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SOLDOTNA ALASKA ALERT: Aircraft Thieves

B

Barnstormer

Just had a guy pull into my driveway, get out of his no license silver SUV (he was the passenger) with a pair of binoculars trying to see my 185. I confronted him and he said he was an aviation enthusiast looking for airplanes he could see from the road. Wanted to know if I'd give him my N number. Told him no, sent him on his way and called the Troopers. Spread the word that there are people on the Kenai Peninsula scouting airplanes to steal.
 
Hope you confronted him with a 12 gauge in the crook of your arm! That's why I like fences and gates!
 
Didn't own one. But I do now. And a gate will be coming.
 
Right after 9/11 this would have been a concern. Gates and security went up everywhere.

Gary
 
Trooper said the guy was scouting. My driveway is hard to see, narrow and in the trees on a 45mph road. You don’t turn into it by accident. And I’ve caught a lot of people coming down it. Some are obvious druggies and who knows what they want. I recently put a red road cone in the driveway and that has stopped them from coming all the way in. But this guy got out with a pair of binoculars and walked past the cone trying to see the 185. Nothing honest or innocent about this guy. And on his way out he used his phone to take a picture of my address sign. Why would you suppose he’d do that. He plans on coming back.


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Take a beer out and get to know the guy. He may just be an aviation wannabe. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. And screw the shotgun posturing. Pack a pistol and keep everyone wondering. Heck, he probably had one on!
 
Get some game cameras and position to catch them. Maybe one near the plane, one near the home if no passive security cams, and another near the road. Planes mean potential wealth to some and N-numbers give names which can yield phone #'s. No answer on the phone and maybe nobody home. Logged caller ID's helps.

Address signs = owner of record's name = other info. Anybody that thinks it's still the last century when it comes to rural crime in Alaska needs to read the Trooper's blog: https://dps.alaska.gov/dailydispatch/

Gary
 
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Yikes, I stop and walk up to look at airplanes and old vehicles all the time.

Me too....IF they're on a (public) airport or parked on or next to a road.
Easing onto private property without an invitation or asking raises a big red flag IMHO.
 
I wonder if he took a picture of your airplane too with his phone? Like I mentioned earlier taking a pic of them is supposedly like holding up a cross or garlic clove to a Vampire. They get the scoots. Plus if they're wanted the Authorities can run a mug search.

Gary
 
Trained Belgian Malinois!
84D4EB5A-9263-4226-977A-E26321C28830.jpeg

And a 6 ft fence and a gate with him on patrol. Problem solved!

Sounds like you need a German Shepherd
 

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A pack of Chihuahuas would sound the intruder alarm.

Gary
 

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You guys are paranoid. Glad I live in a friendly place like upstate NY. No fencing or gates, heck half the places don't even have a locked door.

Glenn
 
We're paranoid because many of the Lower 48 miscreants that you ran off have ended up here with little money and nasty habits. It used to be the cold ran them off as well but with recent mild weather they've overwintered and survived. Anchorage and Wasilla are home to more than a few.

Gary
 
Trooper said the guy was scouting. My driveway is hard to see, narrow and in the trees on a 45mph road. You don’t turn into it by accident. And I’ve caught a lot of people coming down it. Some are obvious druggies and who knows what they want. I recently put a red road cone in the driveway and that has stopped them from coming all the way in. But this guy got out with a pair of binoculars and walked past the cone trying to see the 185. Nothing honest or innocent about this guy. And on his way out he used his phone to take a picture of my address sign. Why would you suppose he’d do that. He plans on coming back.

Sounds like the county tax assessor or an airplane broker. Both could be considered thieves. You’ll know shortly which one it is.....The tax assessor will send you a letter telling you what he’s going to steal from you. The airplane broker will call you, every month, asking for the opportunity to oneday be able to steal from you. I’d feed them to the dogs either way:p
 
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I think a lot of people mistakenly believe that one has to be fabulously wealthy to own an airplane; and to them it's like stealing from a huge corporation like Walmart. They don't realize that for some of us our airplane is our most valuable asset; an asset which we struggle to afford.

I wonder if we could change that mindset by encouraging the media to print the backstory of how the victims of aircraft theft--whether it's fuel, parts, or the whole plane--sacrificed and worked hard to acquire and maintain their prized property and how the theft often causes the victim more than just money.
 
This isn't Chicago. Most Alaskans would see a guy with binocs this time of year and assume he was looking for moose.
 
