A familiar aircraft operator to Dyer residents gave folks a scare early Saturday afternoon, but the incident had a happy ending.
The pilot, who flies one of the experimental aircraft out of Lansing Municipal Airport on weekends, was practicing emergency landing techniques Saturday, Dyer Police Chief Dave Hein said Monday. Residents at a nearby Dyer subdivision saw the man and his aircraft disappear into a wooded area between Dyer and Lynwood, Ill., and became worried that the worst had happened.
What they didn’t see was the man re-enter the air and return to the airport safely, Hein said.
Still, Hein said would much rather bring out the heavy equipment for a good outcome than be caught unawares. Assisting Dyer were the Lynwood Police Department, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department and Dyer Fire Department, and all manner of all-terrain vehicles were on hand in the search.
“We were very fortunate that (Lake County’s) Eagle One (helicopter) was at the airport aready doing a community event, because we were concerned about that dense, wooded area,” he said. “And we thank God that the man was safe, and we were able to test our skills on something that turned out to be a false alarm.”
Hein said the department doesn’t have the pilot’s name.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.