Near-miss for airliner: Was it model rocket?

[jimmy olsen]

Sounds suspicious.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31146205/

Near-miss for airliner: Was it model rocket?

Object with a vapor trail passed Continental Express jet at 16,000 feet   

Most viewed on msnbc.com
updated 11:58 p.m. ET, Sat., June 6, 2009

LIBERTY, Texas - Investigators in Texas say a flying object that narrowly missed a Continental Express plane last month may have been a large model rocket.

The jet's pilot and co-pilot spotted the object and a long white vapor trail shortly after they took off from Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport on May 29. The plane was bound for Greenville, S.C.

Pilots spotted the object at roughly 16,000 feet. It was about 5 feet to 7 feet long.

Liberty County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Ken DeFoor told the Houston Chronicle that no model rocket clubs reported having launches that day, and that a permit would be needed to launch a rocket that high.

Another Continental plane narrowly missed a probable model rocket after leaving the airport last year, also around Memorial Day. That plane was flying about 4,750 feet.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press

[Neil]

No, not really.

[PDH]

Why in the fuck would some insane model rocketeer in Texas get a permit to launch his newest toy?  It seems people are operating under the assumption that the West has the same rules as the rest of the county...

Here the campground have nice polite notices as well "please no recreational shooting from May-Sept" because for some reason the rest of the country can't see the allure of camping, alcohol, and large caliber guns being fired.

Some people...

[MadBurgerMaker]

Sounds suspicious.

Why?