Cut BaiT or Fish

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MoonlightVFR
Posts: 624
Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2005 5:55 pm

Cut BaiT or Fish

Post by MoonlightVFR »

Pilot lands newly purchased Aircraft Bellanca Viking - retractable.

Lands , turns onto taxiway, heads to Hanger.

Near the hanger, nose gear unexpectedly retracts, engine and prop damaged. Really Prop Stop.

Immediately a tail dragger pilot helps move damaged aircraft into an empty hanger. Pilot goes to city/owner/operator and request that they issue a lease to him. He is refused on the grounds that he has not shown ownership of aircraft. Remember this is a legitimate new purchase. Several days pass, owner trying to satisfy request for prroof of ownership. They want title with the aircraft N number on paperwork.

A little chafing between the participants. Mayor demands that owner remove his damaged airplane immediately or HE will replace the padlock on door. This would deny the long time tenant (owns/hangers other planes) access to his property.

Owner leaves dejected.

One hour later owner receives phone call. "Come on back the city will lease you a hanger"

I have a tender spot for aviation, but this type behavior bruises me.
gradyb, '54 B N2890C
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cessna170bdriver
Posts: 4062
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2002 5:13 pm

Re: Cut BaiT or Fish

Post by cessna170bdriver »

Sounds pretty much like typical municipal incompetency to me. Airplanes don't have titles. The pink slip from the bill of sale should have been sufficient proof of ownership.
Miles

“I envy no man that knows more than myself, but pity them that know less.”
— Thomas Browne
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GAHorn
Posts: 20991
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2002 8:45 pm

Re: Cut BaiT or Fish

Post by GAHorn »

I doubt if the "mayor" has much knowledge about aircraft at all, per his behavior. I imagine the city attorney quickly cleared him up on it....as well as the problems of denying a pilot access to his aircraft (which can be a Federal offense depending upon the situation.) This is not an "aviation" problem as much as it's an elected/appointed official exercising his mistaken "authority". (There's nothing quite as stoopid as a janitor with "authority".)
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons. ;)
flyboy122
Posts: 324
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2014 2:30 am

Re: Cut BaiT or Fish

Post by flyboy122 »

Twice I have landed at away from home airports with a sick plane, and both times the locals (including the airport management) bent over backwards to get me into a hanger. The second place turned out to be kind of spendy, but I paid with a smile. It was obvious they cared much more about my plane than they did my wallet. I treated their bill with the same respect they treated my airplane.

DEM
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