A request to all airplane owners

[T. Adams]

Take that damn canopy cover off your airplane if you are going to have it on display at an airshow. I know why they are there, and I know we are sometimes talking about protecting aircraft worth over a million dollars. When I go to a drag race I don't expect to walk through the pits and see cars with covers all over them.

I can see it if the airplane is parked and stored outdoors. While on display at an airshow however, nothing turns me off more than to see a classic fighter like a P-51 with a stupid cover on it. I simply refuse to take any pictures of these aircraft. I have missed only 1 Oshkosh fly-in in the last 20 years. This seems to be a more recent trend, years ago this was not the case.

When it comes to the homebuilts I really don't understand. Many of the homebuilts, as I'm sure you are all aware, have nice low cockpits that spectators can see in. You would think that the builder would like to show off his craftsmanship.

I have only made it to Reno once in 2000, I'll be back this year, thankfully this does not seem to be standard practice at Reno.

Now that I'm finished with my Dennis Miller style rant, what is everybodies opinion. Aircraft owners, blast away, I can take it.

[morss]

It costs me 400 dollars in fuel and two days time to get to and from osh. It costs me 18 dollars a day to attend. I never leave my aircraft outside so the least I can do is cover the canapy and protect my interior and avionics. Also if the cover is off at least 10 cameras will bang my fusalage and canapy as lookers lean in for a closer look. I go to osh to see things not stand constant guard on my aircraft. Also I wont stay for the weekend as even with barriers that I buy at osh people will crowd around under and on my aircraft. Ist time I stayed over weekend cost me several small scratches and a bent pitot tube.
dave

[AAFO_WSagar]

I've got to agree with Dave. Though it is disappointing when you want a good shot of an airplane and the cover is on it. I can totally understand having one on there. I've seen the crowds that gather under and around airplanes at Osh and other shows, particularly Osh though because a lot of planes are pretty much just "out there" with no barriers.

Probably most people are careful but.. you should NEVER touch anyone's airplane, or their car for that matter. And I see a lot of people just innocently rub their hands over the surface of airplanes or worse, lean on them. Yep, they look good and they feel good but still should never be touched unless invited.

In fact, if you check back and talk with the owners, maybe they would take the cover off for your photo. Last year, I got a polishing lesson on a particularly nice bare metal T-6 because I took the time to talk with the owner, I got to touch the airplane, he got some free elbow grease. We were all happy..

Even if they don't feel like removing the cover or have a reason they do not want to. You will gain the experience of meeting someone new and very likely learn a lot about the particular airplane that is your "target"..



Wayne

[T. Adams]

Valid points but...

All valid points but I still disagree. I don't know how sensitive avionics are to the sun but I have some experience with my truck I race. For the first 6 yrs I owned it, it was parked out in the weather 365 days a year. It was covered however except for when I raced or drove it, which was quite often. Now after 12 yrs the interior is still perfect, even though it sat out in the sun weekend after weekend at races. If a plane only sits uncovered for only 2 days a week, and not every week at that, I don't think it would do much damage. I don't know avionics, so I could be dead wrong on this.

Also about the planes being "out there" at Oshkosh, this is what makes Oshkosh unique. If I want to see airplanes with barriers around them I'll go to a museum. I do realize there will always be morons out there who will touch an airplane even if the sign read "Plane is electified, you will die if you touch this".

[GWB]

It didn't seem to be a problem at Arlington....I think I only saw 2, maybe three, planes with canopy covers on. Then again, the there were not crowds of people around every plane either......

[gsbloom]

Where's your airplane?

Originally posted by T. Adams
Take that damn canopy cover off your airplane if you are going to have it on display at an airshow. I know why they are there, and I know we are sometimes talking about protecting aircraft worth over a million dollars. When I go to a drag race I don't expect to walk through the pits and see cars with covers all over them....

Hmmmm...did you bring an airplane to Oshkosh? Have you ever brought a plane to an airshow? I am guessing that you have not. If you had, you would not ask.

I brought several Army helicopters to air shows over the years and we had people hanging on tailrotors, using loop antennas as chin up bars, had them jettison Huey doors onto the pavement... and all kinds of mayhem and damage. One kid found a pilots helmet, put it on then rubbed his runny snot nose into the microphone. (Thank God it was not MY helmet...I was smart enough to hide mine)

When I was on the Miss America team, we brought the airplane to many shows and people would climb on the wing without asking, try to move the locked control surfaces, remove covers from intakes, and put their kids on the airplane for pictures. One guy took a pen and jabbed it into the rudder to prove to someone else it was actually made of fabric. You obviously have no idea what people are capable of.

People have no respect for other peoples property. If I had an airplane worth that much, I would have it covered, have an electric fence around it with armed guards, a moat, and rabid attack dogs. That would probably only minimize the damage.

Do yourself a favor, don't come here and tell people what to do with their airplanes unless you have one, or have some clue as to what they are up against. With the growing lack of consideration for people and their property, I am amazed that people are still willing to bring their airplanes to shows at all.

[T. Adams]

I knew this would stir up a lot of stuff. Hey I race cars. Do you think that racers don't know what this stuff is worth? I feel the same way about people who put those stupid bras on their cars and also people who trailer cars (trailer queens). Cars are meant to be driven, and planes flown. If you want people to look at your plane then let them see it. I'm not talking about letting people climb all over them. I respect the owners wishes, I don't touch them.

I'm the kind of guy that parks my car 1/2 mile from the store so that nobody will give me a dreaded door ding form slamming their car door open.

The NHRA makes the racers with faster cars replace belts every 2 years wether they need them or not. One reason is due to being out in the sun so much. This does not mean however that they keep their cars covered while showing, or racing them.

[T. Adams]

Telling people what to do.

By the way read the title of the thread. I believe it says "A request", I'm not telling anybody to do anything. If they chose to keep the cover on, fine, it is their airplane, not mine. Yes I'll never own one, but that does not mean I can't have a opinion. You know opinions are like ***holes, everybody has one.

[gsbloom]

I re-read my post...

I re-read my post and it may have sounded a but angry. However, I must say that if you ever had to do a preflight after an air show, you would know why I feel the way I do.

The things I mentioned were just a few of the things I have seen happen at airshows to airplanes. People use intakes as trash cans, yank on pitot tubes, and God knows what else.

I often wonder if crashes like the one in the Ukrane happen because the engine was FOD'd out by something someone dropped into the intake while passing by. I am not saying that WAS the cause of that specific crash, but it is a possibility that someones engine has been fouled by something someone did, causing them to lose their life or the lives of others.

If you don't want to take photos of airplanes with covers then don't. I am sure the aircraft owners will not loose any sleep over it.

[wardog]

as one who has babysat more than one airshow plane over the years, I have to agree with Dave. the potential for damage to the aircraft if not properly protected is high. more than once, I've had to chase spectators to the proper side of the protective barrier. those barriers are there to protect the spectators and the aircraft! it's frustrating to the pilots and crews when these are ignored. and I've heard many complaints about the barriers, crew and covers interfering with pictures. all are there for a reason - please respect that! If the pilot or crew are around, and you ask, often times if opportunity permits, we'll work with you so you can get the desired picture.
also, being quite familiar with Dave's aircraft (having occassionally helped out with them in the past), I can honestly say, they are beautiful, well cared for aircraft. and I don't blame him a bit for being protective of them! the only time the lancair sees the light of day is when it's being flown :-) the rest of the time, it's in the hangar or if he's on the 'road' so to speak, it's well protected in the shade, with the cover on. last I saw it on the road, it was parked under the wing of a Lodestar I believe - and it made the lodestar look better ;-)
just my 2 cents