Minor Glitch Repair

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170C
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Minor Glitch Repair

Post by 170C »

There are many things that can result in damage to our planes. Who would expect a baby buggy to do so? At this weekend's air show in Smyrna, TN a father removed his child from her/his baby buggy so she/he could look into the cockpit of a plane close to mine. The wind blew the buggy about 50 feet across the ramp and impacted my elevator :x The result is a fairly minor bend of about 1 1/2 inch wide by 1 1/2 inch deep between two of the raised areas (strengthening diamonds). I am exploring vrs ways to take out the bend and welcome any suggestions. The father did appologize, but didn't offer any help with the repair.
OLE POKEY
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bagarre
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Re: Minor Glitch Repair

Post by bagarre »

Airshows are the worst and people have no respect for airplanes as personal property.

I've personally seen:
Parents using a horizontal stabilizer as a diaper changing station.
Kids swinging from struts like monkey bars with their parents 5 feet away.
Adults pulling props past impulse couplings.
Using wheel pants as foot stools to tie their shoes.

Change the context and make it someone's car on display and the world would stop turning.
I refuse to put my plane in harms way of the general non aviation population anymore.


This was my letter to the Leesburg Airport after their 2015 airshow when they didn't even tell me '81D would be exposed to general population.
I'm writing to express grave concern over events witnessed at the 2015 Leesburg Airshow. I was shocked when I arrived to see my plane, along with many others, open to the general public as if they were part of the attractions. At no time was I made aware that this would be the case.

The existing security appeared to be focused on keeping folks off the flight line and away from the show planes but NO ONE was policing the dozens of privately owned aircraft tied down on the field.

Several other aircraft were moved to make room for the vendors however, mine was stuck between parked cars and the RC display booth that was selling propeller sticks to little kids.

You can imagine how sick I felt when I walked into the airshow only to find people using my wheel pants as bar stools while eating their lunch and the horizontal stabilizer as a temporary counter top. Had I known 81D would be exposed to such behaviors, I certainly would have moved her off the field to a different airport for the day.

There was NO security in sight the entire time we were there. No one telling parents (other than me) to control their children and no one asking the adults to stop touching the aircraft. There were NO announcements over the intercom for people to be being careful and respectful while walking around the aircraft.

In the 3 hours I was at the airshow, I witnessed:
- People leaning against private aircraft, using wheel pants as seats and horizontal stabilizers as tabletops.
- People 'thwacking' the sides of airplanes to see what they are made of, manipulating control surfaces and wiggling antennas.
- A mother walked her baby carriage right into the side of a fuselage hard enough to rock the aircraft.
- Kids swinging from tie down ropes attached to aircraft.
- Kids and adults pulling propellers thru. One past it's impulse coupling which is sufficient to start an engine.
- Kids hanging from propellers like monkey bars.
- Some dude flying his newly bought quad copter drone in between aircraft.

The airport made no attempt to protect the private aircraft on the field from the public or the public from those aircraft. I asked a set of parents to please keep their kids from running around the aircraft and pulling on the propellers. I told them this is not a playground. Not more than two minutes later one of those children ran head long into a horizontal stabilizer; splitting his eye wide open and bouncing his head off the tarmac. The poor kid was covered in blood and probably got a few stitches for it.

Who decided it was appropriate to open the gates of the airport and allow the general public uncontrolled access to privately owned aircraft? The Cirrus and other show aircraft on display had police tape around them for protection. Why were our aircraft not afforded similar consideration?

Who would be responsible when aircraft owners discover new dents, scratches, broken antenna and bent flight controls? How would you feel if that running kid would have hit the back side of the elevator and slit his throat or caught the tip of a propeller and blinded himself?

From my perspective, the entire event was a disaster waiting to happen.

I am very interested in knowing what will be done differently next year to safe guard against personal property damage or further injuries.
strangebird
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Re: Minor Glitch Repair

Post by strangebird »

I feel for you and I have seen these type of inconsiderate people at airshows as well, I would have reamed that guy a new one and said you ARE going to pay for this, or tell me where you parked your car and I will add retaliatory dents in your car, only kidding,

At an airshow long ago I was parked at the fuel pump. a TBM torpedo bomber that the airport paid to come with free fuel and whatevers got stuck in a gravel area just off the fuel ramp and blasted my airplane with rocks putting in a lot of dents to my airplane and brand new paint job,when I confronted the pilot owner nicely, and told him he blasted my airplane he told me to &&** off,. so I went and got a cop and then I got told that I was not parked in an approved spot so it was my fault. An unapproved spot at the fuel pump that I had been to hundreds of times, payola was at work that day and not so discretely. as hands were shook between the cop and the pilot of the TBM, I did get a new airplane out of this because of the extent of the damage through my insurance company then they sued the guy for the damages.

