Airshow Horror Stories

[warbirdcrew]

The B-24 thread got me thinking about encounters with warbirds and the public who seem to think they can poke and prod at other people's airplanes. At the Abbotsford airshow one year, a guy started turning the front prop on our 0-2 to show his son how a propellor worked. Another time at Chino, a guy walked up to the wheelwell of our Albatross and started kicking at all the hydraulic fittings for the landing gear when we wouldn't let him inside the airplane. Anyone else have similar experiences that they would like to share?

-WC

[APG85]

Years ago at Davis-Monthan, a guy familiar with the A-10 walked up to one on display at the base airshow, opened the small door on the side, and pulled the T-handle for the external canopy jettison. He knew what he was doing because you actually (I was told - I'm a Herc guy and I was down the ramp from the incident) have to pull the handle and run to the end of the cord length. This gets you away from the aircraft and prevents you from being hit from the falling canopy. Anyway, the canopy went flying and crashed to the ground ruining it. Big $$

[mustangdriver]

Well, I already told you about the PBY event, I have had a guy turn the prop through on the Cub at one airshow, that scares me everytime. I will have to think of other events.

[skymstr02]

I had a kid doing chin ups on the oil cooler scoop on my AT-6 at one show, and while his mother was scolding me for not having any GoJo to clean her kid up, his brother was on the pitot tube doing the same. I lit into all of them like a sailor on liberty, I couldn't spout the obscenities out fast enough.

My blood pressure went up about 50 points on that one.

[Warbirdnerd]

June of 1990 we had the TBM at the Quad Cities airshow.
The TBM was parked on the grass off a taxi way with the wings folded.
I had my head stuck in the side door getting ready to secure the aircraft when I heard the unmistakable sound of a Zippo lighter flipping open.
I made record time around to the front of the Turkey to inform the CAP member in the Torpedo bay that if he flicked that lighter, we would be spread over a couple of states...

[Robbie Stuart]

Years ago in Beaumont TX, there was a kid that had one of those inert 50 cal rounds that they sell at airshows poking holes in the elevator of a T-6.
Robbie

[JohnH]

I think it was the last Chino show and I was at a friend's warbird when I saw some trashy 909er lighting up a cigarrete, right behind the airplane. I was pretty agressive and exciteable yelling at her to put that out. I didn't use profanity, was just agressive about it. (not physical) I was kind of sorry afterwords, but this is really a life and death situation as well as millions of dollars of equipment at stake if somebody lights up and the airplane blows up.

JH

[warbirdguy]

The Collings Foundation made at stop in Valparaiso in 2000 and people were lighting up as they walked towards they aircraft. A Collings crew member yelled at the people to put out their cigaretts or blow themselves up. It amazes me at how many people smoke around the planes when signs are clearly posted not to.

[LadyO2Pilot]

I have run many people with lit cigarettes off....especially frightening was a woman sitting under our CAF BT smoking surrounded by fuel fumes which you could smell 5 ft away from the plane....DUH.

But worst for me was...when flying Lil Yellow Rose, CAF YO-55...this plane is definitely kid size and I returned from the restroom to find a 6 yr old boy not just walking the length of the fabric wings but jumping up and down as he did it with his parents standing there watching him. I screamed...he cried...his parents yelled at me at which point I said....I would be glad to let him continue if they would send me the cash to replace the fabric and the ribs he was about to destroy...and I quoted a figure. They grabbed little Johnny and hightailed out of my angry sight and voice range convinced that I was the wicked witch of the West who made poor Johnny cry.

I'm lucky that I haven't had anything other than people moving the props in the O-2A....I think everyone thinks it's some kinda weird thing that they better not touch...lots of people tell me they like my helo...hmmmmm...OK

Last edited by LadyO2Pilot on Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[corsair166b]

Ask Bill Greenwood to relate the story of the Bike, the kid and the tail of his Spitfire at a Fort Collins airshow a number of years ago...

M

[GrumpE]

Years ago I was at a small airshow in York Nebraska (yes it is in the middle of nowhere) and was presented with the opportunity to "parent" someone else's kid in front of them.

Reg Urschler had just finished a nice display in Gunfighter and had landed. He taxied over to his assigend spot and shut down. The area was normally roped off but the crew was kind enough to let you get close enough to really get a great view of everything. Gen Urschler had just hit the ground and was talking to his crew aft of the wing and facing away. None noticed the ropes were down in front. No big deal as nearly everyone was standing close but being very careful and just taking in the opportunity to be so close.

I was on the centerline looking right down the fuse when I hear "thud, thud, thud". I look to my right and this snot nosed 10 year old is whaling on the main gear as hard as he can kick. The dad who is 350lbs if he weighed a lb and wearing a grimy white T shirt and smoking is standing there just watching. A couple eye daggers fly his way from the crwod but nothing. Being all of 25 years old and in total disbelief I took two steps to my right grabbed the kids shirt and yanked him backwards. He looks up and starts to cuss ME out. I somewhat calmly told him to not touch anything that wasn't his and that that really cool guy on the other side of that amazing machine you were just kicking like a stray dog might not take to kindly to your actions.

A couple other guys step in and start staring down the dad. He and Jr beat a hasty retreat and we all just shake our heads.

Not sure the crew even saw it. Still irks me when I think of it 10 or more years later.

[Django]

What the hell is wrong with all of these "parents"?!

[Forgotten Field]

Somebody tried to sit down on the L-5 horizontal one time. I said, "You can't sit there." He got up and said they should have some place people could sit. I guess you should get more from an event with free admission...

People in trailer parks have to get out some time...

[Former Member]

What the heck is wrong with all of these "parents"?!

I hate to say it but most of these types of parents are sh*tbags and trailer trash. Their parents were lousy...they are lousy...and their kids will be lousy parents and so on. It's a vicious cycle that never ends. Luckily you don't usually see as much of this at airshows that have a higher admission fee or flight-line fee vs. an airshow that can be attanded free by the general public. The admission cost tends to keep out the riff-raff which is why I enjoy the E.A.A fly-in.

John

[Former Member]

I feel a little embarrassed saying this but I had to scold my wife the first year I took her to Oshkosh (her first airshow). She's an elementary school teacher and it just so happened she bumped into one of her fellow teachers at the airshow who was there with a bunch of her space camp summer school kids. They were looking at somebody's acrobatic plane and listening to the owner talk about it when my wife walked up to the other teacher and slapped her hands on the wing of the aircraft as if to surprise the other woman. Ohhh boy....if looks could kill she would've been dead on the spot (by me and the owner). The owner didn't have to say anyhing because he saw me pulling her off to the side and laying into her a good one about not touching the aircraft. I didn't scold her in public or anything but she was still pretty pissed at me the rest of the day. One of the phrases I used..."Lookie but NO touchie" came back to haunt me for about a week after that. Everytime Johnny wanted some all I would get from her is the line..."Lookie but NO touchie".

John