Moving your plane without permission

[cbarry]

My reaction would be to first go mentally to the worst case scenario—damage done and then having to sort the whole thing out.  Once I determined no damage was done, then I’d simply get clarification on how I should expect ramp parking to be and then ask where I  may park to be mostly out of everyone’s way.  Without designated parking assignments, this scenario would bother me more than watching a newbie lineman wandering aimlessly around in Jet A fuel truck looking for a plane to fill!

[M20F-1968]

I made a PVC pipe that fits into the nose gear and locks on with a padlock for just those occasions.  Attached is a red streamer stating "Do Not Tow"

At least it makes it harder.

John Breda

[larrynimmo]

23 hours ago, jrwilson said:

Now that is a good idea!!!  I have a “ do not tow” flag for the nose but that would really solve the problem.  I’m going to target and getting a bike lock.

JUST THINK....IF YOU HAPPEN TO FORGET TO REMOVE THE BIKE LOCK AND YOU FLY....BIG TROUBLE

[Rwsavory]

I flew to Greensboro NC earlier this year.  Later in the day after my arrival a very powerful thunderstorm hit the field with some pretty large hail.  I was in the area, so I went back to the airport to find the plane safety placed in a group hangar.  The line staff had seen the storm coming.  Sometimes you have to give the FBO and their staff the benefit of the doubt.

[ArtVandelay]

I flew to Greensboro NC earlier this year.  Later in the day after my arrival a very powerful thunderstorm hit the field with some pretty large hail.  I was in the area, so I went back to the airport to find the plane safety placed in a group hangar.  The line staff had seen the storm coming.  Sometimes you have to give the FBO and their staff the benefit of the doubt.

That’s an outstanding FBO.


Tom

[Cardinal767]

Be thankful, I was at KBFF last week and had the exact thing happen, but the line guys did absolutely nothing. My 81’ K model and two Citations 525’s were hammered by golf ball size hail and 60 mph winds. I was glad I had it tied down but it may be totaled. Sad, it barely has 2000 hours on the airframe. 

[BKlott]

5 hours ago, Cardinal767 said:

Be thankful, I was at KBFF last week and had the exact thing happen, but the line guys did absolutely nothing. My 81’ K model and two Citations 525’s were hammered by golf ball size hail and 60 mph winds. I was glad I had it tied down but it may be totaled. Sad, it barely has 2000 hours on the airframe. 

Sorry to hear that...

[bradp]

I got hailed on.  It required some body work, but the plane got a new paint job, new control surfaces and flies faster and straighter now.

Initially I thought my plane must be totaled- even with new control surfaces, the claim was no more than 25% of insured value.  Work through the process - you'll be okay either way.  It does go to show that there is a significant risk of under-insuring a hull...

[carusoam]

Cardinal, can you share some pics...

or is it so bad there’s no hope?

Best regards,

-a-

[FloridaMan]

Beats the time I came to my hangar and they were spray painting the floor with my plane still in the hangar. 

[neilpilot]

7 hours ago, Hyett6420 said:

Leave the brakes on with a notice “brakes on DO NOT TOW” on the prop. 

I was taught that you should not leave the brakes set on if the aircraft will remain in position for an extended period in warm weather.  The hydraulic fluid trapped in the line to the wheel cylinder can expand in the heat, resulting in a very high pressure due to hydraulic expansion that can compromise the brake cylinder seal.

 

[Hank]

12 minutes ago, neilpilot said:

I was taught that you should not leave the brakes set on if the aircraft will remain in position for an extended period in warm weather.  The hydraulic fluid trapped in the line to the wheel cylinder can expand in the heat, resulting in a very high pressure due to hydraulic expansion that can compromise the brake cylinder seal.

 

and make it nigh onto impossible to release!

[neilpilot]

10 minutes ago, Hyett6420 said:

Well how does that work on cars then, its the same system

Maybe for some cars, but in my observation it's a very different system.  The emergency brake typically is activated via a cable that locks the brake friction element (disk pad or brake shoe) to the disk or drum via a cable.  My newer Mercedes uses an electrical latch to replace the cable.  None of the emergency brake mechanisms rely on the hydraulic fluid circuit used by the driving brakes.

