Airshow Horror Stories

[Canso42]

A few pages back Gary suggested that someone should write a book about this topic. Sounds cool, lets do it gang!
Gary also mentioned showing custom cars. I've done that too and once at the big Houston Auto Dealers Assoc. show I used physical force to stop a visitor from removing the center caps of one of the Halibrand bolt up mags on a high dollar kit car. I pinned him, and security quickly took over. Car people are just as bad as the ones we're talking about here. A sad commentary indeed.

Doug Ratchford, 'Canso42'

[marine air]

The first air shows I went to as a small kid were in the late 60's and early 70's . Nashville had a large show geared towards ticket sales. The Thunderbirds/ Blue Angels would fly their F-4's and there would be 20 to 40 military aircraft on display. These seemed to be dirty, oily, active duty aircraft, and they would always mention how our boys are really taking it to Charlie over there in Vietnam."
The helicopters and aircraft that didn't have ejection seats would typically have the batteries disconnected and everyone especially kids were allowed to play in the cockpits,slam the controls, and "finger bang" every switch, button, handle etc. It was a big thrill to sit in a Huey at age 8 or whatever pushing buttons and trying to figure out how to get it started or pretending to fire the weapons!
I think there are millions of Americans that think they still have a right to climb all over, sit in and do this even though it's been at least 30 years since I can remember an airshow where they gave the kids free reign on the Huey's etc.

[Bill Greenwood]

OscarDunce. I don't believe I ever made any threat to pour anything on our national war memorials. If you have the Exact words I wrote on that subject, as well as what you wrote about my plane; then why not post them as quotes here. It's sort of hard to do if they were deleted from WIX. I never poured anything on a monument when I was in DC as a Sgt. about 1969, and I never advocated that, then or since.

[Former Member]

The first air shows I went to as a small kid were in the late 60's and early 70's . Nashville had a large show geared towards ticket sales. The Thunderbirds/ Blue Angels would fly their F-4's and there would be 20 to 40 military aircraft on display. These seemed to be dirty, oily, active duty aircraft, and they would always mention how our boys are really taking it to Charlie over there in Vietnam."
The helicopters and aircraft that didn't have ejection seats would typically have the batteries disconnected and everyone especially kids were allowed to play in the cockpits,slam the controls, and "finger bang" every switch, button, handle etc. It was a big thrill to sit in a Huey at age 8 or whatever pushing buttons and trying to figure out how to get it started or pretending to fire the weapons!
I think there are millions of Americans that think they still have a right to climb all over, sit in and do this even though it's been at least 30 years since I can remember an airshow where they gave the kids free reign on the Huey's etc.

I remember being about 10 years old (around 1979-1980) at the Oshkosh fly-in and spending hours climbing all over the Wisconsin Air National Guard Huey that was on display. I'd strap the shoulder harness on my scrawny frame and pretend I was in Vietnam shooting the bad guys while pulling the mic button which I knew had to be the gun trigger. My twin brother would pretend to be the door gunner and after awhile we'd switch up and do it all over again. Back then the guard guys didn't mind and even encouraged us to try things out. Ah yes...those were the good old days. But like "marine air" said they will probably never come back.

John

[steve dickey]

I gues the one that stick's out in my mind the most and was fairly recently @ the Waco state school airshow last year, when some little kid grabbed Howard's pitot tube and was trying to HANG! off of it! If I hadn't cought him I think we would have had a bent pitot tube, of course daddy was like "why U yellin at my kid?"

[pmahaffey]

Sometimes we fight back: We had a problem with people grabbing the tail guns by the barrels and trying to move them. They even broke the lock on a couple of occasions. Solution? GREASE, and lots of it slathered on the barrels. Keeps them from rusting, and keeps us entertained watching people try to clean the grease off of their hands. I remember a guy wearing white shorts walking around an airshow with two big greasy hand prints on his butt. Wonder how that happened???

I was in the radio compartment at another air show when I saw two hands holding a toddler appear at the back door. He set the toddler down inside the plane. The kid proceded to start stomping up and down through the waist section of the plane. I grabbed the kid and headed for the back door in time to see the father walking away from the plane. It seems he needed to use the head, and figured we were a day care center!!!

But the worst thing to happen to our airplane didn't happen at an airshow. It seems someone thought the back of our hanger made a great target. I came in one day to find a .45 cal bullet hole through and through the dorsal fin. I can honostly say I would have had no problem returning the favor to the bastard if I had been there.

