouldn’t let him fly on their aircraft.
Associated Press
