BajaNomad - another AC ripped!!

another AC ripped!!

capt. mike - 6-3-2008 at 01:54 PM

this one at Punta Final june 1st.

"Does anyone know anything about another stolen airplane in Punta Final on or about May 30,2008? I was told today that ther was another theft an I'm trying to confirm it.
As I understand it, there was an attempted theft of a 205 and a theft of a 182 at Punta Final on May 30. It was reported that persons untied and attempted to access the 205 but for some reason could not get the door open. They then took a 182 that was located in the same general area. No one saw the attempted theft or the 182 theft. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first 182 theft in Mexico in the past several years. We will be posting more as we receive more informaton. "

this did happen on sunday 1st, at 4:30 approx a.m.
the 205 was spared, the 182 went bye bye.
not good........if they're taking 182s now all bets are off.

Edguero - 6-5-2008 at 09:21 AM

Yes, unfortunatly it is true.
I was awakened with the sounds of quads racing down the street, I got up and got a drink of water and figured it was some late night partiers, then I heard an airplane motor and was really confused, I looked at the clock and it was 4:30 AM Saturday May 31. I went outside to investigate and what I heard was my neighbor (a pilot) trying to block the runway with his quad but was too late, he said heard it start up and by the time he got there it was already in the air, about 30 seconds was all it took.
Capt. Mike your descriptions of the airplanes are probably correct as I don't know a thing about them. I do know that it was a rental and customs was called immedietly, their were also military camped one the other beach south of snoopy that heard a boat very late at night but with no moon they said it was hard to see.
I will post more info as I get it.

bajaguy - 6-5-2008 at 09:24 AM

Not being a pilot (I'm usually the GIB), a question.......is there a simple way to disable an aircraft on the ground such as removing the coil wire or the rotor from the distributor (do they have those???), or pull a main fuse?????

[Edited on 6-5-2008 by bajaguy]

fulano - 6-5-2008 at 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajaguy
Not being a pilot (I'm usually the GIB), a question.......is there a simple way to disable an aircraft on the ground such as removing the coil wire or the rotor from the distributor (do they have those???), or pull a main fuse?????

In a word, no. Aircraft engines don't have distributors, they have magnetos, like on a motorcycle. The rotation of the engine rotates the magnets in the magneto and creates a spark through a coil. So, an aircraft engine will run without a battery (it's a safety feature).

Actually when you turn off the ignition switch in an airplane, the only thing you are doing is grounding out the magneto. If you cut the wire from the ignition switch to the magneto, it will be ungrounded and hot all the time.

Most of the things that you could do to disable an aircraft would require an A&P license (aircraft mechanic) to do legally. A pilot cannot legally remove a propeller, or a magneto. It would also take hours of work to remove and put back together.

When I owned airplanes, the first thing I did was put on a special key lock on all the doors. The kind you see on vending machines. They are round, hardened steel and the key is round, and extremely hard to duplicate. Most thieves need to be in and out in minutes. It would take them a long time to drill it out, and if they just busted the door open with a crowbar, it wouldn't close again and they'd have to fly with the door open. That encouraged them to go on down the line looking for easier pickings.

[Edited on 6-5-2008 by fulano]

Early morn flights

beercan - 6-9-2008 at 02:43 PM

I have been hearing aircraft flying over Puertecitos as early as 0400 -- almost daily and I am sure that I heard the one flying North on May 31 at that approx time.

Yur right --but have you ever hand-propped

beercan - 6-9-2008 at 02:49 PM

an IO-540 or the 520--550- cont. ??? Kinda hard to start one of those babies w/o a battery.

Quote:

Fulano
In a word, no. Aircraft engines don't have distributors, they have magnetos, like on a motorcycle. The rotation of the engine rotates the magnets in the magneto and creates a spark through a coil. So, an aircraft engine will run without a battery (it's a safety feature).

Ken Bondy - 6-9-2008 at 05:50 PM

I was hand-propped once at Meling Ranch in an F-33 Bonanza with a Continental IO-520. It started easily with one pull.
++Ken++

fulano - 6-9-2008 at 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by beercan
an IO-540 or the 520--550- cont. ??? Kinda hard to start one of those babies w/o a battery.

That won't stop anybody that wants the plane.

Just about every aircraft built with an engine bigger than an O-360 has an external power plug that can be used to turn over the engine, without a battery in the plane. The standard setup is that when the external power plug is energized the plane battery is taken out of the circuit with a relay, or else the entire plane energizes with the master off, so you won't blow up a frozen/dead battery.

Standard starting procedure with a dead battery and external power is to keep the plane battery off line while on external power.

I have watched about 25 mechanics try to hand prop a plane

beercan - 6-10-2008 at 12:32 PM

not ONE ever started !!!!!!!!

[Edited on 6-10-2008 by beercan]

Ken Bondy - 6-10-2008 at 02:38 PM

beercan they should try it one at a time. 25 is too many, they get in each other's way

capt. mike - 6-10-2008 at 04:08 PM

i tried to hand prop my O-540 in san felipe once and the compression on that motor said no way jose'!! i gave up after 20 minutes, what a pain in the arse.

had to jump it. my friends were cracking up even tho it was 110 in the shade, the irony of my having to get a jump start in mexico -

Martin Mull has a quip about his being "busier than a set of jumper cables at a Puerto Rican wedding".......... :lol:

I'm sure that you're trying to poke fun at me--

beercan - 6-11-2008 at 10:23 AM

but to be sure , look at the singular !!