 

[EricJ]

4 hours ago, Hyett6420 said:

Well how does that work on cars then, its the same system

It's usually not the same.   In many cars and trucks the parking brake is actually either an independent caliper or drum shoes the grab the inside of the rear brake disk hat.   In others it's a ratcheting device in the rear caliper piston.   Regardless, I think automotive systems don't do it like it is on a Mooney for the same reason it's good to not leave a Mooney parking brake set. 

 

[madjano]

Be thankful, I was at KBFF last week and had the exact thing happen, but the line guys did absolutely nothing. My 81’ K model and two Citations 525’s were hammered by golf ball size hail and 60 mph winds. I was glad I had it tied down but it may be totaled. Sad, it barely has 2000 hours on the airframe. 

I heard from my buddy out there, it was pretty bad, totalled his pickup and wife's jeep.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Browncbr1]

On several occasions, I’ve discovered our FBO would pull rent paying tents’ planes out of hangar in order to make room for an over night transient cirrus who wanted a hangar and willing to pay $150-200 for the night.   

Cirrus had a fly-in over the summer so I figured it was going to happen.  I went to the airport to do a few other things and thought I would just see if I could notice any planes moved from shade hangars.   I walk over to the baron hangar and the ground crew had the door open and were in the process of hooking up the tow dolly. I walked up and asked them why they were touching the owner’s plane without permission and they gave some kind of double speak gobbler gook...  BUSTED.   

 

[PT20J]

On 8/31/2019 at 5:18 AM, Browncbr1 said:

On several occasions, I’ve discovered our FBO would pull rent paying tents’ planes out of hangar in order to make room for an over night transient cirrus who wanted a hangar and willing to pay $150-200 for the night.   

Cirrus had a fly-in over the summer so I figured it was going to happen.  I went to the airport to do a few other things and thought I would just see if I could notice any planes moved from shade hangars.   I walk over to the baron hangar and the ground crew had the door open and were in the process of hooking up the tow dolly. I walked up and asked them why they were touching the owner’s plane without permission and they gave some kind of double speak gobbler gook...  BUSTED.   

 

Another reason to hate Cirrus pilots 

[cliffy]

chutes are just snobbery :-) :-) :-)

[Jeph357]

Chutes are for planes that can't recover from a spin..... 

[M016576]

1 hour ago, Jeph357 said:

Chutes are for planes that can't recover from a spin..... 

Or planes that could use a bigger brake stack (or longer runway).

[aviatoreb]

5 hours ago, M016576 said:

Or planes that could use a bigger brake stack (or longer runway).

True.

 

 

Edited September 8, 2019 by aviatoreb

[cliffy]

Bill Wheat once told me that he got into a fully developed 5+ turn spin and thought he wouldn't get out of it. Said he never did that again. I've sometimes wondered just how far the factory guys go into spins these days. I wonder what the real story is.

Just like I wonder why in 69 the throws of the elevators were changed from 24 up and 10 down to 22 each way and the bungee angles were changed. Same airplane (short body) just different angles. Why? No one has ever answered the question. 

OOPS now we're off on a tangent I'll start another thread with this posting

Sorry

[Jeph357]

8 hours ago, aviatoreb said:

True.

 

 

Sorry Im bad with my category and class recognition those guys should totally give up their hangars

[aviatoreb]

Actually - come to think of it - maybe the SR71 and the Space Shuttle had parachutes because they were never spin tested.  Does anyone know how well you can recover a Space Shuttle from a spin?  I don't mean a fully developed spin - just a little spin.  I assume its normal procedures.  Modified a little.  Otherwise should be easy and obvious -   Cut power to the rocket engines.  Neutralize the yoke - opposite rudder.  Try to make sure your heat shields are still pointing at the atmosphere so you don't burn up upon re-entry.  And not too steep so you don't skip off the atmosphere like a stone skipping on a lake.  Easy.

Edited September 9, 2019 by aviatoreb

[cliffy]

Actually it is a too shallow angle that causes the skip off the atmosphere. Too steep and it burns up (IIRC)

I knew a for real rocket scientist once. Really, he really was a rocket scientist.