Let's ignore the tin bashing for a moment and consider what this clown was attempting. It seems a fair bet that his battery was flat, but our hero evidently figures that all will be well if he can get the engine running and the alternator spinning.
Now, let's assume he takes 20 minutes after starting to get airborne. I wonder how much capacity is in the battery? It's night, using lights, radio, nav aids and running the engine at lowish RPM. Toss in an alternator failure even 30 minutes after t/o and how long will the battery power your a/c??? Murphy is always waiting!
