In a nutshell: A guys parks his plane and notices a classic Ercoupe next to him that had not been tied down. He considered tying the Ercoupe down, but abided by the unwritten rule that you don’t touch another’s aircraft without permission. The weather changed while he and his wife were out to dinner, and when they returned to the airport the next morning the Ercoupe was on its back – perilously close tho their undamaged plane.
So, pilots: Would you have tied the Ercoupe down? A loose airplane could have damaged his plane. It’s also the neighbourly thing to do. OTOH, and this is mentioned in the comments, if the Ercoupe had been damaged anyway, then its owner could place some blame on the samaritan.
Could he have reported it to whoever owns the, um, parking lot where it was parked? I have to assume there’s got to be someone there at all times, right?
I’d probably bring it up to the line boy, or someone at the FBO desk. They ought to have a contact number for any one parked on their ramp. If nothing was going to be done, I’d ask for a different parking spot. Doesn’t take a huge storm to make an unsecured airplane move.
As a sailor (not a pilot) we tend to take action to correct an unsafe situation if the vessel’s skipper is not available, but notifying someone in charge (like the harbor master equivalent) is an example of “taking action” if there is no immediate threat to life or limb.
Seconded. Sailors will secure a boat that has become loose on its mooring or in a slip to prevent damage to itself and neighbouring boats or dock. Usually we’ll get help from one or two other sailors that happen to be around to ensure that there are witnesses to the action and that it was done for a valid reason. We’ll usually inform the dock master having done so.
Seems a reasonable action to take for a parked plane.
That’s often the case and if that were the case here it is what I would have done. However there are plenty of completely unattended airports that may consist of as little as a strip of grass or asphalt and a field next to it for parking your plane.
I am a caveman who knows nothing of such things, but if I’m given: “Tying down a parked aircraft (presumably wingtips & tail?) is common enough that a failure to do so is noted in casual passing” then I’m going to assume the owner is a bit absent-minded and would not notice his plane is tied down when he tries to take off. I’m picturing a vaguely slug-shaped hunk of aluminum pulling itself down the runway and a pile of wings and tail in the parking stall.
I’d have tied it down if the proper equipment were ready–etiquette or otherwise–and then told whomever is in charge what I done and why. If the other pilot gets his panties in a twist it would be easy enough to come back with, “You don’t even know enough to tie down your own airplane, you sure you know what you’re doing in the air?”
tie it down because it’s a safety hazard otherwise. Don’t care if the owner likes it or not. Not that anybody with a show plane would park it outside but if such were the case I would hand feed the rope through the attaching points so as not to scuff the paint.
I learned to fly in the Antelope Valley. Deserts are known for their winds, and notbody left his plane untied. Up here, I’ve noticed planes not tied down, at least for short periods. It doesn’t get very windy… usually. It was very gusty here over the weekend. (I think gusts hit 40 kts.)
I think if I were to see an airplane not tied down, and I could reasonably assume that it was not going to be flown that day (it seemed fairly late in the linked article, and the ropes were threaded through the rings) I would probably tie it down. We were jet-skiing at Lake Havasu once. Beautiful (though hot) day. We went to dinner, and it was a beautiful evening. But when we got back to the lake, it was a scene of devastation. In the hour or two we were in the restaurant, severe winds came up and sunk several boats. Adverse weather can happen suddenly.
As far as legal issues go, I think an owner/renter has a right to protect the property that is in his charge. Tying down an unsecured airplane is reasonable protection. If the other aircraft is damaged (the owner could claim you left enough slack that it bounced around and suffered structural damage), then it’s likely there would have been more damage if it were left unsecured. So you’re still reducing damage. Besides, how would he know you were the one who tied the airplane down?
For information: As I said, when I learned to fly, airplanes were always died down when not in use. It’s been two years since I’ve been on a ramp, but I was surprised to see several unsecured airplanes here. Anyway, there is indeed a ring to tie down the tail. The wings usually have a ring on each one, about midway out. Some are simple ring bolts. Dad’s Cessnas had rings made of flat metal that folded up into the struts. Planes may be tied down with ropes, passed through the ring and tied in a hitch (knot); or with chains. The chains are passed through the ring, and a link is put through another link and secured with a hook on the end of the chain. In either case, slack is secured so that it doesn’t whip around and cause damage.
A perfect example of this discussion is the air show at Oshkosh. Not only are you not allowed to have unattended chairs left upright you’re expected to fold down any you see unattended. I’ve taken down many a campsite that was left unattended when there was threat of weather.
The show organizers have volunteers that do nothing but go around looking for planes not tied down in a timely manner. Somewhere I have a picture of a vendor who lost his plane and another vender whose plane was struck by it during a storm. And that I believe was from improperly tying it down. Pulled the anchors right up.
I do this all the time. I am an A&P Mechanic and a PP.
Outside of our shop there is a 182 that is owned by five older gentlemen, they often go flying together and on returning, tie the aircraft down by committee. I have found it with two of the three tie downs secured more often then not. I go ahead and tie the last one down. It is so bad that I will check this 182 three times a day, in the morning 1st thing, at lunch, and last thing I do before going home.
I did not read the article, but if I notice an aircraft untied, I tie it. There is a fair chance it belongs to an attorney. They can sue me if they like. I refuse to be intimidated by sue-happy folks. I have insurance for this anyway. The FBO supplies it.
Anecdotal “what was I thinking” memory of a windy day. I use to belong to a flying club and went out to check on a plane during a 60 mph wind. The tail didn’t look secure enough so I proceeded to fix the problem. Huge mistake. As soon as I loosened the rope it picked the tail right up and I had to hold the rope for a considerable amount of time until I could wrangle it back down.