Ryan Guy Parker, Flying Airplane Without License, Virginia 2020

Alexandria, Va. – A convicted felon was sentenced to 14 months in prison for flying an airplane without a pilot’s license in Virginia. Ryan Guy Parker, 31, of Fredericksburg, was found guilty of serving as an airman without an airman’s certificate.

According to court documents, Parker took an airplane at Shannon Airport in Fredericksburg for a joyride on September 27, 2018. The aircraft was still under assembly and had several safety issues, including a caster rear wheel, a plastic bicycle water bottle for radiator overflow, and duct tape on key parts of the aircraft.

Parker flew just above Shannon Airport’s fuel tanks and twice crossed the airspace used by aircraft on approach to the main runway. He flew around the airport for 10 to 15 minutes at a dangerous altitude of around 500 feet without a pilot’s license.

Parker has a lengthy criminal history with five prior felony convictions, including a previous conviction involving unlawful activity pertaining to aircraft. In that case, he was found guilty in the Stafford County Circuit Court for destruction of property and unauthorized use of a vehicle in connection with a separate September 2018 incident at the Stafford Regional Airport.

On January 22, Parker pleaded guilty to serving as an airman without an airman’s certificate. Senior U.S. District Judge T. S. Ellis, III, handed down the sentence.

Ryan Guy Parker, the defendant/respondent, is a 31-year-old resident of Fredericksburg, Virginia. The exact criminal charges against Parker are serving as an airman without an airman’s certificate. The city and state where the crime occurred are Alexandria, Virginia. The exact date of the crime or sentencing is September 27, 2018, and January 22, 2020, respectively. The sentence or outcome is 14 months in prison.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Lebowitz and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Roberts. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:20-cr-78.

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