How can a ticket be legally issued from an airplane?
My position for the only way to legally issue a ticket from an airplane is for the airplane to pace the vehicle like an officer in a vehicle would do. The officer would follow the vehicle trying to find a speed that keeps him the same relative distance behind the vehicle. The inherent problems with pacing were identified in a 1969 California Attorney General’s opinion. In addition, when traveling in an airplane the speed is determined by the wind blowing over the wing. Therefore, if the airplane is flying in a 30-mph head wind, the airplane is moving over the ground at 30 mph less than its airspeed. The problem is that the airplane traffic enforcement units have no ability to make these measurements. As such, pacing does not provide sufficient evidence to accurately determine a vehicle’s speed. So, how do you beat an airplane traffic enforcement ticket? The odds are stacked against everyone in traffic court. The only way to beat the ticket is to offer the right evidence, know the laws
