Should I bust him?

[MarineGrunt]

Just had a smelly foreign dude and two trashy women get into a 172 and depart a few minutes ago. Before getting into the airplane one woman lit a cigarette and climbed in. They took off and did an IMMEDIATE right turn, flying about 100' over the FBO. I looked up the N-number and the aircraft is a rental. If it were my rental plane, I would want to know if I have idiots like this flying it...

Think I should give their FBO a call or let it be?

EDITED TO ADD:

He also had a ID badge for a commuter airline of some sort. I can't remember the name of it. All I can remember is seeing that his seniority date was some month/day/2003.

 

[Caveman]

Let it go. The guy might be the owner of the rental airplane and therefore smokes in it if he wants to. I really don't see an upside to you calling. Best case scenario is the rental FBO says thanks. Worst case scenario is they tell you to f*ck off. There are way too many knuckleheads running around this world and we would all go nuts trying to correct them all. Darwin was right. Let nature take it's course.

 

[Toy Soldier]

Quote by Caveman
Darwin was right. Let nature take it's course.

Too funny Caveman

Seriously, the only problem with letting the "Darwin Course" play out is that they may take one of our children with them! That would also be the same as letting drunk drivers weed themselves out. It doesn't work that way

This is a tough question that only you can answer. A few of us have gone to the local airport manager about some serious shenanigans and he didn't want to address the issues - he is also NO LONGER with the airport as of Friday!

However, at another field, the FBO manager will address issues with lightning-quick speed! He will even develop local policies to prevent nonsense from happening.

I guess there are a few questions that need to be answered before getting involved:

1. Will it make a difference if you report it? Who would be the best person/agency to report to?

2. Was there a rule violation or just poor "piloting technique"?

3. Did the knucklehead endanger anyone else? These always bother me!

I personally had a C150 at a local flight school and pulled it for shenanigans that were going on. My plane suffered damage on several occassions because of it. Thank God I didn't get sued, or worse, someone killed.

My gut feel is to address the issue. However I guess you have to ask yourself the above questions and then make a decision.

Most folks don't like to be confrontational and will "let it go". Also, what are the repurcussions of raising your voice versus the "payback" of getting the issue addressed?

SUMMARY
There is no sense in ruffling feathers if nothing will be done except the fact that you get a "reputation". However, if good can come of it - then drive on!

 

[uavchaser]

Better tell LXApilot about this so he can give this guy a good talking to

 

[WrightAvia]

A good shotgunning is in order...

...or maybe the old "black and decker doans pill" treatment, may do.

here is a story hot off the press, about a guy that was "mad as hell and not going to take it anymore!".

MOUNT HOPE, Ohio - A motorist whose car was pelted with tomatoes as he passed a cornfield fired a shotgun into the field, killing a 23-year-old man, authorities said.

More on the story below at this link...
http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/6674232.htm

 

[DIRT]

MarineGrunt: did this yahoo do anything else that was a blatant rule violation?? Sounds like at the very least this guy could get hit with careless/wreckless for the turnout over the FBO.

Toy Soldier: what other type of shenanigans did you have to report to the manager?

I am all for letting nature take it's course until it endangers other people... namely myself or my family then it is time to report these guys, at least then if they do hurt/kill an innocent person it will not be on my conscience.

 

[MarineGrunt]

Well, I decided I wont call the FBO. But if anyone here works at Bemidji Aviation, you can PM me about it...

 

[Typhoon1244]

...the only problem with letting the "Darwin Course" play out is that they may take one of our children with them!

...or another airplane full of people. I gotta agree with Toy on this one. Even though a loathe tattle-tailing*, I'd've called the FBO.





*or is it "tattle-taling," as in "tale?"

 

[tarp]

Leave 'em alone. It's not your business.

As soon as you judged the people, you lost the right to criticize the event.

If this was a good looking, sweet smelling blond in a Christen Eagle would you call in the 100' pass or would that be OK?

"Cast the first stone?"

I can't - guilty as sin!

 

[Typhoon1244]

If this was a good looking, sweet smelling blond in a Christen Eagle would you call in the 100' pass or would that be OK?

Depends...what's she wearing?

And was she renting the Eagle from some poor schmuck or was it hers?

And was she smoking?

 

[MarineGrunt]

If this was a good looking, sweet smelling blond in a Christen Eagle would you call in the 100' pass or would that be OK?

Yes.
Smelly foreigners, no.

 

[FSB99]

i'm usually the biggest advocate of "who are you and why are you bothering me," and normally would say leave the guy alone if he didn't hurt you. However... many moons ago, when i was managing a flight school, i was very thankful to one afternoon receive a phone call from a busy-body type who just wanted to inform us that he saw one of our airplanes being operated in a very suspect manner. basically, he saw the airplane go around twice, then land hard and fast, lots of brake smoke when it finally stopped bouncing; then on takeoff, the pilot did a little top gun type thing over the fbo. anyway, i thanked the annonymous informant, shook my head, and laughed it off.. but, then on a whim, as i stood outside talking with one of the instructors, i happened to look over at this particular airplane, and noticed it appeared slightly crooked in its tie-down ropes. so, we looked it over, and discovered one of the main shocks was lower than the other.. after maintenance got it in the hangar, turns out, one of the main gear was physically cracked, like, a hairline fracture. this particular airplane was one of our complex/high performance rental types, and flew maybe 5 hours a week, so possibly would have sat like that until its next flight in a week, and had to cancel somebody's trip.
anyway, point of my long story is, if you think what you witnessed could cause damage or harm, then sure, make the call. otherwise, have a beer and tell your latest story of the idiot you saw at the airport.

