Got “thrown out” of an airport today

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Salty

Salty

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Salty
But not until after I said I was never coming back.

What did I do to get thrown out? I asked if the owner thought the behavior I had just witnessed was acceptable to him. After he answered by asking if I was a pilot, I said I’d never be back. Shortly after that I was escorted to my aircraft.

This airport operates exhibition flights. I suspect they are doing it in an experimental to boot, but I don’t have proof. I think they were charging for the flight in the plane I videoed, but I don’t know for sure. They typically fly sightseers in a steerman and I’ve seen them hot loading, which bothered me, but not enough to be overly concerned. Today the pilot (who is a cfi at the airport) got out of the aircraft while it’s running and helped a non pilot get seated. The aircraft was not chocked or tied down. There were random people all over the ramp nearby. One gentleman with a brace on his leg stepped in front of the prop and I yelled at him to get away from the prop. He yelled back that he was “protecting the kids”. That’s when I took the video. The plane ran, with no pilot, on the ramp with dozens of people nearby for at least 10 minutes.

As I said, I’ll not go back there. X39

*sorry, forgot you can’t just upload a video. It’s now posted two posts down
 
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Salty said:
But not until after I said I was never coming back.

What did I do to get thrown out? I asked if the owner thought the behavior I had just witnessed was acceptable to him. After he answered by asking if I was a pilot, I said I’d never be back. Shortly after that I was escorted to my aircraft.

This airport operates exhibition flights. I suspect they are doing it in an experimental to boot, but I don’t have proof. I think they were charging for the flight in the plane I videoed, but I don’t know for sure. They typically fly sightseers in a steerman and I’ve seen them hot loading, which bothered me, but not enough to be overly concerned. Today the pilot (who is a cfi at the airport) got out of the aircraft while it’s running and helped a non pilot get seated. The aircraft was not chocked or tied down. There were random people all over the ramp nearby. One gentleman with a brace on his leg stepped in front of the prop and I yelled at him to get away from the prop. He yelled back that he was “protecting the kids”. That’s when I took the video. The plane ran, with no pilot, on the ramp with dozens of people nearby for at least 10 minutes.

As I said, I’ll not go back there. X39

*sorry, forgot you can’t just upload a video. It’s now posted two posts down
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I know where that is, and frankly, I got a bad vibe when I went there, which was part of why I chose not to fly in there last month when I came down. A few years ago, I drove in there to check it out and they were not a friendly bunch of folks.

This is dangerous. I wouldn’t hesitate to forward this to the FSDO either.
 
Yikes
 
If they're doing this on a tour operation, I would definitely report it. And you can do so confidentiality, without your information being disclosed to them.
 
They have my tail number so that plane has flown.
 
Lol, I love the come here at the end, while the guy walks in front of a spinning with the come hither finger waggling. Another accident looking for a place to happen.

I can picture the NTSB report now, "we've always done it that way, never a problem before, the pilot has a bazillion hours".
 
It's been for sale for a decade.
 
If the FAA truly monitors this site (as many believe) you won't have to report it ...
 
The Yak is an experimental, as denoted by the "X-ray" in the tail number. It does have a parking brake, so at least idle thrust is accounted for. Nice paint job!
 
catmandu said:
The Yak is an experimental, as denoted by the "X-ray" in the tail number. It does have a parking brake, so at least idle thrust is accounted for. Nice paint job!
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Yes, it is experimental, and the hot loading they were doing, sure looked like sight seeing flights to me. They were interleaving with the Steerman on back to back flights. It does have a parking brake, but having nobody in it to shut it down if someone gets too close is still a big issue.
 
PaulS said:
Or if that passenger loading accidently firewalls the throttle. Just stupid on so many levels.
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Yeah, he got in and out two or three times before they got him sorted.
 
the aircraft is registered as experimental Exhibition, which means that it must have a program letter issued to it for operation. the letter will authorize who, what when and where the aircraft can be flown. if this flight was not covered by the program letter, multiple violations can be issued. give my interactions with the tampa fsdo (nothing bad to say about them,they are great to work with, but the inspectors make sure they dot the i's and cross the t's. they follow procedures as expected) they will be very interested in this.
 
Wow.

Not sure if the guy who apparently wanted to chat with you at the end of your video was the owner... but yeah, best to stay away.
 
mondtster said:
The yak likely has an air start system. That might be the motivator for not shutting it down.
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I'm not a fan of ever hot loading an aircraft. If it absolutely had to be done there are a few safety precautions that could/should have been used. Like you I was expecting it to appear worse than it does but what is there is disturbing enough.
 
