Out of interest - what will happen to Mr Cope in this instance ?
6 months in a federal jail, followed by 6 months of house arrest. His name will be all over Google for many years, so presumably major airlines will be loath to touch him.
Yes he made a mistake. Yes he could have done something stupid while flying and killed other people.
However, what happens to the rest of his life ? Will any aviation related company agree to hire him in a year's time, or is he going to end up flipping burgers for a living ?