Non-Flying Public and Airplanes

Lowflynjack

Lowflynjack

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Jack Fleetwood
I went to a local fly-in this weekend to check it out. We had to be back for a birthday party at the airport, so it was a quick flight over and we stayed for an hour or so.

The problem I have is with the general public that knows nothing about planes. My friends and I walked around and when I returned I found a family had opened the door of my plane and were taking turns posing inside of it. They felt it was okay to move the seat forward, put on my headset, move the throttle forward, etc. This is a new plane to me and my old plane didn't have locking doors, so I honestly didn't think about locking it up. I did after this.

Why do people think this is okay? I've never seen anyone open a car door at a car show and start putting their family in it, or put a kid on the hood of one. Why do they think this is okay with planes? Just ignorance or stupidity?
 
Stupidity. I have heard of several cases where this has happened. Makes no sense. I can almost understand an unsupervised child doing this but it seems that their parents were right there and encouraged it in most cases. They do it at airshows, fly-ins, and even at a plain old everyday GA ramp. An aircraft does not even have to be on display but just parked in general parking and they still do it. Boggles the mind.
 
Have heard of this happening too. I think most people think of your airplane as just another car, when it’s on display somewhere.

No, they shouldn’t be opening up cars either, but idiots who own nothing usually need a literal signal like an area being roped off or they think it’s a free for all. Have seen the same thing at car shows.
 
P.S. And having to rope off the airplanes, especially from kids, makes me sad. But I won’t leave my airplane unattended at events where the planners are just letting the genpop wander the flight line. Just too many ways people misunderstand whats going on.
 
Uhh, that not the general public not knowing about planes thing, that's a poorly bread criminal thing.

I park/moor my plane at my house, on public docks and beaches and no one has ever been dumb enough to try to enter or even touch my aircraft, that would elicit a very fast and very firm reaction if I found someone in my plane with my headset on, how am I to know there not about the flip the master on and try to steal the aircraft, that's a firm ask them to exit, tell them to exit, make them exit the aircraft situation.
 
I attend a lot of fly ins...I try to avoid the ones that seem to cater more to the general public than to the pilots for this very reason. I once returned to my plane to see two older Asian women sitting in the front seats, vigorously pushing/pulling the elevators up and down. At the same fly in, I watched as a guy walked up to my prop, and then quickly pulled it through, as if he was trying to start it. When I explained that he shouldn't have done it because it could have started, he told me I was wrong.
I now carry yellow "POLICE LINE, DO NOT CROSS" tape for such fly ins.
 
The public pawing the aircraft is just another reason to avoid fly-ins with uncontrolled ramp access.

Very limited dataset: my observation is that city folk are more likely to ignore the ‘don’t touch’ signs and otherwise not respect the aircraft.

If ya do go to a fly-in that has folks, even pilots, wandering around lose keep everything closed and locked. It might be paranoid or it might save a headache or three.
 
I told them they can't open airplanes, that it's not only wrong, but can be a safety issue as well. They seemed shocked and walked away. They were talking to another guy and pointed at me, making me think they thought I was in the wrong!

I did keep my language in check. There were small kids around, but I mumbled a few choice words under my breath!!
 
Clark1961 said:
The public pawing the aircraft is just another reason to avoid fly-ins with uncontrolled ramp access.

Very limited dataset: my observation is that city folk are more likely to ignore the ‘don’t touch’ signs and otherwise not respect the aircraft.

If ya do go to a fly-in that has folks, even pilots, wandering around lose keep everything closed and locked. It might be paranoid or it might save a headache or three.
Click to expand...

I’d tend to agree with your observation and conclusion in regards to city folk being more likely to be the offenders.
 
Many visitors with kids view a plane as playground equipment. They will stand on wings, sit on tails and, of course, sit in the seat.
 
