I was watching CNN talkback live and they were talking of making small airplanes secure from unauthorized use. Someone said they make wheel locks for that reason. Sound familiar, maybe they should mandate them. Is there and anti-airplane lobby out there to do this too? Or maybe we should just ban planes, we have ships, trains and buses that can transport. Airplanes, the new threat?

I dont think this meant to keep people from flying their airplanes if I understand correctly. Sounds like theyre just trying to keep people from stealing them.

Most airplanes (mainly multi-engine) dont use keys and often have poor door locks, so it would be very easy to steal one.

What we need is regulation that establishes rigorous licensing requirements for pilots and aircraft owners.  Nobody should be able to use a plane unless they are licensed.  

The aircraft lobby has spilled enough blood of children.  I personally will do all that I can to ensure that my bill passes... um, what?  There are already licensing procedures?

Uh, never mind.

I personally think you should have to get a license to be an idiot.  All the ridiculous ideas that idiots come up with really are a danger to society.  

Except, this kid was given the keys to preflight the aircraft.  The media is trying to sensationalize this event.  Have you ever lent the keys of your car to a kid to get something out of your car?  Did you walk behind him watching him the entire time?  That is what happened here.  The instructor gave the kids the keys(negating any locking mechanisms), and said go preflight the aircraft, and I'll meet you when you are finished.  The kid, took the keys, went to the airplane, and STOLE the airplane.  A kid could just as easily STEAL a car by doing the same thing.

People are trying to act like the flight school or instructor were negligent, but they were not.  The media is trying to act like we need more laws to prevent this, but none would stop this situation.  If you required the instructor to be present at all times the student has access to the airplane, then the student would just wait for the instructor to use a restroom and then steal the keys, and then leave and take the airplane before he knows what happened.


It all comes down to another psycho kid being mixed in with normal kids and treated as such.

If thats the case, then I agree with you. But I'm still not too worried about any "oppressive" aviation laws, because those that make them (the FAA) are pilots themselves. Then again, they can always be pressured.

My Aviation Law class starts tomorrow and I will post updates! [:)]

These 24-hour news channels have alot of time to fill everyday.  Every angle is analyzed no matter how rediculous.  

The first day they were asking if new laws should be passed because one idiot steals a plane.  However, thousands of cars are stolen each day.  One plane is stolen and crashed and they're calling for new laws or increased security at all airports wich would not have prevented this from happening.

Even if wheel locks were mandated for all airplanes, it would not have prevented this from happening.  

Every Piper, Mooney and Cessna I've been in have keys for the doors and ignition/mag's.

Commerical jets don't have them, but those are kind of hard to sneak into and leave with, and now hard to sneak on to...


This wuss down in florida didn't steal 'GTA (grand theft airplane) style', he was pre-flighting an airplane for his instructor, which is NOT uncommon, like gunman0 said.

The media needs to stop sensationalizing every little thing and do the right thing.. dissiminate information, not oppinions.. (LOL, like that will happen!!!)

At our local airport, most general aviation aircraft that are on the ramp are locked, and have some manner of prop lock that would prevent the operation of the engine with the lock in place.

BTW, most aircraft are parked with full tanks to minimize condensation in the tanks.  With full tanks, most small aircraft can only carry ~400 lbs of people and cargo.  Deduct the weight of the pilot, and the capacity for explosives is around 200 lbs.  Compare this to the 1,500 lbs of explosives you can pack in a car or truck, and you get the impression that GA aircraft aren't the threat the media makes them out to be.

The instructor was doing things the right way, and the student took advantage of the instructor.  He simply stole the aircraft.

What we need to do now is sue the owner of the plane because he failed to keep it locked up, and the manufacturer for making a dangerous product.

Anyone can break into a plane in minutes. Mags do not require keys. Most single engines can be hand propped. etc,etc,etc...
Students have been preflighting the plane for 90 years!
The only way to prevent this would be if every plane had a proplock ($25).
But this has not been an issue until the moronic media hyped one act of blatent stupidity! Fear Mongers. I wish the ignorant news media could be sued for misinformation. Its obvious by the very facts that this plane was unable to do significant damage to anything but itself!! Why are the Idiots still allowed to alarm the sheeple with this rediculous hype? They continue to do injustice to aviators and aviation worldwide with their assinine, ignorant, and idiotic rhetoric. Its out of control! The sky is falling!! The sky is falling!! Chicken little.....


[-=(_)=-]