This isn't Chicago. Most Alaskans would see a guy with binocs this time of year and assume he was looking for moose.
You know I initially thought that as well. I mean a guy traveling along at highway speed manages to see and stop and turn into my driveway that's just wide enough for a single vehicle and is cut into tall, dense black spruce intermixed with even taller birch trees with all their leaves on. With no sight that a runway is set behind these trees, and no way to see an airplane on it from the highway. And as his vehicle made its way into my driveway, without license plates front or back, and drove up to my red cone now just 150 feet in front of my cabin. And as he got out and walked toward my cabin walking past the cone and threw up his binoculars trying to look through those trees at the 185 you know what my first thought was? I'll bet he's just a tourist who is mistaking my green and white 185 sitting on the runway for one of those rare green and white moose that's known to inhabit the Kenai Peninsula. That was what I thought right up to the time where he mentioned he was an "aviation enthusiast" and could I please give him the airplane's N number. In hindsight that was actually his only mistake, saying he was an "aviation enthusiast". If he hadn't said that I'd still believe he had spotted one of those elusive green and white moose we are so well known for here and actually frequent my runway at certain times of year. I did do a Google search by the way and you are correct, there are no green and white moose in Chicago.
 
The N-number to FAA records on 337's might be the motivation for the trespassing. Knowing what improvements have been added would be an incentive to return to steal same. Beware the Dog signs help. My neighbor has one and a Belgian Malinois for backup.

Gary
 
......just wide enough for a single vehicle and is cut into tall, dense black spruce intermixed with even taller birch trees with all their leaves on. With no sight that a runway is set behind these trees, and no way to see an airplane on it from the highway. And as his vehicle made its way into my driveway, without license plates front or back, and drove up to my red cone now just 150 feet in front of my cabin. And as he got out and walked toward my cabin walking past the cone and threw up his binoculars trying to look through those trees at the 185 ....
Hmmm? Look a narrow dirt road let's see where it goes? Oh look a cone in the middle of the road, the owner must have left for the season? Let's go see if we can rip off his cabin or shed. Hey look at that he left his airplane here. Do you suppose that we could take that? Oh Oh there is someone here I'll just give him some BS and do a hasty retreat. Not to worry I can come back later though I'll be more careful next time.

Phil, The local airport has security cameras with audio which goes to the owners cell phone. He knows what's going on no matter where he is. I don't know what type of equipment it is though.
 
Wow, confront them with a firearm (my preferance is a .45acp or 12 gauge or numeous others i keep close) or a shovel. If they are an aviation enthusiest they'll piss their pants and try to talk airplanes with you. If they are a bad person, they'll piss their pants and run (and they will tell their bad guy buddies your bat sh!t crazy and to stay away)!
 
It used to be the cold ran them off as well but with recent mild weather they've overwintered and survived. Anchorage and Wasilla are home to more than a few.

Gary

This would insinuate inner city riff riff which is a world wide problem and not the case for the OP.

We're paranoid because many of the Lower 48 miscreants that you ran off have ended up here with little money and nasty habits.

And this elitist attitude is likely the only thing about Alaska I don't enjoy, but it is fairly prevalent.... Last I checked your state flag always followed the Nations flag on the way up, and never flew higher....

Other random thoughts...

I meander the desert a TON, and when I see a cool airstrip (abandoned , new, old or whatever) I note it. Frequently I revisit it from the ground when jeeping or hunting. Taking pictures would not be something out of the ordinary for me, nor would trying to figure out who owns a really cool airplane.

I keep at least a set of bino's in every one of our vehicles, and use them quite often. If it's hunting season, or if I am in a unit I may hunt later that year I may have multiple sets including tripods and maybe even a spotter. But they frequently see usage outside of game seeking.

Every truck / jeep we have has a gun rack, and they are frequently well stocked. I've never felt the need to brandish a weapon for eye candy effect.

The new Dodge has a paper plate on it... bet it doesn't make it till the new tabs come in ;-)

Lastly, when confronted by a new face with an attitude (not saying that is the case) I am far less likely to share anything about myself than when greeted kindly.

I find life wayyy too short and precious to spend it paranoid about perceptions. Do your due diligence as you see fit and move on to the far more important things in life.

Take care, Rob
 
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Wow, confront them with a firearm (my preferance is a .45acp or 12 gauge or numeous others i keep close) or a shovel. If they are an aviation enthusiest they'll piss their pants and try to talk airplanes with you. If they are a bad person, they'll piss their pants and run (and they will tell their bad guy buddies your bat sh!t crazy and to stay away)!

A guy I worked for at one time had a double barrel 10 gauge. He leveled it at me as a joke and asked what I thought of his pal Two Pipes. It was quite impressive looking down those two pipes. It wasn't funny and I quit that afternoon.
 
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