16 year old steals a plane

[Jeff]

This happened last night at an airport near us. Stupid mistake for a kid
who dreams of flying one day.

There is a link to the full video on the page too.

http://www.wsmv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4441019

jf

[Robert M. Gary]

Sounds like he was signed off to solo. Nearly knocking off the lights
off a patrol car won't make the FAA happy though. Sounds like the owner
knew him, maybe he won't press charges.

-Robert

[[email protected]]

Great. Another dumbass kid pulls a stupid stunt and GA looks bad
because of it. String him up by his nuts...

[Robert M. Gary]

> Another dumbass kid pulls a stupid stunt

If you were never a "dumbass kid" than you are a better man than I.

-Robert

[Matt Barrow]

"Robert M. Gary" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>> Another dumbass kid pulls a stupid stunt
>
> If you were never a "dumbass kid" than you are a better man than I.
>

In my day, a dumbass kid wrecked his daddy's car; today, they steal and
wreck airplanes.

Just how dumb is DUMB?


--
Matt
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO

[Student]

On Fri, 3 Feb 2006 02:01:55 -0700, "Matt Barrow"
> wrote:

>
>"Robert M. Gary" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>>> Another dumbass kid pulls a stupid stunt
>>
>> If you were never a "dumbass kid" than you are a better man than I.
>>
>
>In my day, a dumbass kid wrecked his daddy's car; today, they steal and
>wreck airplanes.
>
>Just how dumb is DUMB?

On a positive note at least he did not kill himself or anyone else.

[Grumman-581]

"Student" wrote in message
...
> On a positive note at least he did not kill himself

Proof that Darwin sleeps on the job...

[[email protected]]

>>>If you were never a "dumbass kid" than you are a better man than I.<<<

I've had my share of dopey stunts, believe me... But I would have never
done anything as dumb as stealing an airplane, especially without a
license. To me that tops the "Stupid Teenager Tricks" list. Plus,
anytime something like this happens the knee-jerk anti-GA types (like
Skylune) crow about the lack of security at airports etc. and the
unknowing public has yet another reason to think small planes are evil.

[Roy Smith]

" > wrote:

> I would have never done anything as dumb as stealing an airplane,
> especially without a license.

I've never heard of a license to steal airplanes.

Testosterone is a neurotoxin. There is no other possible explanation for
some of the things teenage boys do.

[[email protected]]

>>>I've never heard of a license to steal airplanes.<<<

LOL!

>>>Testosterone is a neurotoxin. There is no other possible explanation for
some of the things teenage boys do.<<<

Finally, a reasonable explanation! I swear kids today have some kind of
reality disconnect. Maybe it's too many hours playing video games?
<psychologist mode off>

Just in the last six months that drunk kid stole a 172 from Danbury CT
and took his two pals for a ride at night.(he's still in jail) Soon
after some 16 yr old dope steals a plane out of a hangar down south
somewhere and lands the plane on a dirt road - now this latest idiot
steals a plane for a joyride and is buzzing houses and police.
Unbelievable.

[darthpup]

Ritalin?

[Skylune]

>>by " > Feb 3, 2006 at 06:13 AM


>>>If you were never a "dumbass kid" than you are a better man than I.<<<

I've had my share of dopey stunts, believe me... But I would have never
done anything as dumb as stealing an airplane, especially without a
license. To me that tops the "Stupid Teenager Tricks" list. Plus,
anytime something like this happens the knee-jerk anti-GA types (like
Skylune) crow about the lack of security at airports etc. and the
unknowing public has yet another reason to think small planes are evil.<<

"Knee jerk"? "Evil" small planes? Hardly. Just how is the public
supposed to act when these things happen a few times a year? The AOPA
will tell you the airport watch program is the solution, even though it
keeps happening.

If GA were "evil," I wouldn't fly in the 172 at all. There are definite
problems, thats for sure, which the AOPA constantly tries to dismiss,
rather than address. That is because addressing them would cost money,
and pilots are so used to flying in large part on the taxpayers' dime.

