Opinion ID: 1600577
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Testimony related to flying

Text: The Mords are the parents of two children, Russell and Emily. At the time of the hearing Russell was fifteen and Emily was twelve. As an adverse witness, Peters testified that during two telephone conversations with Mord, she told him that the children could not go flying with him in his airplane during his visitation period. She, however, indicated to him that the children could fly with him and even take lessons after they graduated from high school. She further indicated that as the children's mother, she has the unfettered discretion to determine whether the children could fly with their father. Believing that her authority as custodial parent supersedes that of her former husband, Peters continued to refuse to allow Mord to take the children flying. Peters explained, on direct examination, that she did not want the children to fly because Mord only had his license for less than a year. She further explained the following: ... I know that light planes are dangerous. You can pick up the paper any time and see where accidents have occurred. I also know that if the planes go down, the passengers, usually, don't make it. And, this would be both of my children going down at the same time.    He also has allowed the children to fly with his father when they did stunt flying, upside down and flips ... [1] Mord testified that he obtained his pilot license on July 29, 1988. He had between 110 and 115 total flight hours. Although he only had a license for about a year, he began taking flying lessons in 1966 when he was sixteen years old. His formal flying lessons, however, began in March 1987. [2] Mord wanted his children to be familiar with aircrafts and flying, and he wanted them to learn how to fly aircrafts. He even was willing to pay for their flying lessons. Mord was questioned about an accident he had while flying. He, however, explained that he only had a hard landing when he was a student pilot. He explained that [t]he Federal Aviation Administration investigated it, and that's the way they termed it, and assured [him] it was not written up anything other than a landing incident. Mord further explained that after the date of this incident, he went for [his] check ride with a duly appointed FAA examiner who flew [with him] for in excess of two hours in all attitudes [sic] and configurations, and [the examiner] certified that [he] was a competent pilot. Id. Mord also explained that he did not know how old the single-engine airplanes were. He indicated, however, that they were inspected annually, and one was inspected after every one hundred hours of use. Prior to the conclusion of the hearing, the chancellor made these comments: ... At this point, I am not going to require that the children fly. I am going to make that ruling.       ... I've heard enough with relation to flying, period. I will listen to any kind of legal arguments and et cetera from the other at the end of this matter. But I do not care, for the record, any more with relation to flying, whether they are scared to fly or whether you're a pilot, et cetera or so forth. I have heard enough evidence on this to make a decision, as far as that is concerned. Now, whether you have rights, I think you're arguing a legal matter that you want the Court to consider. I will make that ruling, at the time, if you have any law. But, I don't think there's any particular law. But, If you have any, I would certainly  I will allow you, always, to make an argument to the Court, briefly. In his final opinion the chancellor offered these comments: As to the motion for requirement of flying in a private plane, the Court is concerned primarily with the best welfare of the children. I do not think that there has been shown a need for these children to fly in a private plane. The mother has no objection to the children's flying on a commercial plane. The Court denies the injunctive relief for the flying in a private plane and the children's receiving flying lessons. Now, with these facts in mind, we turn to Mord's assignment: