This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.
I conducted a training flight with another experienced flight instructor for the purpose of a high performance endorsement.
The flight departed from Independence State Airport (7S5) in Oregon and returned two hours later. The weather was VFR with cumulous ceilings above 3,000 feet. Surface winds were northerly at 10 to 15 kts. The only flight precaution was AIRMET SIERRA for occasional mountain obscuration.
We departed Runway 34 and landed on Runway 34 upon our return. The apron area for loading and unloading passengers, refueling, and parking is located east of the runway, between Taxiway A1 and A2, with taxi lanes on the north and south ends. The airport was on a north wind operation that day, so we used the taxi lane on the south end in order to make an upwind turn to access the fuel island.
Five days later we start hearing from other pilots how “pissed off” a hangar owner is that we used the taxi lane in front of their hangar adjacent to the taxi lane.
Aircraft and other vehicles are often parked dangerously close to the taxi lane in front of the hangar, so taxiing requires great care to avoid collision.
Many times the hangar occupants shut down, leave aircraft unattended, and block the taxi lane. This causes other aircraft to use the downwind taxi lanes, causing unsafe operations, especially for tailwheel aircraft.
Being considerate of each other is imperative to aviation safety.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 1826877
Well I guess we never heard a word from Mr Chuckles..I feel a little sorry for him actually…. He’s a victim of the whole name calling over intelligent discourse that has permeated our country….I think he believes calling someone a “loser” somehow makes his case?.
Curious as to why a NASA report was even filed out.
Was it because someone was blocking his way to the fuel pit?
How terrible of the person to block the two instructors way with an airplane getting ready to fly!
Was it because people where talking about two instructors blasting hangers and aircraft?
Why waste time filling out a NASA report?
Is there something more to this this?
I’m with you, George … why is this even an issue worth filing an ASRS form over? No FARs were violated. I went to the trouble of reading the ASRS database which mirrors what’s printed above and nothing more. Nowhere did it say that the two pilots did a run up with the blast pointed at a hangar. We must INFER that they had prop wash momentarily aimed at a hangar during a taxiing event and not a run up since it was post flight. Still poor pilot etiquette — especially from two cFI’s — but not the end of the world.
I’m semi familiar with 7S5. NOT said, this airport is a pseudo airpark with multiple taxiways at 90 degrees leading E from that N-S east taxiway — like alleys behind private hangar/homes — that keep cars on the streets and airplanes on the taxiways separately. I am not sure if the taxiways belong to the homeowners or are part of the airport (I’d guess the former?). If this is where this event occurred, I could understand the hangar owners ire. That said, if he’s adjacent to the public area and regularly has this problem, perhaps signage needs to be installed by the HOA ? And that these guys heard the story five days later leads me to conclude that maybe they either live there or are based there and oughta know better ?
As a private hangar owner for over 3 decades on two airports, I can say that I get VERY peeved when someone blasts my hangar when the door is open. Only this year, I chewed out a taildragger pilot who did just that to my pristinely clean hangar. I schooled her that I understand a taildragger needs a brief throttle jab to get it turning but you have TWO options when you do that … and one of ’em will turn the airplane away and NOT blast any open hangar. I told her I work hard to maintain a pristine hangar. HER response … then it shouldn’t matter if I blast your hangar. “They” fly among us …
Everyone here oughta be reminded and take note. Even an idling airplane will knock your hat off … so be thoughtful and courteous to ALL with your prop blast.
This discussion certainly went ‘sideways’.
Regardless, I believe the correct technical term is “Airport Bum”…& I’m proud to be one.
I don’t usually post comments however I have three.
1.Maybe the A in the pilot checklist IMSAFE should have a dual meaning (Alcohol or Anger). Neither has a place in, out, or around airplanes.
2. I have been flying since 1968 and am also a CFI. I am not a hangar person however I know lots of pilots who just love aviation and like to hang out at airports and talk flying and they are not trying to escape from their family. I hope the pilot in this case making rude comments about hangar people learns to love aviation that much.