[Robert M. Gary]

> But I would have never done anything as dumb as stealing an airplane, especially without a license

I'm not justifying just setting some items straight in the record..

1) The report said the kid held a solo endorsement for that plane.
Therefore I would not say "without a license" since he was legal to fly
solo
2) Yes, he did steal the plane but from a family friend who was also
his boss. Again, not an excuse but its quite different than just
grabbing a plane on the ramp.

-Robert

[Robert M. Gary]

> But I would have never done anything as dumb as stealing an airplane, especially without a license.

Again, the report said he didn't have his private, he was legal for
solo though.

-Robert

[Montblack]

("Skylune" wrote)
> Yeah, but 16 year olds will do dumb things if they CAN. And, with the
> current state of (in)security at GA airports, these things will continue
> to happen.


<http://4wheeldrive.about.com/od/buysellcartrucksuvonline/a/moststolencars.htm>
"Did you know that every 24 seconds, a motor vehicle is stolen in the United
States? The odds of a vehicle being stolen were 1 in 186 in 2002 (latest
data available). The odds are highest in urban areas."

Those cars all have two locks per vehicle - door and steering column.

So, just how many locks on small GA airplanes will make you feel safe? Fence
in airports?

I got an idea... fence in Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, K-Mart, Kohl's,
Walgreens. Entrance is gained by key-cards, special codes, secret
handshakes, ancient amulets...

Nope. Bad idea - idiots will still steal cars!


Montblack

[Skylune]

>>by "Montblack" > Feb 3, 2006 at 11:33
AM
I got an idea... fence in Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, K-Mart, Kohl's,
Walgreens. Entrance is gained by key-cards, special codes, secret
handshakes, ancient amulets...<<

How many Wal-Marts have been stolen?

Seriously, though.... obviously many more cars will be stolen because (1)
they are far more accessible (in malls and on streets) and (2) there are
many more of them. So, statistically I cannot determine the rate of
plane thefts vs. car thefts. Per capita or per vehicle odds may shed some
light....

Also, many more people can drive than can fly, so there is a much larger
pool of potential thieves. Attempted theft of a plane by someone who has
no idea of how to taxi around the airport would kinda be a joke.... They'd
probably play with the yoke and wonder why the plane doesn't turn.

I don't think this is really important, though. Airplanes and airports
should have a much higher security threshold than cars. There are GA
airports where I could walk right up to the planes if I wanted to.

[Doug]

Very very few airplanes get stolen per year. Something like 10 for
whole of USA. Not a common event at all.

[[email protected]]

>>>The AOPA will tell you the airport watch program is the solution, even though it
keeps happening.<<<

No way to tell how many aircraft thefts have been averted because of
the airport watch program. They probably go unreported. Naturally when
a plane is stolen the media jumps all over it.

>>>There are definite problems, thats for sure, which the AOPA constantly tries to dismiss, rather than address. That is because addressing them would cost money,
and pilots are so used to flying in large part on the taxpayers'
dime.<<<

If securing an airplane means buying a $50 prop lock I doubt many
owners would object. Aviation has never been a cheap hobby. As far as
your comment about pilots flying on the taxpayer's dime, remember
pilots ARE taxpayers. And they're using a system (sometimes) that was
designed for airlines. If GA went away the cost would be the same, so I
don't see your point having any merit.

[Dylan Smith]

On 2006-02-03, Skylune > wrote:
> I don't think this is really important, though. Airplanes and airports
> should have a much higher security threshold than cars.

Why?

> There are GA
> airports where I could walk right up to the planes if I wanted to.

There are truck stops where I can walk right up to a fully laden 40
tonne articulated truck if I wanted to. What's your point?