 

[efiscompmon]

Don't go federal on him....

I really can't stress this enough. Over the years I have known a few people who have tried to "do the right thing" by informing the feds about an airman (not always a pilot) who was "bad" in some way. In every case I have seen the situation blown far out of proportion to the perceived offense. And, in every case the confidentiality of the whistleblower was not kept.

If what you saw was so egregious that your conscience can't live with yourself for doing nothing, discretely go to the manager of the FBO and inform him. If he's worth cr@p, he will want to know and will appreciate your handling. From another former jarhead, a quiet captain's mast for this jerkoff is a lot better than getting a court-martial convened in the form of FSDO involvment. Most importantly, no one else will know of your involvement. You do not want to be known as the guy who runs to the feds. Kiss your career goodbye my friend. It is a sad commentary on our culture that you could be a man of integrity and still not be trusted. That is the position you risk putting yourself in.

If you feel that that is not enough, join the FAA as an inspector. There are more than enough dirtbags out there that you could spend a career mopping them all up. But wait until then to go federal.

Who knows, maybe one of the trashy broads spilled her grande mocha frappalatte beverage on his man-sac, precipitating the "agressive maneuvering". That would suck.

 

[Typhoon1244]

Re: Don't go federal on him....

Over the years I have known a few people who have tried to "do the right thing" by informing the feds about an airman...who was "bad" in some way. In every case I have seen the situation blown far out of proportion to the perceived offense. And, in every case the confidentiality of the whistleblower was not kept.

If what you saw was so egregious that your conscience can't live with yourself for doing nothing, discretely go to the manager of the FBO and inform him.

Well, in Grunt"s defense, that's exactly what he asked if he should do. The FAA didn't come up.

May sound silly, but I'm not as concerned about the low turn as I am the smoking. Especially if it was an aircraft I rented too!

 

[FL000]

Re: A good shotgunning is in order...

MOUNT HOPE, Ohio - A motorist whose car was pelted with tomatoes as he passed a cornfield fired a shotgun into the field, killing a 23-year-old man, authorities said.

I'll bet that guy won't throw tomatoes at cars anymore. I wouldn't suggest shooting someone who does that, but he sure as hell could have gotten an innocent motorist killed or injured, much like the idiot in the airplane.

 

[WrightAvia]

one day a news helicopter overflew our public access, private owned grass strip where our drop zone operated from. A really nice little grass strip airport.

I was just getting ready to get in the 182 I was to fly a load of jumpers in, when the chopper went by. It was almost like a low pass down the runway. I waved to the camera man as the chopper went by and I thought the low pass was kind of neat, maybe 200 feet off the deck...not even closely resembling a buzz job. It was one of those turbine jet rangers. At the same time, one of our other jump pilots was just starting to back taxi the runway for departure. He took off and I started up and started to back taxi. The chopper was long gone by then. After the two of us jump planes got airborne, I over heard Nick, the other pilot calling up the Class C controller to check in with ATC.

He starts whining to the controller about the chopper and did they know where he came from and what his tail number was and on and on.

Well, I didn't have the heart to key the mike when Nick got done ranting to ATC and say "Hey, Nick...while you're at it, why don't tell ATC, the pilot emergency parachute you're wearing is out of DATE!"

 

[Toy Soldier]

Weeeeeeeeeeell, as a skydiver myself, one day I grabbed the jump pilot by his neck and slammed him up against the plane after he landed. I did this because he "buzzed" the next load (me included) as he took off - I had to drop to the deck to keep from eating Michelin!

I told him that the only reason that I didn't shove his teeth down his throat was because he was the only pilot available that day and that I didn't want to ruin it for the other guys.

You see, I addressed the issue without causing undue delay for my fellow jumpers...

Footnote - ALL the other jumpers thought it was funny being buzzed. The pilot said that he does it all the time and no one has ever complained! I was the only one slightly upset....

What does that tell us about the safety mentality of the ones on the ground or in the air?

 

[Vladimir Lenin]

so is that what it takes to pick up trashy wimminz, being smelly and foreign?

did he smell so bad that you could smell him without being able to fully see his badge? and if so, can you elaborate on the smell, so that I may further fine-tune a potion for lonely chaps looking for some action?

thanks!

Just Another "Zest"fuly Clean Pilot

 

[ratings:all]

tattle-tale

i worked with a very busybody cfi once that had a propensity for tattling give me some info he had seen about one of the jump pilots i'd occasionally fly with-i decided to stop flying with the guy. next week he turned his 182 into a smoking hole a half mile off the runway.

he didnt have to, and the info he gave me wasnt a a breech of legality on the other pilot's part, but he told me anyway. rule of thumb, let thine conscious be thine guide. but if in doubt, leave it out.

 

[bobbysamd]

Tattling

The things that people do can really irritate you and can be clearly wrong and/or go against generally-accepted standards of acceptable behavior. You follow the rules and you wonder why other's don't. You want to do something about it. On the other hand, what can be done? Can you really change the world? Would it bite you in the rear one day?

At one time I might have placed a phone call to the FBO, but I have learned that it doesn't always pay. You can't fight city hall. Now, I think I would have sighed and let it go. Perhaps the next renter noticed the cigarette and B.O. stench and reported it to the FBO. Let him/her be the bad guy. Maintain your reputation as a good guy.