If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
report a near-collision to FBO owner?
While preflighting the Arrow yesterday afternoon I watched a C172 pull up through the tiedown T right next to me. Not sure why he didn't stop right at the chains. Instead, he pulled ahead and stopped. As he was beginning to push the airplane back, the other FBO C172 darted in from behind and took the first guy's parking spot like it was a friggin' shopping mall parking lot at Christmas. So, for a second, while I watched, one pilot was pushing his airplane back, toward the other, who was moving up on his tail at greater than walking speek with his engine running. When his prop stopped about 2 feet from the first airplane's tail. To the immediate right of the airplanes was the other FBO tiedown spot, which was perfect empty, because that's where the 2nd aircraft was normally tied down. The pilot of the first plane decided to walk off his anger. The pilot of the second acted absolutely oblivious, as if it was the other guy's fault for almost pushing his airplane back into the guy's prop. He just shrugged the whole incident off and went about his business. No harm, no foul. Another pilot came along a bit later and helped the first pilot drag the airplane to the empty spot right next to them. Here's the catch: The FBO owner explicitly forbids taxiing in from the back because of clearance issues. Specifically, because a newly-minted private pilot had tried to hotrod the 172 into the tiedown a couple of months ago and banged wings with the other 172. The damage was between spars, so the repair was $900 and some Bondo. Three weeks ago his instructor was terminated for doing the SAME THING, except, fortunately, he didn't hit the wing. Made such a racket jockeying the brakes and the throttle between airplanes, though, that people complained. It turns out the pilot who had the collision had done nearly the same thing returning from his checkride...except, fortunately, the other plane was a transient Bonanza. DURING THIS GUY'S CHECKRIDE, his wingtip passed right over the Bonanza's, and he PASSED. So in the last couple of months I've seen four people not just break the FBO policy, but taxi like idiots all but parallel parking their airplanes around others, and near prop-strike that would have showered me with debris, and both of the FBO Cessnas scratched or dented by a guy who nearly collided with a Bonanza while passing his checkride. WTF is going on here?! And how can you even pass a checkride if your wing passes over the wing of a parked aircraft? The fellow who runs the FBO is a retired cop, mayor and career Marine. He's gonna blow a gasket when he hears about it, but I believe it's my duty to report what I saw almost happen to his airplanes. Thoughts? -c |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
molding plexiglas websites? | [email protected] | Owning | 44 | February 17th 05 09:33 PM |
12 Dec 2003 - Today’s Military, Veteran, War and National Security News | Otis Willie | Naval Aviation | 0 | December 12th 03 11:01 PM |
Report blames pilots in crash of two Navy jets | Otis Willie | Naval Aviation | 0 | September 26th 03 01:27 AM |
USAF = US Amphetamine Fools | RT | Military Aviation | 104 | September 25th 03 03:17 PM |
Senator asks Navy for report on pilot | Otis Willie | Naval Aviation | 0 | July 17th 03 10:08 PM |