SkyDog58 said:
I’d tend to agree with your observation and conclusion in regards to city folk being more likely to be the offenders.
Click to expand...
Very limited dataset: BJC (Denver) - public literally pawing aircraft with prominent ‘please do not touch’ signs, 6Y9 - people wandering around aircraft but mostly not touching or asking owner in order to look closer or sit in aircraft, SBS (Steamboat) an unlocked gate to the ramp was enough to keep people away.
 
tawood said:
At the same fly in, I watched as a guy walked up to my prop, and then quickly pulled it through, as if he was trying to start it. When I explained that he shouldn't have done it because it could have started, he told me I was wrong.
Click to expand...
I was at a fly-in with a friend once and we were heading back to our planes to leave. He had a Luscombe. As we got closer, we saw a guy move the prop to get the photo he wanted with the prop straight across. I told him to never touch a prop and explained how it could be dangerous. Then I told him to stick around and watch how I started the plane. My friend got in and I propped it. The guys eyes got pretty big!
 
DanWilkins said:
Many visitors with kids view a plane as playground equipment. They will stand on wings, sit on tails and, of course, sit in the seat.
Click to expand...

Makes the case even more to buy a high wing!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
That’s why when I go to fly-ins / PR events, if the aircraft isn’t secured from public access, I don’t leave the aircraft. You turn your back for a second and the next thing you know, a 6 year old is trying for his first solo.

 
I suspect the airshow public can't differentiate between aircraft on display for the show and those in private ownership. Folks don't always know how to act around unfamiliar things. That said, I suspect if any of them were told about private ownership with the car analogy they'd be embarrassed and quite sheepish.
 
Velocity173 said:
That’s why when I go to fly-ins / PR events, if the aircraft isn’t secured from public access, I don’t leave the aircraft. You turn your back for a second and the next thing you know, a 6 year old is trying for his first solo.

Click to expand...

Lol, the father gave him a hug.
 
I worked an airshow at Craig Field in Jacksonville (CRG) a bunch of years ago. I was standing in front of a plane that was getting ready to start watching for folks. One of those gen pop folks walks right around the wing and up to the prop just as the guy was getting ready to start. This was a plane with not much over the nose visibility. Fortunately, I gave the big X to the pilot and the prop didn't move, but I walked up to the fellow and pointed out the pilot sitting in the cockpit getting ready to start. Yeah, he skedaddled out of there pretty quick.

It happens at non-airshow places too. Once had a guy at a lodge up in Alaska (Katmai Lodge) that was shooting video of me landing and taxiing in. He had his son (maybe 12 yo) standing in front of the plane and just to the side as I was getting ready to start. It probably would have been okay, but the kid was a bit too close for my comfort, so I signaled to the dad that he had to move. Eventually the dad got the hint and waved his kid to the side. What I hadn't noticed before was the roughly 8 yo kid that was apparently right in front of the prop, but I did see him trot away right behind his brother. That kid would have been hamburger if I hadn't seen his brother there.
 
PaulS said:
Lol, the father gave him a hug.
Click to expand...
That jumped out at me, too. That's all anyone needs, a hug.
This reminds me, that I have to get back to work on my "police hug" gun. I will end all these unnecessary police shootings that the media, BLM, etc are reporting. Imagine, the next time someone comes at the police with a possible weapon, the police can just shoot him a hug with the hug gun (the very hug that the violent offender lacked growing up)...society will be saved!
 
Velocity173 said:
That’s why when I go to fly-ins / PR events, if the aircraft isn’t secured from public access, I don’t leave the aircraft. You turn your back for a second and the next thing you know, a 6 year old is trying for his first solo.

Click to expand...

Ahh the Mayo 1 incident
I've shown that to all our pilots, our SOP is to disconnect our quick connect battery when at PR events.


PaulS said:
Lol, the father gave him a hug.
Click to expand...

Child should be removed from the parents.

If the father was a real father he would have been watching his crotch fruit, and he reaction should have been back handing him and giving him a taking to, not a hug.

