MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Intrepid argentine pilot faces three charges.
49 year old Martin Rappallini who, earlier this year, became the first Argentine pilot to land an aircraft at Port Stanley Airport since 1982, has been hit by 3 charges which have been filed against him. He landed his Piper Aerostar aircraft on an historic flight on January 12th this year despite the fact that he had not received a response from the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs to his request for permission to undertake the flight to the Islands directly from Argentina.
The 49 year old oil consultant who spent 3 days in the Falklands accompanied by his two daughters Maria Eliana and Maria Paula, will have to appear before Argentine Air Force authorities to answer the charges which are:
(1)Taking off from Punta Arenas in Chile for the Falklands without authorisation from the Aeronautical Authority,
(2)Entering Argentine airspace without clearance from the Air Traffic Controller and
(3)Not communicating with the Argentine Air Traffic Controller during the course of the flight.
Mr.Rappallini who flew his aircraft directly from the Islands back to Comodoro Rivadavia has strongly refuted the charges which he insists were forced upon the Air Force by higher authorities in Buenos Aires who are angry at his determination to make the flight. He said in answer to the charges that:
(1)?I maintain that the Chilean Air authorities are well capable of issuing their own clearance', and
(2) ? Every aviator knows that there is something called "G" airspace and I believe in the rules and regulations under ?clearance requirements' it reads NONE. Maybe NONE in this instance means that ?none may enter here!'. ?I flew in this "G" airspace and therefore did not require clearance from the Argentine Air Traffic Controller', and
(3)?I have taped evidence on the audio channel of my camcorder that someone I talked to identified herself as ?Ushuaia Tower' and is not Ushuaia part of Argentine?'.
Mr. Rappallini who said that he had ?fallen in love with the Islands' after spending a day at Volunteer Point looking at King Penguins, added that he ?had learned from sources that the Argentine Government are trying to blame part of the guilt on the Chilean operators "for delaying in reporting to Argentina about the flight'.
News of the unexpected charges brought against Rappallini comes just as the Falklands Government has officially declared that flights by private civil aircraft to the Islands from Argentina are permissible. A statement issued on 23 February said that?flights by private civil aircraft and navigation by private vessels from Argentina to the Falklands and from the Islands to Argentina be covered by the formula of the sovereignty umbrel
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