“Honest mistake” led to experience of a lifetime
Gilmer pilot Evan Snyder got a shock when he saw an F-16 Fighting Falcon swoop past his cockpit.
“You could see the missiles on the wingtips,” he said. “That was my sign to go home.
Snyder is the co-owner of North Georgia Flight Training, a local aviation training and tour company.
The jet was performing a headbutt maneuver, crossing his path from the right to tell him he had flown into presidential restricted airspace.
On Thursday, Feb. 19, President Donald Trump was visiting Rome, Ga. to give a speech, and nearby airspace was off limits.
While Snyder got the alert, he thought the airspace restriction only went into force in the evening.
“It was an honest mistake,” he said.
A fighter jet appearing next to him was his first hint that he wasn’t in the right place.
“When you see a fighter fly next to you, it means you’re somewhere you’re not supposed to be,” he said.
Immediately, he put in a transponder code and turned his radio to an emergency frequency to wait for instructions from the military plane.
“I didn’t hear anything, and I tried calling the guy,” Snyder said. “But I was already on my way home.”
Shortly afterward, he landed at the Gilmer County Airport.
Secret Service agents interviewed him once he was on the ground.
Even if the experience was a surprise, Snyder said he was treated well and never felt worried or in danger.
For a few minutes, he experienced the adventure of a lifetime, flying in formation with a fighter jet.
He’s sure that one day, he’ll be telling his grandchildren about his experience.
“I love fighter jets,” Snyder said. “I always dreamed of being a fighter pilot. I did not dream of getting shot down by one.”
Like ships, planes have names. Although Snyder hasn’t named his Cherokee C yet, he’s now considering calling her “D.T.”