I no longer go to small airshows, too many issues, it is OSH or Sun N Fun only. Event at these you see some of this going on. You can not fix stupid.

Since this was at an airport event and maybe had a promoter and the public was allowed in and no security for aircraft was given I would go after the airport and or the airshow promoter for the damage, if they balk yell louder and threaten a suit, or file a claim with your insurance company if you have hull coverage and let your insurance company subrogate,

Good luck with getting this fixed, nothing like having a nice day ruined by idiots.
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Joe Moilanen
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Re: Minor Glitch Repair

Post by Joe Moilanen »

I was camping at Rimrock Lake one year when a Maule landed. The pilot jumped out along with his Labrador Retreiver. The dog immediately ran over to my plane and pissed on my tire/wheel/brakes. When I looked at him with disgust, he said "Oh, he always does that", and laughed about it. I immediately walked over to his plane and pissed on everything that I could. He didn't think that was very funny but a lot of other people did!

Joe
bagarre
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Re: Minor Glitch Repair

Post by bagarre »

Joe Moilanen wrote:I was camping at Rimrock Lake one year when a Maule landed. The pilot jumped out along with his Labrador Retreiver. The dog immediately ran over to my plane and pissed on my tire/wheel/brakes. When I looked at him with disgust, he said "Oh, he always does that", and laughed about it. I immediately walked over to his plane and pissed on everything that I could. He didn't think that was very funny but a lot of other people did!

Joe
You are my hero.
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c170b53
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Re: Minor Glitch Repair

Post by c170b53 »

You might have to post a pic Frank so we can collectively massage our lower jaws.
Jim McIntosh..
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SteveF
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Re: Minor Glitch Repair

Post by SteveF »

Fifties small rural airport with a few planes tied down in front of ten car parking lot.
Pilot comes out of office/shack and finds 10-12 year old half way out on the fabric wing of his ercoupe.
(N99999) affectionally known as niner niner triple niner.
Proceeds to get in fathers car and pull on lights, wipers, horn. Told farther in no uncertain terms that
his child's behavior was no worse than his. I always think of this guy whenever I see kids climbing on planes.
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Bruce Fenstermacher
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Re: Minor Glitch Repair

Post by Bruce Fenstermacher »

Steve, you must have got a whooping for climbing on that wing. :lol:
CAUTION - My forum posts may be worth what you paid for them!

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170C
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Re: Minor Glitch Repair

Post by 170C »

Jim, I would like to attach a photo of my "minor glitch" and thanks to Bruce's patience, I can do so except my photos are too large (3264 pixels wide X 2448 high) In the instructions it says to send the photo to myself and it will resize properly. I can send it to myself, but don't know how to get the resized photo to myself over to the forum :?
OLE POKEY
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c170b53
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Re: Minor Glitch Repair

Post by c170b53 »

Frank you might have to sit at the front of Bruce's class this coming convention :D
Jim McIntosh..
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Re: Minor Glitch Repair

Post by 170C »

Well Jim, there is no doubt I will need to be at the front of the class this July :lol: Probably have to stay after class as well :roll: :mrgreen:
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Re: Minor Glitch Repair

Post by c170b53 »

Has the paint lifted and cracked or is the skin really cracked ?
Jim McIntosh..
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edbooth
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Re: Minor Glitch Repair

Post by edbooth »

Frank if you would like to maintain a perfect airplane, this is not a minor glitch. Once the skin has been creased or stretched, there is no good repair. You either straighten it out as best you can and let it go, put a patch on it or replace the skin. :( a lot of our old planes out there have boo boos on the trailing edges, most of the time ya just grin and bear it.
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DaveF
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Re: Minor Glitch Repair

Post by DaveF »

Wow, what kind of buggy was that, a grocery store shopping cart?
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170C
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Re: Minor Glitch Repair

Post by 170C »

This was a regular baby buggy! I think the part that hit my elevator was plastic, but it had a pretty good speed due to the wind.
The paint is cracked, not the metal. I used a technique a fellow pilot suggested and managed to get the area back to its proper condition (mostly). I will sand the cracked paint and touch it up. This will have no effect on performance, just a bit of cosmetic damage. Thanks for the suggestions.
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