Allegedly drunk pilot buzzes highway

It’s probably a very, very good thing that even small airplanes are far out of the grasp the average American. Otherwise, we might see more of what happened above Highway 37 in Sonoma County on Tuesday afternoon.

The California Highway Patrol arrested a pilot on suspicion of flying while intoxicated, after CHP air patrol officers spotted a small plane flying recklessly, as low as 50 feet above the ground and within 100 feet of highway traffic.

That’s illegal, a violation of federal aviation regulations, no less.

The CHP called in the plane’s tail number and smelled alcohol on the 62-year-old pilot’s breath when he landed at Petaluma Municipal Airport. He was administered a field sobriety test and taken into custody.