Suffolk pilot sent to jail over Peanut Fest episode

SUFFOLK

For one deed, Ronald John Davis Jr. lost his job, his business, his $685,000 helicopter.

And now, Davis has lost his freedom for 60 days.

Circuit Court Judge Westbrook Parker on Thursday sentenced Davis to jail for piloting people high above the 2007 Peanut Fest while, according to police, he was intoxicated.

Originally charged with flying while intoxicated, the pilot from Naples, Fla., pleaded guilty in August.

In a plea agreement, the charge of flying while intoxicated was dropped and he pleaded guilty to reckless operation of the Bell 206L-1 helicopter and to felony child neglect, charges brought after investigators found that Davis, 51, had children among his passengers on the $10 ride.

"He's never had a flight accident, never a mechanical problem," defense attorney Thaddeus Furlong said in court. "This is a helicopter thrill ride, like a roller coaster that goes too fast. He had no intention of hurting anybody."

Prosecutor Jeff James disagreed and pleaded with the judge for active jail time.

"If the helicopter blade had broken off, there would have been widespread carnage for the passengers as well as the people on the ground," James said. "It wasn't like he was going to run off the side of the road and into a tree. What goes up must come down."

Police say witnesses reported that on the afternoon of Oct. 14, 2007, Davis flew erratically, buzzing the tops of tents and cars. Through the final court appearance, Davis claimed he was innocent.

"I apologize to the people I took up that day," Davis said. "I did drink the night before. I didn't drink that day."

His lawyer said that Davis has lost everything.

"He's lost his business, his employees; he's lost his dreams," Furlong said. "I think he's gotten the message."

The final message came from the judge. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Parker gave Davis four years in prison for child neglect and a year for reckless flying, with all but two months suspended.

Linda McNatt, (757) 222-5561, linda.mcnatt@pilotonline.com