Motherfucker! Airport Vandalized!!!

The BBQ Pit
1

Went out to fly this morning and arrived to find out the airport was vandalized overnight! 45 runway lights ripped out of the ground (that was the first tip-off - an early arrival walked into the office and said “Hey, you know, most of your runway lights aren’t working and I think one of them is lying on the pavement”). Went to pre-flight Bravo and discovered someone had been fucking around inside the cockpit. Switches all messed up, every which way. But the wires linking the key to the starter had been cut and the ends neatly stripped. Wonder if someone had been trying to hotwire it.

NOTE: I know some of us on the Dope do, actually, know how to hotwire an airplane. DO NOT start a discussion about that - suffice to say that if that had been the intention I don’t think they knew what the hell they were doing.

Anyhow, no flying. I hope none of the other airplanes at tie-down were vandalized but they’ll all have to be checked out. It’s now being left up to the cops/FBI/other authorities.

Motheringfucking cocksucking scumfeeding slimeballs I hope you rot in hell while being fucked by giant pineapples shoved up your asses! And a whole bunch of other bile and venom!!! :mad:

2

I hope the vandals haven’t messed with the fuel tanks by adding salt / sugar / sand / other crap.

Anyway, just chill and think about going supersonic at low level over the miscreants’ houses.

3

Is it too extreme to think that the vandals, if caught and convicted, should get the death penalty? These acts could be seen as terrorism whether the malcontents intended that or not. Most vandalism is harmless in the grand scheme of things, but this bullshit endangered hundreds of lives. :f

4

It might be worth realizing that she’s not talking about a major airport with jumbo jets, etc., before you start thinking “terrorism.”

My sympathy, Broomstick.

5

Even if it’s a small Cessna 152, if you fuck with any airplane that will occupy people, you’re being a terrorist.

6

I’m just saying that at an airport like that, especially considering the nature of the other damage, it’s much more likely that someone was being a destructive asshole than trying to kill a couple random private pilots because They Hate America ™.

7

Most airports I’ve been to have the following sign:

8

Maybe Mayor Daley is trying to expand his empire?

9

I heard there was a problem like this in and around Phoenix/Mesa: some jackass would pull a pickup truck right next to a live padmounted transformer, chain 'er to his hitch, and drive off. . . taking said transformer and a couple of hundred feet of copper distro lines with him. They’d then mangle the transformer enough, and turn both the wire and the cores in as scrap, and make quite a few $$$ off it. So, were they after the lighting, or cables too?

Anyway, I just got “certified” in airfield lighting construction last year. I’ll be right over.

Tripler
:: runs to find his speed square, hammer, and bull float ::

10

Another possibility (and the one I thought of first) is that the perpetrator is someone who moved near the airport and decided he didn’t like airplane noise and became so pissed off that he moved near an airport, that he decided to take drastic measures to reduce the number aircraft using it.

11

Has the local news tried to blame it on kids who have played too much Grand Theft Auto yet?

12

snort I guess he couldn’t get the bulldozers all the way out there under the cover of darkness, aimed for a different method…

13

This is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard.

They weren’t being terrorists. Terrorism implies using terror to achieve some goal. Eg, smashing an airplane into two huge office buildings in order to achieve a political aim. THAT is terrorism.

Fucking around with an airplane because you and your stoner mates think it’d be a hoot isn’t terrorism. Yanking some lights out of the ground because it seemed like fun isn’t terrorism. Trying to hotwire a plane to go for a joyride isn’t terrorism. It’s stupidity. Let’s not get them confused, mmkay? :rolleyes:
Max.

14

Jeez. That’s a little harsh, isn’t it? Irresponsible, inconsiderate, yes, but terrorist, no.

15

I know the technical term for being a Terrorist is to have an agenda against a government or other groups of people and to cause havoc within. I guess I was being a little harsh. But come on now, if you knowingly mess around with an airplane with the intent to cause harm to future occupants, I think you’re a little more then irresponsible and inconsiderate. You may not be an militant terrorist, but I don’t think the mindset is too far off.

16

But you were sounding so dangerously Republican. :smiley:

17

I know this is the pit and all, but I think you’re going a little to far with this statement. :wink:

18

Here I am again.

The damage to Bravo was minor and is now repaired. In fact, they were test flying it this afternoon. Discovered some corrosion in the exhaust pipe, but that was age, not vandalism.

Someone yanked the fire extinguishers out of the C150’s and sprayed the C172 with 'em - had to clean up the C172 and check the fuel tanks for contamination. In fact, all the FBO airplanes on the ramp have now been checked for potential fuel problems, none found so far.

The private airplanes at tie-down are the owners’ responsibility, but they have all been contacted, told about the damages, and warned to very carefully inspect their airplanes.

The busted runway lights have been collected and a sign posted in the FBO that the runway lighting is now slightly less than adequate. Presumably, the FAA has been informed so this information may be disseminated to non-local pilots who might want to visit.

In addition to the repairs to both lights and airplane(s), this little fiasco required the cancellation of all Saturday students and renters - that’s the loss of an entire day’s business and, since we’re largely weekend fliers, the bulk of the week’s business.

All indications are that it was someone or some several just fucking around being jackasses, not delibrate intent to cause death, maiming, and severe financial loss. Say, some drunken high school kids. Yuck-yuck-yuck, lots of laughs, guys.

The local sheriff is a tad embarrassed - the county helicoptors are based there and the cops have an airport office. They’re supposed to be keeping an eye on the place 24/7. Maybe someone picked a bad time for a donut run, I dunno. Or there was some other distraction.

We’re unlikely to catch the culprits (and yes, the Mayor Daley comments were flying freely today) but if we do they may find that what seemed like a good idea on Friday after a dozen or so beers is not so happy a thing after the Feds get ahold of them. Granted, no one was hurt, but they could, indeed, be looking at $10k and 20 years. Not to mention compensation for airplane repairs and loss of income from shutting down a flight school for a day.

19

By that logic, if you post on this message board, you’re being a mango.

20

I think it’s odd that in the sign Johny L.A. posted, only damaging or disabling by *stealing *is listed as a federal offense. Surely damaging the equipment or adulterating the fuel is equally dangerous and deserving of punishment.