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Mid June, 1997 Flight from Santa Barbara to the Pitchess Detention Center (Jail) across I-5
[SD's Article]  [Track Image]  [AP Article 1]  [AP Article 2]

Copied from numerous sources including:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1891&dat=19970616&id=q7wfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IdgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4126,1708276 :

CALIFORNIA

Paraglider Lands in prison yard

 Castaic Calif. (AP_

A paraglider looking to get into the record books instead landed in prison .

Thomas Truax lost altitude and aborted his attempt to break a 125- mile distance record for the non­ motorized, parachute-like glider.  He touched down safely on a prison field only to find himself surrounded by 15 deputies who feared a jail break.

"lt makes a good story: 'Pilot lands in jail or whatever,"' said Truax. 42, of Carpinteria.

Truax had been heading to the Mojave Desert, but after four hours began losing altitude and tried to find an updraft west of the Pitchess Detention Center and a shooting range for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

A special Weapons team trailed him in patrol cars until he finally landed in a prison field.  After checking out  his story, the deputies helped Truax move his glider to the car of a friend monitoring him . "I didn't realize the jail was there.  I thought It was a business center," Truax said. "Once they found out it was a mistake We shook hands and  parted."

Associated Press

 

 

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