Where do you think these kids learn this type of stuff is OK from.
 
Velocity173 said:
That’s why when I go to fly-ins / PR events, if the aircraft isn’t secured from public access, I don’t leave the aircraft. You turn your back for a second and the next thing you know, a 6 year old is trying for his first solo.

Click to expand...

See @Clark1961 the little monkeys need training as much as the dogs do. LOL.

“No!” and a jerk on the collar... :)
 
Airplanes, motorcycles, unusual/collector/show/race cars... basically anything people don't own themselves is going to get pawed at and treated as a piece of playground equipment by people who are either ignorant, inconsiderate or both. And there are plenty of them.
 
denverpilot said:
See @Clark1961 the little monkeys need training as much as the dogs do. LOL.

“No!” and a jerk on the collar... :)
Click to expand...
By adult standards children are insane. That doesn't mean they should be on a leash. It does mean they should be supervised. Prolly the same goes for a helicopter on display with the doors open...
 
Clark1961 said:
The resultant boot up yer butt will prolly cure yer hemorrhoids...
Click to expand...
And that is the result I’d expect as I would think any intelligent person would. So then, why would people treat another person’s plane differently than someone’s bike?
 
PaulS said:
Lol, the father gave him a hug.
Click to expand...

If I were his father I’d give him a hug as well. That would be quickly followed with “Son, you were way too slow in your start up procedures. If you plan on becoming an EMS pilot, you have got to get that down to less than 60 seconds!”
 
SkyDog58 said:
And that is the result I’d expect as I would think any intelligent person would. So then, why would people treat another person’s plane differently than someone’s bike?
Click to expand...
When was the last time a movie was made about the badass pilot dudes showing up in town and going on a crime spree....umm, did they make a tailhook movie yet?
 
Lowflynjack said:
I told them they can't open airplanes, that it's not only wrong, but can be a safety issue as well. They seemed shocked and walked away. They were talking to another guy and pointed at me, making me think they thought I was in the wrong!

I did keep my language in check. There were small kids around, but I mumbled a few choice words under my breath!!
Click to expand...
WOW some people do not have a brain cell in their head!!

Would have been fun to walk up and say Hi, Where is your car parked so I can get in it and push all your buttons and move your seat around.. looks like fun!!!
 
Would putting this in the windows of your airplane work? (Remove the car and replace with an airplane)

Look_but_please_don_t_touch.jpg
 
Clark1961 said:
By adult standards children are insane. That doesn't mean they should be on a leash. It does mean they should be supervised. Prolly the same goes for a helicopter on display with the doors open...
Click to expand...

bflynn said:
By adult standards a lot of adults are insane.
Click to expand...

LOL. Beat me to it. I was about to say, “What adult standards? The big monkey standards the little monkeys are mimicking?”
 
James331 said:
Ahh the Mayo 1 incident
I've shown that to all our pilots, our SOP is to disconnect our quick connect battery when at PR events.

Same here. Needs to be locked if unattended. Would be nice if it required a key for the ignition too.

Some pilots in the company won’t let people sit in the pilot's seat either but I do. Just gotta watch them like a hawk. Still, if they break something like a switch, it’s all on me. I enjoy PR events but part of me is uneasy with all the “what ifs.”
Click to expand...
 
AggieMike88 said:
Would putting this in the windows of your airplane work? (Remove the car and replace with an airplane)

Look_but_please_don_t_touch.jpg
Click to expand...
From what I've seen? No. At BJC the fly-in aircraft each had a 'please do not touch the airplane' sign on the prop. The signs were pretty much ignored.
 
And somewhere there’s people sitting around chatting today that, “Those idiots at that thing at the airport didn’t hang up any signs saying not to touch the airplanes and little Monkey Bobby wanted to see one, so we put him inside, and then some grumpy old jerk walked up who apparently owned the thing and started yelling at us... he really should have not had his airplane there if he didn’t want anyone to touch it...”

LOL. :)
 
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