Very bizarre. To fly a plane out, won't the pilot of the plane have to speak with ATC? I wonder if letting the ATC (of the municipal airport) be informed that this plane tends to be flown by someone who might not be authorized might help?
The article said the airplane is based at KAJO, which is barely within the lateral boundary of Ontario International’s Class C shelf. To legally avoid a requirement to talk to ATC going north, he would have to stay below 2,700 MSL and remain outside the KONT Class C core. There’s a lot of area to the south and east that a pilot could buzz around without having to talk to anyone. Avoiding terrain to the south would be important.
My cars been stolen twice and both times, given the type of car, where it was stolen, and where it was abandoned the cops said it was most likely stolen to conduct a drug deal and then ditched
Seems plausible that something like that may be going on here
Interestingly, airplanes can also get repossessed. Special pilots get all the legal paperwork arranged and just show up and fly a plane out.
I suppose the high skill needed means that most pilots wouldn't want to steal airplanes, and it would not make sense to steal any airplane that needs special support from the manufacturer (the new owner can't keep it flying). Cars are much lower skill to steal and maintain and have a much broader market.
It's probably just that new startup, Aero. It's like Turo, except airplanes instead of cars. Also, they don't tell the airplane owners.
But seriously, there are lots of airplanes sitting on ramps for months at a time with no security so it's a minor miracle it doesn't happen more often.
She isn't "returning" the plane, she's landing it somewhere and he's finding out it's there later. And she isn't "fixing" it, she's replacing bits (the battery and headphones) he removed to make it harder to steal.
I imagine it's someone that doesn't have the monetary means to rent or buy a plane combined with a bit of mental health issues.
At the uncontrolled community airport I got my PPL at there were a few pilots who were known to have expired medical certificates and long expired flight reviews flying planes that they owned that hadn't had an annual inspection in years. All older guys who had nothing to lose if the FAA found out and grounded them.
I'm not sure why the owner of that aircraft doesn't setup an alert for it's tail number on one of the many aviation tracking sites. Call the airport management, police or local FBO once he sees it on approach to land at some airport.
> But Montanez said there’s no immediate indication as to who the culprit is.
My understanding was you cannot fly without filing a flight plan (or is this just a Canada-specific thing?), and that flight plan has to be submitted by someone, so there has to be a trail here. If the plans were not filed, after all, how would he be able to tell the plane was flown "multiple times" during one of this extended absences?
While until recently I had to, in the name of flight safety, carefully pack my bags while consulting the sizes of shampoo containers allowed in the carry-on baggage, surrender my unapproved nail clippers, and with my shoes in hand and pants belt-less - stand in line to be x-rayed and patted down on my way to board a plane…
… someone can without anyone ringing any alarm bells and not phasing the local law enforcement one bit - take off multiple times unnoticed and unidentified on a private plane, and, if they choose to, fly it straight into a freshly refueled jet that I am sitting in waiting to take off.
Shhh, hope “terrorists” don’t read this comment. Or the article in LA Times.
The article says that he found cigarette butts in the airplane. This DNA evidence would make it straightforward for the police to find the culprit if they wanted to.
So a perfectly good plane that someone could enjoy and fly sits languishing at an airport because the owner, who now can't fly or doesn't want to, won't sell it? I get the attachment and all. However, if you know there's a finite number of these things then please sell it to someone who would use it.
That's a golden age plane and it should be flown. Too bad many people would rather let something rot.
Keep in mind that this isn't really equivalent, cost-wise, to the crime of taking a car for a joyride -- airplane engines have rigorous maintenance schedules that require expensive overhauls, and aviation gasoline looks to be over double the price of "car" gasoline (and the MPG for that Cessna is probably half that of a decent car).
I am starting lessons here at EMT next week. My instructor's partner saw someone messing with this plane today. she drove up on the line to see if they needed help. she didnt know who they were. Her partner got a pic of the plane. Funny thing is my instructor is about my age.. so she kinda fit the desc. Now she's prefacing this news with, Im not her! lol Funny and madd3ning.
Not sure if I missed this in the story, but the second incident started with the owner removing the battery. It was replaced by the joyrider. Here's what I don't get. Presumably the incident happened in the middle of the night? Did the joyrider carry an extra battery? Or did they take notes, purchase a battery the next day, and install it that night?
The consensus appears to be that this is theft but it’s worth considering that it could also be many other things. It could be paperwork mixup with the purchase of a legitimate plane. The previous owner could have had his plane sold without him knowing about it (identity theft). There could be all sorts of reasons. The fact that the alleged is not hiding this newly acquired plane is a little strange to me.
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[ 3.8 ms ] story [ 55.0 ms ] threadhttps://www.reddit.com/r/CasualUK/comments/l4k9he/douglas_ad...
Seems plausible that something like that may be going on here
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Interestingly, airplanes can also get repossessed. Special pilots get all the legal paperwork arranged and just show up and fly a plane out.
I suppose the high skill needed means that most pilots wouldn't want to steal airplanes, and it would not make sense to steal any airplane that needs special support from the manufacturer (the new owner can't keep it flying). Cars are much lower skill to steal and maintain and have a much broader market.
https://aerocorner.com/blog/what-happened-to-airplane-repo/
But seriously, there are lots of airplanes sitting on ramps for months at a time with no security so it's a minor miracle it doesn't happen more often.
At the uncontrolled community airport I got my PPL at there were a few pilots who were known to have expired medical certificates and long expired flight reviews flying planes that they owned that hadn't had an annual inspection in years. All older guys who had nothing to lose if the FAA found out and grounded them.
I'm not sure why the owner of that aircraft doesn't setup an alert for it's tail number on one of the many aviation tracking sites. Call the airport management, police or local FBO once he sees it on approach to land at some airport.
Written by a guy who actually lived on the islands where this was happening (where I also happen to live).
My understanding was you cannot fly without filing a flight plan (or is this just a Canada-specific thing?), and that flight plan has to be submitted by someone, so there has to be a trail here. If the plans were not filed, after all, how would he be able to tell the plane was flown "multiple times" during one of this extended absences?
EDIT: Yes it's Canada-specific, required for any flights over 25 nautical miles, including VFR https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/sor-96-433/p...
… someone can without anyone ringing any alarm bells and not phasing the local law enforcement one bit - take off multiple times unnoticed and unidentified on a private plane, and, if they choose to, fly it straight into a freshly refueled jet that I am sitting in waiting to take off.
Shhh, hope “terrorists” don’t read this comment. Or the article in LA Times.
Maybe they have a similar plane and simply thinks that plane is there own.
That's a golden age plane and it should be flown. Too bad many people would rather let something rot.
Also, I don't support stealing a plane.
The track doesn't start immediately from Saint Gabriel so it could have also overflown El Monte jail and West Covina jail.
Good way to airdrop supplies?