Citizens On Patrol, the local flyer playing airport enforcer. Have you met one yet?

[FN FAL]

A local jumped me the other day and got all windmilly on me, all I could think of doing was challenge HIM for his picture I.D., give him the finger and walk away, or just walk away. I just walked away with him saying he was going to sick the airport manager on me.

I'm in uniform, wearing ID around the neck and two overnight bags in my hands, he's just some civvy in a Subaru. What was I supposed to do? I got a call time to make and work to do.

How do you or would you feel about civvies approaching you and getting all militant at a non-towered airport? I have been flying out of this airport for five years and personally know the TSA staff, the airport manager, the county employees.

 

[Tailwheelman]

yes I have....I had a guy threaten to turn me in to the FAA becuase I was doing touch and go's at an uncontrolled field in a J3 Cub with no radios (no electrical system) because it made him nervous to have to share the pattern with someone who wasn't talking. Apparently it was something he just couldn't handle

 

[PeteCO]

A local jumped me the other day and got all windmilly on me, all I could think of doing was challenge HIM for his picture I.D., give him the finger and walk away, or just walk away. I just walked away with him saying he was going to sick the airport manager on me.

I'm in uniform, wearing ID around the neck and two overnight bags in my hands, he's just some civvy in a Subaru. What was I supposed to do? I got a call time to make and work to do.

How do you or would you feel about civvies approaching you and getting all militant at a non-towered airport? I have been flying out of this airport for five years and personally know the TSA staff, the airport manager, the county employees.

Who did this joker claim he was? I think you were remiss in not asking for HIS id. What did the little nazi say to you?

 

[mtrv]

yes I have....I had a guy threaten to turn me in to the FAA becuase I was doing touch and go's at an uncontrolled field in a J3 Cub with no radios (no electrical system) because it made him nervous to have to share the pattern with someone who wasn't talking. Apparently it was something he just couldn't handle

If I had my way, we'd all at least use a hand-held, if there is other traffic. As I lived under an uncontrolled airport's pattern for a long time, I've seen and listened to many circumstances, where the radioless pilot would have been a lot more helpful to everyone else, by being able to communicate.

It may be legal, but this isn't the golden age of flying, where vast open areas and little traffic surround most airports.

Of course, if you ARE flying in the vast wilderness with little or no traffic, then this doesn't apply.

Other than that, I think the FAA mandating a hand-held radio, wouldn't be such a bad idea.

 

[CalifDan]

I'm curious why the "Civvy" went windmilly on FNFAL. Why is there an assumption that because someone is not a pilot by career, that he is a civvy? I always thought that had something do do with either military or law enfocrement vs. the rest of us perspective.

I am not a professional pilot, however, I will go after someone on the airport for anything I consider reckless. While this opportunity does not present itself often, because most pilots at least attempt to do a good job, it did occur just yesterday.

While parking my Duchess in the shade hanger some idiot goes blasting along the shade hangers in drag race mode in a "marked" FBO truck. He then proceeds to repeat the performance two more times going in alternating directions on the other side of the shade hangers. A loss of control (for any number of reasons) could have bent a lot of aircraft metal.

While I could not catch him, my first stop leaving the airport was the FBO to complain. By the way, I'm pretty sure that the driver was not a line crew, but a "professional" coporate pilot on the field who had borrowed the truck.

I agree with MTRV. I have been flying for 37 years. Times have changed. Pick-up a handheld and use it.

 

[Hugh Johnson]

Sounds like he was "interfering with a crew-member." Next time call the cops and lodge a complaint. If you are going to/from your plane all you need by law is your pilots license. Local rules may require an airport badge, but to access your own plane you only need your license.

 

[FN FAL]

I'm curious why the "Civvy" went windmilly on FNFAL. Why is there an assumption that because someone is not a pilot by career, that he is a civvy? I always thought that had something do do with either military or law enfocrement vs. the rest of us perspective.

Whatever, any stranger that approaches me with a civilian car, wearing street clothes, who is not a sworn law enforcement officer, is a possible threat to stealing my uniform, my identification, my aircraft. The FAA has created this quandry where everyone is required to challenge, but no one knows how to properly do so. His logic was that because he cut us off to the GA gate, that he was the authority and I was the person to submit. That's bs.

He should have taken his complaint to the airport manager and then had him come and talk to me.

This is the same problem I run into with other people who challenge who are not in a police uniform. They run up on you like they are the law and want to see your identification, the only problem is, they haven't identified themselves first. Anyone in authority, would have identified themselves first..."Hi, I'm deputy Johnson of the ABC sheriff's department, do you know why I stopped you?"

These jokers are running up on you and challenging you with out identifying themselves first. Untrained, ignorant civilians playing cop...it's BS. It's as rude as calling someone and when they pick up the phone and answer, the caller says, "Who is this?" fk off, you called, who am I talking to?

 

[Metro752]

i've had this happen to me once, and it was a guy my age or a little younger. My only response, since I had no business at the airport and someone was meeting me in a car, "F*** your mother" as I walked pass.

Just like FN said, if they have any authority or right to question you, they WILL identify themselves first.

I CANNOT STAND people who do not ID themselves when they call on the telephone either. I don't swear though, I just hang up in those cases.

 

[FN FAL]

i've had this happen to me once, and it was a guy my age or a little younger. My only response, since I had no business at the airport and someone was meeting me in a car, "F*** your mother" as I walked pass.

Just like FN said, if they have any authority or right to question you, they WILL identify themselves first.

I CANNOT STAND people who do not ID themselves when they call on the telephone either. I don't swear though, I just hang up in those cases.

What is key is to know who is supposed to be at the airport, the guy should have introduced himself pulled out some identification and said, "Hi, my name is Bob xyz, I have a plane based here, so I like to know who and what is going on around the airport, who are you?"

I would have said, "hi Bob, I'm xyz, here's my ID, nice to meet you." Bam, from that day on, I'd know Bob wasn't a terrorist and Bob would have known I was an airport regular just doing my job. End of story.

 

[propsarebest]

All the more reason to pack a heater with you wherever you fly to.