--
Dylan Smith, Port St Mary, Isle of Man
Flying: http://www.dylansmith.net
Oolite-Linux: an Elite tribute: http://oolite-linux.berlios.de
Frontier Elite Universe: http://www.alioth.net

[Jose]

>>
No way to tell how many aircraft thefts have been averted because of
the airport watch program. They probably go unreported. Naturally when
a plane is stolen the media jumps all over it.
<<

How many aircraft were stolen before the airport watch program?

How many were stolen afterwards?

Not the perfect answer, but a big clue.

>>
If securing an airplane means buying a $50 prop lock I doubt many
owners would object
<<

But a prop lock does not secure the aircraft. It gives the illusion of
security.

Jose

[[email protected]]

>>>But a prop lock does not secure the aircraft. It gives the illusion of
security. <<<

Okay Jose, how does a prop lock not secure the airplane? Did I miss
something here?

[Dave Stadt]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>>>>But a prop lock does not secure the aircraft. It gives the illusion of
> security. <<<
>
> Okay Jose, how does a prop lock not secure the airplane? Did I miss
> something here?

Same as the Club does not slow down a car thief. They are so much window
dressing and an insignificant delay to the serious thief.

[Grumman-581]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Okay Jose, how does a prop lock not secure the airplane? Did I miss
> something here?

Locks keep honest people honest... They might make a less determined crook
go to a easier target... A crook that is determined to steal a particular
plane will find a way to do it... All you can hope for is to make it a
lengthy and noisy enough process that he either goes elsewhere or someone
discovers him prior to him completing the act...

Bolt cutters are probably the quickest and quietest tools... They might not
work for some of the harder metals in the cables / chains...

Diamond blade / abrasive disk cutters tend to be noisy, but they can be
rather effective...

Oxy-acetylene torches tend to be quieter than abrasive disk cutters, but are
not completely stealthy... Their speed is dependent upon the type and
thickness of the metal that is to be cut...

With prop locks, you also have to factor in the time that it might take for
someone to remove the spinner, prop, and lock and then reinstall the prop
and spinner... I'm not sure how long this might take, but it is more likely
that anyone driving by would just think that the individual was working on
his own plane than with the other lock defeating methods...

[[email protected]]

>>>Locks keep honest people honest... They might make a less determined crook
go to a easier target... A crook that is determined to steal a
particular
plane will find a way to do it... All you can hope for is to make it a
lengthy and noisy enough process that he either goes elsewhere or
someone
discovers him prior to him completing the act...<<<

Okay, maybe a stinky week-old tuna & swiss hidden in a map pocket might
be a better deterrent?

[Jose]

wrote:
> Okay Jose, how does a prop lock not secure the airplane? Did I miss
> something here?

It will slow a thief down, but like any other device it can be
defeated. Bolt cutters, torches, or prop removal will defeat a prop
lock. Of course it's a bit harder than defeating the door locks on a
150, but it is hardly secure. (I have no firsthand knowledge but I am
told that on some aircraft the prop can be removed and reattached in
less time than it takes to preflight)

We won't count the fact that every lock has a key, and every key can be
copied. (in fact, it is likely that maintanance has a copy of the key
on some rack in the shop)

As for causing the would-be thief to go elsewhere, this won't apply if
every plane is prop-locked, which is the proposal. And although it may
stop a casual joy-rider with no connections, it won't stop a terrorist,
drug lord, or aviation insider.

Now, just what are we trying to protect, against whom, at what total
cost?

Jose

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

"Grumman-581" > wrote in message
...
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>
> With prop locks, you also have to factor in the time that it might take
> for
> someone to remove the spinner, prop, and lock and then reinstall the prop
> and spinner... I'm not sure how long this might take, but it is more
> likely
> that anyone driving by would just think that the individual was working on
> his own plane than with the other lock defeating methods...


Is there any reason to belive that it would take any longer than the
steering wheel locks on automobiles?

--
Geoff
the sea hawk at wow way d0t com
remove spaces and make the obvious substitutions to reply by mail
Spell checking is left as an excercise for the reader.