Well, my tongue in cheek suggestion based on Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” appears to be a growing statistic. According to the Arizona Republic, smuggling small children is a growing business in border areas. The frequency of smuggling small children has increased to the point where “[t]he U.S. Attorney's Office was so alarmed by the trend that in March 2007, the agency announced a concerted effort to pursue the harshest penalties for suspected child smugglers. Sentences since then have averaged about 15 months in federal prison.”
Still from a cost benefit anaylsis, 15 months versus years for drug smuggling, smuggling babies in trikes still makes this a viable alternative.
Showing posts with label smuggling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label smuggling. Show all posts
Monday
Wednesday
An Alternative Proposal
Note: This is a personal opinion and is therefore written in the first person with a hat tip to Jonathan Swift.
I have noted in several posts that light sport aviation activities here always peak the interest of the Border Patrol and Homeland Security. There have been several crossings by smugglers using weight shift control aircraft and all those caught have been carrying bales of pot. Well, I suggest that a cost benefit analysis of smuggling bales of weed across the border would demonstrate that it is not a very cost effective proposition. A stripped down aircraft with a single pilot can only carry 3-400 lbs of pot. With a street value of $ 800-1000/lb (personal communication, Border Patrol agent) this would seem not to be cost effective compared with other commodities. Wouldn’t it be much more cost effective to carry something more valuable? There are a number of illegal drugs that have a higher street value but I would suggest something different. Instead of drug smuggling with it’s severe penalties for smugglers when caught, I would suggest something that can have a positive benefit to society, smuggling babies. Babies are in high demand, many infertile couples seek adoption both in and out of the US and in many cases the waits are long or the couples are unsuccessful . The costs associated with adoption can be upwards of $30,000 and in many cases only the very wealthy can afford the costs associated with the process.
The 50th percentile weight for a 6 month old baby boy is 18 lbs and a baby girl the weight is about 16 lbs. So lets say an average of 20 lbs./baby and an aircraft with a payload of 300-400 lbs. This translates to 15 to 20 babies/flight that could be brought instead of pot or other drug commodity. Like in the 1965 movie The Flight of the Phoenix, the babies could be placed on top of the wing where they would act a turbulators or alternatively outriggers off the carriage could be built so the babies could ride behind and to each side of the pilot.
At $30,000/baby the price/lb is $1500 almost doubling the price for illegal drugs. In addition, the positive benefit to society is clear - a steady supply of babies for infertile couples. Finally, the penalties for getting caught transporting babies across the border are less than a drug smuggling conviction. It seems to me that babies could be a much more lucrative venture than drugs.
I have noted in several posts that light sport aviation activities here always peak the interest of the Border Patrol and Homeland Security. There have been several crossings by smugglers using weight shift control aircraft and all those caught have been carrying bales of pot. Well, I suggest that a cost benefit analysis of smuggling bales of weed across the border would demonstrate that it is not a very cost effective proposition. A stripped down aircraft with a single pilot can only carry 3-400 lbs of pot. With a street value of $ 800-1000/lb (personal communication, Border Patrol agent) this would seem not to be cost effective compared with other commodities. Wouldn’t it be much more cost effective to carry something more valuable? There are a number of illegal drugs that have a higher street value but I would suggest something different. Instead of drug smuggling with it’s severe penalties for smugglers when caught, I would suggest something that can have a positive benefit to society, smuggling babies. Babies are in high demand, many infertile couples seek adoption both in and out of the US and in many cases the waits are long or the couples are unsuccessful . The costs associated with adoption can be upwards of $30,000 and in many cases only the very wealthy can afford the costs associated with the process.
The 50th percentile weight for a 6 month old baby boy is 18 lbs and a baby girl the weight is about 16 lbs. So lets say an average of 20 lbs./baby and an aircraft with a payload of 300-400 lbs. This translates to 15 to 20 babies/flight that could be brought instead of pot or other drug commodity. Like in the 1965 movie The Flight of the Phoenix, the babies could be placed on top of the wing where they would act a turbulators or alternatively outriggers off the carriage could be built so the babies could ride behind and to each side of the pilot.
At $30,000/baby the price/lb is $1500 almost doubling the price for illegal drugs. In addition, the positive benefit to society is clear - a steady supply of babies for infertile couples. Finally, the penalties for getting caught transporting babies across the border are less than a drug smuggling conviction. It seems to me that babies could be a much more lucrative venture than drugs.
Monday
Smugglers in trikes
Since I fly within 50 miles of the boarder in the boot heel of New Mexico I have to comment on this recent article Ultralight flights new method to haul drugs from the Arizona Republic and this column . It seems there have been 3 identified incursions into US airspace from Mexico by drug smugglers using weight shift aircraft. All 3 were carrying bales of pot. Does this strike anyone as odd? The payload on a flex wing microlight is about 500-600 lbs. for most 2 seat aircraft. Why would someone try smuggling bales of pot with a 500 lb. payload? The cost benefit ratio is extremely poor for such a common commodity. It would make more sense to try and smuggle something with a higher profit margin rather than a bale of weed.
What is more unusual is that all 3 crashed, in one case killing the pilot and paralyzing the other. In all fairness the third pilot reportedly crashed while trying to drop his load. Clearly he did not watch this video on how to drop a cargo load from Air First Aid. But back to the 2 deaths, one “unidentified pilot clipped a power line in December while being chased by a Customs and Border Protection drone.” Being chased by a drone! Lets see, someone has flown across the boarder and not stopped for customs inspection so they send up the drone to chase them down. As all pilots know flying to close to someone can be hazardous. Trying to pilot a light sport aircraft while being intercepted by an unmanned drone sounds dangerous. John Kemmeries had it right when he said "These aircraft are designed to carry a person, not a payload." I guess it’s time to brush up on my intercept procedures .
What is more unusual is that all 3 crashed, in one case killing the pilot and paralyzing the other. In all fairness the third pilot reportedly crashed while trying to drop his load. Clearly he did not watch this video on how to drop a cargo load from Air First Aid. But back to the 2 deaths, one “unidentified pilot clipped a power line in December while being chased by a Customs and Border Protection drone.” Being chased by a drone! Lets see, someone has flown across the boarder and not stopped for customs inspection so they send up the drone to chase them down. As all pilots know flying to close to someone can be hazardous. Trying to pilot a light sport aircraft while being intercepted by an unmanned drone sounds dangerous. John Kemmeries had it right when he said "These aircraft are designed to carry a person, not a payload." I guess it’s time to brush up on my intercept procedures .
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