Airshow Horror Stories

Former Member · **Joined:** Mon Aug 29, 2005 1:40 pm **Posts:** 1493

LadyO2Pilot wrote:

Mention of WOH brings a memory from mid 90s. I returned to the YO-55 after briefing to find two guys who appeared to be Middle Eastern looking into the engine. They had actually opened up the cowling and the canopy and were poking and fiddling in there. In halting English, they said they had paid their admission so they could do anything they wanted to the planes. I initially explained No No that is not the case politely thinking this may be their first expereience at a show. As they continued to say I was wrong in increasingly excitable, loud and rude voices, I threatened to call security and have them arrested. They disbelieved there could be any charge. Finally after explaining several times the Federal offenses for tampering with aircraft, they left but not before yelling obscenities and derogatory gender specific terms as they walked away. Needless to say prelflight was a little more intensive that morning. Don't we have fun at shows :roll:

Since they were middle eastern you should've insulted their customs by touching them with your left hand and beating them with your shoe.

John

retroaviation · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2007 10:20 am

One of FIFI's control wheel center caps after someone attempted to pry it off (the other one is worse), after the CAF's "Open Cockpit Day," 2005..........

They try to have enough people here to watch over everyone that gets in the cockpit, but it never fails that even with someone standing guard, something always manages to get damaged, switches get switched, or whatever. I hate Open Cockpit Day.

Gary

Lynn Allen · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2007 10:32 am

I would carry the flimsy end of a fishing rod like the great Bill Engvall said to pop them on there “6” or the hand…..

Lynn

Former Member · **Joined:** Mon Aug 29, 2005 1:40 pm **Posts:** 1493

retroaviation wrote:

One of FIFI's control wheel center caps after someone attempted to pry it off (the other one is worse), after the CAF's "Open Cockpit Day," 2005..........

I'm sure if the thief had managed to get the center cap off it would've found it's way on ebay in record time! :roll:

John

APG85 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2007 11:14 am

[quote="retroaviation"]One of FIFI's control wheel center caps after someone attempted to pry it off (the other one is worse), after the CAF's "Open Cockpit Day," 2005..........

Unbelievable...

ajdawson · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2007 11:23 am

I've seen plenty of hurrors while visiting various museums here in the UK. Kids hanging off aircraft, people walking straight over low barriers to 'plink' some part of an aircraft, kids poking holes through the fabric of elevators etc.

Usually a shout from me brings one of the curators/volunteers over to see what's happening, however the story is almost always the same and the parents either don't care what the kid is doing, or seem to think that as they have paid for admission they should be allowed to touch what they want.

In the worst cases I've have the parents/person concerned start to have a go at me for interfering with what they regard as their right!

Andy

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2007 11:33 am

At Arlington a few years back with the B-25. Larry our crew and I were sitting in the grass by the rear of the bomber. There's a small access port under the right waist window with a pressure guage inside (I assume for crew oxygen?). Anyway this punk rocker looking kid walks down the lenght of the plane drumming the side with his fingers has left went. By this time Larry eyebrows had narrowed a bit (Larry BTW don't take cr*p off anybody

). He got to this port and started opening it and closing it faster and harder. Larry yells over to him "Hey, if it's not your's don't mess with it!" to which this punk responds "It ain't yours either so screw you!". Larry was up and moving like a screaming meteor and was last seen chasing this kid down the ramp and into the crowd. It was like watching Animal Planet where the lion's chasing a gazelle across the savana and knowing if the lion catches it the prey's in big trouble. Larry back about 15 minutes later and sat back down. He didn't say a word but did have a very satisfied look on his face. :wink:

Dan Jones · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2007 11:48 am

T33driver wrote:

and I pulled the throttles back and put the props in full reverse and dust, hats, and trash started flying everywhere and the port-o-potties fell over like toy soldiers and made...

God, I wish I'd been there to see that! Oh the carnage!

Eric Friedebach · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2007 12:26 pm

T33driver wrote:

IMy engineer and copilot simultaneously went, "OHHHHHH!!!" as if watching a sporting event, then my copilot said, "two more crappers and you're an ace",

Now that is FUNNY!

skymstr02 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2007 12:53 pm

What would be funny, if some one came out of one of the port-o-cans after it was given a Herky blow job.

leo · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2007 2:53 pm

I've seen lots of kids, and adults wagging the control surfaces, blowing into pitot tubes, etc.
And car people ARE just as bad. At Vette shows I've had people open doors, get in, open the hood, poke and prod, all in deference to the DO NOT TOUCH signs. If the show is hood open, SOMETHING will be disconnected. The worst is the profanity that took me several hours of polishing to get out (and can still be seen in some lighting settings) because some kid tried to write in the dust (which wasn't there). Yell at them or politely shoo them away and you mostly get the finger or some such thing.
It's part of the whole scene, but an ugly one. Just a general lack of respect.

Lynn Allen · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2007 3:41 pm

To me, plan B would to ask them if they have good dental insurance

Lynn

Bill Greenwood · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2007 3:52 pm

My experience has been different. I have been displaying planes for 23years and have only had minor problems that needed repair. Once in OKC? or Topeka? a young boy poked a pen through the fabic requiring a patch, and a OSH a renactor with huge feet was coming out of the cockpit and accidentaly stepped on the trim cable cover slightly bending it. Someone try to break in and messed up the emergency release, but not at a show. Folks do put their fingerprints on the canopy, and they move the controls, which is annoying. I have seen more people that don't have manners on WIX in a year than in all those years at Osh. No other place but WIX, has anyone threatened to pour something on my plane, or told me not to come to an airshow. I like people and try to share a love of history and aviation with them, most are nice. I don't feel because I am I fortunate enough to own a plane that I want or need to place myself above others, except reasonable precautions for safety.

K5DH · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2007 4:01 pm

retroaviation wrote:

Was that at an airshow or a car show? Just curious. The reason I ask is that even though I still say the car show crowds seem to be better behaved than airshow crowds

Gary, you're obviously not a "car show guy". I am, and I could provide plenty of car show horror stories from my 19 years of showing cars, ranging from the silly to the insane!

However. . . this is not the right forum for such a rant. :roll:

In my air show experiences crewing Chuckie, I've experienced many of the same things as the other folks. I've dealt with people smoking cigarettes not only near the airplane but ON BOARD the airplane, kids hanging on the fabric-covered control surfaces and machine guns, people trying to figure out a way to climb up on the wings, kids jumping up and down trying to grab the "Remove Before Flight" streamer hanging from the pitot tube, tour guests wanting to sit in the pilots' seats even though they were roped off and had "Keep Off" signs posted, and so on. I once caught a tour guest trying to climb out the open top hatch in the radio compartment! When I asked him what the @#%$! he was doing, he replied that he wanted to get on top and take some pictures of the flight line!

Yep, they're on the loose at every air show. . .

Cheers!

K5DH · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2007 4:14 pm

retroaviation wrote:

The general public seems to like to use the induction trunk inlets (on the leading edge of the wings) of the Sea Fury as garbage cans as well. Cups, cans, little styrofoam airplanes, you name it. If you have a Sea Fury, Corsair, Mustang, or anything where folks can reach the inlets, try to keep them covered and ALWAYS check 'em before you fly. :roll:

Gary

It's not just a problem with the fighters. That's a "leaving the air show pre-flight checklist" item for the Chuckie crew. . . check inside the engine cowlings for debris tossed there by the public and/or blown there by the wind and propwash!

Cheers!

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