Ahhh showbiz

Patrick Mahaffey
B-17G "Chuckie" pilot/mechanic

[krlang]

A few years back some friends of ours had their C-45 on display at an Airshow/Car Show/Carnival. It brought every Hooha out of the woodwork to hang on your airplane, especially since it ran late into the evening. The airplanes were intermingled in the ride and food areas on an intersecting runway. One afternoon we looked over and a couple of guys were sliding down the wing of the airplane and climbing back on to race each other back down again. When one of the crew went to stop them their response was that their tax dollars paid for that airplane so they could do what they wanted. You know that since it said US Army on it!

Our free country is never free from stupidity.

I also love how its easier to stash your trash in someones airplane instead of going all the way to a trash container.

[Tim Landers]

While not aircraft related, here's a couple. Shortly before his untimely passing I had Col. Robert Morgan (Memphis Belle pilot) and his wife Linda as our guests at the WOH autograph tent and some JERK stole a stack of patches off the table. I can't repeat what Linda said, but it would have made a sailor blush At another show, Tex Hill had taken his Flying Tiger cap off briefly and someone stole it right out from under our noses! He was PISSED I would have beat them to PULP!!!

[mustangdriver]

I know linda, so I can imagine. Linda is a very great person, and Robert Morgan was awsome.

[engguy]

Amazing the lack of respect people have for themselves and their own stuff as well as for others things. And most all people should not have kids or animals, as most all them don't seem to know how to or care for or to controll them. And dare you attempt to do it for them. What is wrong with such people? Many years back when I had a 68 mustang car, if I caught someone red handed opening their car door and it hit my car, instantly I was the bad guy for saying anything about it.
My advice for all at these airshows is to have a camera at hand, perferably a video camera. And take pictures of the brat or ? that is doing the damage. After a few damage lawsuits and paying attorney fees maybe these outa control people will learn how to respect others things.

[Manonthefence]

Reading this thread has filled me with horror at some of the actions. I do wonder why you dont put some form of barrier around aircraft in the United States like we do in the UK.

[retroaviation]

I do wonder why you dont put some form of barrier around aircraft in the United States like we do in the UK.

I can't speak for everyone, but here at the CAF museum, barriers don't seem to matter. People think those are for "everyone but me." We don't have barriers around much of our stuff, but when we do, they only keep honest people honest. The majority will go right by them regardless of what you say or do.

I run people out of the CAF's cars all of the time, not to mention the Bell 47, Taylorcraft, YO-55, C-45, 0-2, or anything else that they think they can climb into. Don't even get me started on turning props or banging control surfaces. It's just a lack of common courtesy these days. Frustrating, but no easy answer.

Gary

[Manonthefence]

I guess its a cuture difference. We are used to barriers, queues etc. Its part of the way of things over here (just like afternoon tea and Sunday Roast)

I help to run the line at the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden on show days. Without a doubt the biggest problem we have is with private pilots who think they can go airside to sit by their aircraft and watch the display. Its all part of the fun!

[henry]

i reciently had the chance to become the 2nd owner of a very low hour flug werk 190. as the original owner had agreed to fly it in to a small free local airshow before the unexpected sale i took it along, my first airshow as an owner, it was a learning experience to say the least.

later in the afternoon i was watching the A/C when i felt the call of nature, but all the crew were off elseware. with my inexperience i thought that as it was all roped off and shut up everything would be fine.

not to go into too much detail, but the prawn vindaloo had been a bad idea, so it was 25 min till i got back to where my A/C had been...

but, she was no longer there... all that remained was a few scraps of broken lexan, some screws and a short legnth of wire. as you can imagine i was a little distressed.

after pulling myself together i heard a comotion and a straining V8 off in the forrest just outside the airfield perimeter. before i had time to think i was running.

when i got there i found my prevously pristine 190 on its belly partialy stripped, hooked with a tow rope to the straining soccer mum mobile and with a horde of people on it fighting over the best trinkets.

when the howl of anguish left my lips most of the horde ran, all but the owners of the soccer mum mobile who looked at my with an expression of extreeme displeasure. before i could ask WTF was going on i was met with a tirade about how dare i wake up thier sleeping 2yo...

stunned silence on my part....

when i was finally able to speak i asked the family who had been respectfully looking at the 190 when i left what they were doing, they replied that they had paid thier admission (try and figure that one out?) and were taking a souviner home for thier other son who hadn't been able to make it to the show. they thought it would make him a nice cubby house.....

here is the video i shot for the insurance company...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmKFqFDRfrQ

[Jeff Funk]

Henry,


Was that you poking around the plane or some unauthorized souvenier hunters before you chased them off?

In any case, there's a few guys on this board that could get that 190 back in the air in a couple days Any takers?