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Sam Penrod ReportingThere are new developments this afternoon with "Super" Dell Schanze. It looks like Dell Schanze will be back in court again, this time to answer misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and being a public nuisance.
This all comes about from last Wednesday's incident where he was flying his paraglider near the Bangerter Highway interchange on I-15. Late this afternoon, Draper City prosecutors charged Schanze with a class B misdemeanor for public nuisance and the infraction for disorderly conduct in response to the incident.
Our Eyewitness News camera was rolling last Wednesday when police tried catching up with the paraglider. He was flying very close to I-15, and at times very low. Police did not find the pilot, but it was later determined Schanze was at the controls.
Today, police say what happened was unacceptable and they want to be sure it never happens again.
As for Schanze, he says he met this afternoon with the FAA and believes that he came to some sort of a resolution with them.
Dell Schanze: "I think they guys at the FAA have been fantastic to work with. You know, they're not power hungry and out to just try and screw people. They want to explain what the rules are, and you know, they want to try and find solutions. So, I'm really happy with it. And you know, he said that they had no intention of filing any charges, he didn't think. And they probably, at very worst, would just send me a warning letter, which, you know, I think is maybe even overly fair.
"I think they're being plenty fair. But as I said the whole time, I didn't really think I violated any FAA regulations. You know, I kind of walked the line on a few of them and they want me to stay a little farther from the line. No problem, happy to do that. No problem at all."
Schanze tells us that he plans to fight the charges against him, saying that Draper City has no authority to control the air space there. So, it appears there will be another showdown at court, though in this case, the most he could face would likely be a fine.
