Aircraft Security Measures

kiloalpha

kiloalpha

Well-Known Member
So, I have a very good suspicion that some line guys are getting into my airplane and turning valves that shouldn't be turned. :mad:

I want to start placing security tape/labels on my doors to see if anyone has been in there. Does anyone know where I can get these? I've looked on Google but it seems like they are targeting people who will buy in bulk.

I would lock the doors but for some reason, my company doesn't have keys anymore.
 
Kind of sounds to me like something that should be handled on a personal level. Catching guys screwing with your plane won't really do much to correct whatever is the reason for the mischief. It might get the behavior to stop temporarily, but won't end the cause of the behavior. I think it is usually more important to get to the root of the problem, not just treat the symptoms.

Whether you deal with the issue with the line guys directly, or use your or their supervisors to facilitate will be situation dependent.

Why do you think that they are screwing around with valves on your aircraft?
 
I've already written a letter to their supervisor, so hopefully I see some corrective action taken. These line guys at this particular FBO are disrespectful and just see me as some idiot pilot. Sorry, but my company spends more money on fuel a week there than I make in a month. I think we deserve a little better treatment.

Last night I was told to park in a particular area of the ramp which was on a slope. I set the brake so it wouldn't roll back into the grass. As the line guy came up, he asked me if I had released the brakes. I told him no, since I didn't have chalks. He sighed, like he was going out of his way cause I'm supposed to carry my own chalks around, and chalked the plane. Anyways, after he leaves I release the brakes. When I walked out the airplane this morning, they moved it 75 feet further down, which was totally unnecessary.

How did they know the brakes were released? If they had tried to move it with the brakes on, the nose wheel would've been attached to the tug and the plane's nose on the ground. So if they aren't poking into my airplane to turn the brake off, then they are reckless with a customer's airplane. I was out of the way when I shut down the engines, and relocating my plane was really unnecessary.

I feel like if they need to move my plane, they need a valid reason and me to release the brakes. Just cause isn't a good enough excuse. Especially when I was parked on the far side of the ramp and there was only one other airplane in and out between the time I taxied in and taxied out.
 
It is a general rule at practically all the FBOs that I go to that they expect brakes to be released when the plane stays overnight so they can move it if needed. I will often see signs asking "Did you release your brakes?", or a line man or desk person will verify that brakes are off. The flip side is that they must chock the wheels before I'll remove the parking brake.

I can't speak to your situation directly though. Sounds to me like some miscommunication going on somewhere.
 
Well, I was in overnight parking, it seemed they wanted to move my plane to spite me for making them work harder.

I ordered some stickers and and shiny, red, DO NOT TOW ribbon to wrap around my front tire. If they want to move me, while I'm in overnight parking, they can find me. They are usually messing around in the pilots lounge on the computers anyways.
 
kiloalpha said:
I want to start placing security tape/labels on my doors to see if anyone has been in there. Does anyone know where I can get these?
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Take some scotch tape and a sharpie. Tape the door closed and sign your signature on the tape. If anyone opens the door the tape will be broken.

If you want to see if the plane is moved, take a piece of white chalk and make a mark on the tire and one on the ground. You can put it on the inner side of the tire so no one sees it, although if theses guys are doing this overnight it would probably be pretty hard to see anyway if you didn't know to look for it.
 
What about a few rolls of razor wire all the way around the plane? That would keep me away.
 
kiloalpha said:
Well, I was in overnight parking, it seemed they wanted to move my plane to spite me for making them work harder.

I ordered some stickers and and shiny, red, DO NOT TOW ribbon to wrap around my front tire. If they want to move me, while I'm in overnight parking, they can find me. They are usually messing around in the pilots lounge on the computers anyways.
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The do not tow ribbon sounds like a good idea. These guys sound like young punks tho, or just complete bags. So, since im a little vindictive, I would prolly go a step further and pull the parking brake with and put the ribbon on there. If they move it and brake something, then your problem is gonna be solved pretty quick.
 
Bandit_Driver said:
It may also be TSA....They love screwing with peoples airplanes especially if you are a 121 or 135 operator.
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Ask me about my "hey captain, there's a coffee mug in our engine" story, or, the "innocently someone left a lunch bag in row 3" story which turned into an FA possibly being fined $12,000.

Messing with someone's plane is serious business.

-B
 
sorrygottarunway said:
Ask me about my "hey captain, there's a coffee mug in our engine" story, or, the "innocently someone left a lunch bag in row 3" story which turned into an FA possibly being fined $12,000.

Messing with someone's plane is serious business.

-B
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Can the TSA really do that?
 
Maybe i'm reading this incorrectly, but are you saying your upset that an FBO moved your aircraft overnight?
 
ILSstud said:
Can the TSA really do that?
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Unfortunately yes, Do you remember the story where TSA damaged several American Eagle aircraft trying to climb on the aircraft external probes. Keep in mind though they used their badges to defeat several layers of security prior to getting to the planes, which is BS IMO

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5613502&page=1

MikeOH58 said:
Maybe I'm reading this incorrectly, but are you saying your upset that an FBO moved your aircraft overnight?
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I think he is upset that they are doing more that moving the aircraft. He found switch flips and selector valves moved which is BS.

When I worked line we had a few customers that said they don't want the plane moved. We'd just park them at the far end of the ramp and they would set the brakes and lock the doors. It was fine bus me as it created less work. Especially if we had to storm stack the hangars. Also most of the military fighters were DO NOT TOW aircraft.
 
Goodspeed said:
Take some scotch tape and a sharpie. Tape the door closed and sign your signature on the tape. If anyone opens the door the tape will be broken.
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I ordered the nice little sticker set that SuferLucas mentioned. I like those since once removed they say open/void unlike a piece of tape that can be easily replaced. I could tell they moved it, since I parked next to a Beechjet and the next morning I was 75 feet away from it.

cmill said:
I would prolly go a step further and pull the parking brake with and put the ribbon on there. If they move it and brake something, then your problem is gonna be solved pretty quick.
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It's really company policy that we don't set the parking brake just because of stupid line people. We've had too many accidents where the nose gear has been ripped off. More than likely, I'll probably have to leave the brake off but attach the Do Not Tow flag to the front.

MikeOH58 said:
Maybe i'm reading this incorrectly, but are you saying your upset that an FBO moved your aircraft overnight?
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I'm upset that they did move my airplane, yes, but there is more to that. They moved it after I told them the brakes were set. So either they didn't care that they were set OR they went in my airplane to verify that they weren't. And I was already out their way, so what was the point of moving me further down in overnight parking? No one else came in while I was there.

OhioStatePilot said:
This isn't by any chance Atlantic, is it?
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I was trying to be a little bit discreet about this, but since you were able to figure it out, yes. They also like to use the bathroom in the pilot's lounge and talk very loudly in there. Very annoying when you're trying to get some shut eye.
 
So were things moved around inside your airplane, or are you just assuming they went inside it?

If all this fuss is over your airplane being moved, I think your making a big deal out of nothing.
 
Yeah, sorry kiloalpha, I wasn't trying to get you to out them, but the attitude sounded right compared to experiences I've had and heard about.
 
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