3. Finally, situational awareness and respect for others around you are important for everyone’s safety.
I used to sit in the right seat and looked over to the left and wondered where they got all those A holes, now I’m in the left seat and look over my RIGHT shoulder and I KNOW.
Right seaters must look into the hangars.🥶
Am I missing something Mr Chuckles? You were doing a run up aimed at an open hanger…..and you don’t see that being a problem? I’m guessing that guy had an issue with you because most people didn’t blast his hanger. You are apparently still working on your ratings or at least in learning mode (flying with a CFI) so it’s a little rich somehow thinking getting out of an airplane having a little ‘go around” with someone that would appreciate not having his hanger filled with dirt is acceptable behavior. If you ever want to fly for a living you’ll have to understand the essence of CRM is not thinking aggression is a tool to solve issues. Also generalization of groups of people as being a certain way is for people unable to understand everyone is unique and not all right or all wrong….another key component to good CRM, the ability to see different perspectives.
Mr Chuckles… you might be surprised how much you might learn about flying from those “Hangar People”. I operated a FBO at a small airport in SoCal for 30 years. We had 70 hangars that were full of airplanes and “Hangar People”.
Many times I saw “Hangar People” take the time to assist a transient pilot who was having trouble restarting after they stopped in for fuel. Often long lasting friendships developed and both parties were better for it. I hope someday you graduate to the level of “Hangar People”.
Karens and Kens on the field?
Please splain Karen’s and Ken’s in non San Francisco language.
A couple of courtesies that where taught me 50 years ago:
1) Do not blast another aircraft during run up.
2) Do not blast a hangar during run.
Sure, but that has absolutely nothing to do with what’s been written in the report. Your comment is complete non sequitur.
Ha ha! “Hangar people” can be such losers. They sit around and never fly, a lot of them.
I was doing an engine run-up prior to takeoff–in the runup area near the runway–and BAM BAM BAM BAM! some guy was behind my aircraft, pounding on my left wing, shouting over the 1800-RPM engine, “HEY HEY HEY!” I went to idle. He shouted that I was blowing air on him and his buddies, who were sitting in an open hangar in lawn chairs. The hangar was near enough to the run-up area to get blasted.
I looked at the CFI to my right, who was training me. He was silent, didn’t react, so I didn’t.
If the CFI wasn’t there, being a good example of staying calm and not reacting, I THINK I may have shut down, climbed out, and had a little go-around with that “gentleman,” but it wasn’t meant to be, that day.
“Hangar people” get real territorial, even if they only rent the doggone thing and hardly ever fly. Dude came right out to the run-up area and pounded on my wing. Psycho, but probably no more so than a lot of guys I see hanging around airports, not flying, avoiding their wives, most likely.
So now I’ll believe ANYTHING from “hangar people.”
Sir, you apparently missed your learning experience, as well as your instructor. Professional pilots remain keenly aware of prop blast (or jet blast, should you aspire to advance), and noise also, plus exhaust fumes. It is always a good idea to plan your parking and taxi-out strategy to minimize adverse prop blast effects, sometimes best to do a little final or initial towing engine off.
I got the “BAM, BAM, BAM” treatment as well. From an adjacent hangar owner…who decided to start pulling his Bonanza out behind us…AFTER we had pulled our 172H out, turned it 90-degrees to taxi parallel to the hangar row (only option)…and started the engine. I told the student to ignore him.
Talk wth airport manager about people parking vehicles and airplanes obstructing taxiways.
Airport managers are a great group of individuals wanting safe operations at airports. The ones I have talked with and, at some point, had to identify a problem to them, were very happy to receive the news and jumped right on the problem. I’m sure the airport manager at 7S5 will be all over the folks making an unsafe taxi environment. And I’m sure he will help educate the hangar people the taxi lines are to be used to safely taxi an aircraft not your property border.