Greg,

The FAA isn’t the only one who view these sites, this could seem concerning to a inexperienced private pilot who doesn’t have any knowledge on hot loading or the systems of a yak, as others have stated.

This post and a few screen shots off your YouTube of you have been forwarded to the local FBOs and operators


The spectators all are near the parked planes a safe distance away, the only people close to the plane appear to be the crew and pax being loaded, as well as what looks like a airport staff member who was trying to wrangle the suspicious guy walking very close to a running plane that he wasn’t crew or pax on (you).

I also didn’t see any advertisements, or money exchanging hands ether, or even a T-shirt logo or any type of signage for tours or anything commercial, looks like a guy taking a friend or family member up for their first airplane ride with the friends and family watching
 
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Daleandee said:
I'm not a fan of ever hot loading an aircraft. If it absolutely had to be done there are a few safety precautions that could/should have been used. Like you I was expecting it to appear worse than it does but what is there is disturbing enough.
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agree about hot loading, but hot loading passengers with nobody at the controls is not only stupid, but will get every fed in town interested.
 
TampaPilot said:
Greg,

The FAA isn’t the only one who view these sites, this could seem concerning to a inexperienced private pilot who doesn’t have any knowledge on hot loading or the systems of a yak, as others have stated.

This post and a few screen shots off your YouTube of you have been forwarded to the local FBOs and operators

It’s much easier to enjoy aviation, if you don’t understand something ask those with more knowledge instead videoing peoples N numbers and trying to stir trouble over what amounts to a nothing burger
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Quite the threat. Quoted for posterity.

It's much easier to enjoy aviation when people aren't getting killed every week from doing dumb stuff like this.

If my concerns had not been met with getting yelled down, it would have been a nothing burger.

I'm pretty confident other "FBO's" will see that and say WTF, just like I did.
 
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Salty said:
Quite the threat. Quoted for posterity.

It's much easier to enjoy aviation when people aren't getting killed every week from doing dumb stuff like this.
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I missed the part in the video of anything damaged, or anyone getting hurt

The spectators were a safe distance away, the crew was right with the pax, I did see what looked like a airport staff member trying to keep the guy walking dangerously close to a running plane videoing with his phone from hurting himself
 
TampaPilot said:
I missed the part in the video of anything damaged, or anyone getting hurt

The spectators were a safe distance away, the crew was right with the pax, I did see what looked like a airport staff member trying to keep the guy walking dangerously close to a running plane videoing with his phone from hurting himself
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Are you the pilot or the ramp employee?
 
Salty said:
Quite the threat. Quoted for posterity.

It's much easier to enjoy aviation when people aren't getting killed every week from doing dumb stuff like this.

If my concerns had not been met with getting yelled down, it would have been a nothing burger.

I'm pretty confident other "FBO's" will see that and say WTF, just like I did.
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If you were that close to my running plane I’d yell at you too, they don’t know you, they just see a guy arms distance away from a running plane who’s head down into his phone
 
Salty said:
BEHIND the plane.
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You were not pax or crew, as a [guessing private pilot?] you should know better than to get that close to a running plane you have nothing to do with.
 
"Safety bad" is why people are still dying from walking into the prop on a regular basis. It's sad anyone thinks this is ok.
 
Salty said:
BEHIND the plane.
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Watched it again, the part of the video you put online even starts with you INFRONT of the wing, then too close for comfort to his elevator and rudder

Just looking at the spectators faces by the parked planes, and the airport worker, they seem more concerned with you than anything else
 
Salty said:
"Safety bad" is why people are still dying from walking into the prop on a regular basis. It's sad anyone thinks this is ok.
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Minus you and the airport worker trying to save you, who was close and forward of the wing?
 
"Safety bad" is why people are still dying from walking into the prop on a regular basis. It's sad anyone thinks this is ok.
 
By the way, the aircraft was pointed towards the crowd, and myself sitting at the table eating at the airports restaurant, minding my own business, so maybe saying I was causing the problem by quickly grabbing a vid with the tail number, staying beside and behind the aircraft is pretty patently false.
 
Here you are clearly infront of the wing, and this is just when the video you released starts

0F2457A1-AC44-44DF-94D8-4171AF127118.jpeg
here you are all up in his aircrafts tail, notice all the by standards by the parked planes are looking at you suspiciously

7F1BF5C8-E8BB-4D43-B985-F4BADBB52DB9.jpeg

And here you can see the non crew are safely behind the wing, the ones being loaded are in arms reach of the crew

2A75015E-2CE1-47CE-9EE0-ECD0D8EF5B3C.jpeg
 
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