Congress has agreed that representative Gifford's light plane penalty smuggling bill is needed. They passed it last week. If you missed this event in the news because you were looking for work, applying for food stamps or tied up in red tape trying to get your mortgage refinanced, then you may not be aware that congress finally passed legislation that imposes the same penalty for smuggling drugs with a light plane as a heavy plane or a car-- There goes the demand for light plane pilots.

And why was this legislation needed? Because single seat planes that can fly low enough to be undetected by radar are not classified as aircraft under existing federal law. Hence, prior to this legislation, if you smuggle drugs by low flying airplanes, you receive a lesser penalty than a person smuggling drugs by car. I wonder what the penalty is for smuggling by bike, hot air balloon, or just fast jogging. My guess is that legislation will come up next year.

It may be me, but I believe the operative penalty word should be "Smuggle" not what transportation you use to do it.