I once thought that I would try it (hand propping) at Mexicali--those darned 540's are hard to start hot , and after about 10 pulls , I said never again. That was over 20 years ago and now with 4 shoulder surgeries I couldn't if I wanted to.
Besides, I am now (for 17years) flying a Bonanza and it has always started.

Quote:

by Ken
beercan they should try it one at a time. 25 is too many, they get in each other's way

Ken Bondy - 6-11-2008 at 11:14 AM

It was just a friendly joke beercan

fulano - 6-11-2008 at 02:12 PM

There is a sure-fire way to start a hot IO-540, but not an O-540. With an IO-540, push the throttle and mixtures to full forward and run the boost pump until fuel pours out the exhaust stacks.

Then close the throttle, pull the mixture to lean cut-off and crank the engine. As soon as it fires push the mixture to full rich and throttle to idle postion. They won't start hot because the engine heat soaks the fuel distributor and fuel lines to the injectors and they vaporlock. Running fuel through them cools them and forces out the vapor pockets.

The best way to start a hot O-540 is to have a long lunch and try later.

capt. mike - 6-11-2008 at 04:50 PM

well, that injected method differs from what i was taught and worked flawlessly on my injected LYC IO-360 when it was hot:

throttle full in, mixture idle cut-off, fuel pump off.
engage starter, when eng hits quickly reduce throttle to low and simultaneously push mixture in full.

worked every time with hot engine and only if i followed the procedure exactly.

my carb'd O-540 starts easily (but not by hand) hot or cold with just a few turns of the ignition - no special procedures ever.
having flown both injected and carb'd motors i prefer carb'd. less muss fuss and never have to deal with a plugged nozzle causing a hot jug, over lean and burning valves.
i never worry about carb icing either as i pay attention to conditions conducive to it in flight. one more thing to help keep me awake as i drone along. :biggrin:

I figured as much !!

beercan - 6-11-2008 at 08:06 PM

Us pilots need to stick together !!
I have 10 years behind an IO 540 and a TIO 540, so I know how to hot start them, but I now (17+ years) have a turbo-normalized 520 and it starts much easier !! Goes faster , and smoother !

Quote:

by Ken
It was just a friendly joke beercan

Ken Bondy - 6-11-2008 at 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fulano
There is a sure-fire way to start a hot IO-540, but not an O-540. With an IO-540, push the throttle and mixtures to full forward and run the boost pump until fuel pours out the exhaust stacks.

Then close the throttle, pull the mixture to lean cut-off and crank the engine. As soon as it fires push the mixture to full rich and throttle to idle postion. They won't start hot because the engine heat soaks the fuel distributor and fuel lines to the injectors and they vaporlock. Running fuel through them cools them and forces out the vapor pockets.

The best way to start a hot O-540 is to have a long lunch and try later.

fulano that's EXACTLY how I used to hot-start my Baron 95-A55 (IO-470's), except I would just run the boost pumps for 30 seconds. Always worked, ++Ken++

fulano - 6-12-2008 at 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken Bondy
fulano that's EXACTLY how I used to hot-start my Baron 95-A55 (IO-470's), except I would just run the boost pumps for 30 seconds. Always worked, ++Ken++

I used to own an A55. N20TY. Best plane I ever had.

Ken Bondy - 6-12-2008 at 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by fulano

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken Bondy
fulano that's EXACTLY how I used to hot-start my Baron 95-A55 (IO-470's), except I would just run the boost pumps for 30 seconds. Always worked, ++Ken++

I used to own an A55. N20TY. Best plane I ever had.

Mine was N30SD TC-449. Best plane I ever had

++Ken++

Skeet/Loreto - 6-15-2008 at 09:50 AM

Gentlemen, Scholars, and Pilots:

I would suggest that when in Baja and away from your Aircraft that you use a very, very Heavy Chain and Lock around the Hub of the Prop.

Most Thieves in Mexico do not carry Chain Cutters just for Aircraft. It only takes a small Length of Chain and a very Heavy Duty Lock of Titaminum Steel.

Skeet/Loreto

Skeet, I know you're well meaning --

beercan - 6-15-2008 at 03:21 PM

But you're outa touch ! The a$$hole thieves are smarter then you give them credit for--they can freeze the locks right off and are doing it !

Skeet/Loreto - 6-15-2008 at 05:55 PM

bEERCAN:

What type of Frezzing Material is being used.
The Cat People have some very special Chains and Locks, I would like to look into this.

Thanks

Skeet

fulano - 6-15-2008 at 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Skeet/Loreto
Gentlemen, Scholars, and Pilots:

I would suggest that when in Baja and away from your Aircraft that you use a very, very Heavy Chain and Lock around the Hub of the Prop.

Most Thieves in Mexico do not carry Chain Cutters just for Aircraft. It only takes a small Length of Chain and a very Heavy Duty Lock of Titaminum Steel.

Skeet/Loreto

The problem is the thieves are getting brazen. They hang around until you come to preflight it and then put a gun to your head and take it.

805gregg - 6-16-2008 at 07:07 AM

How about a concelled gas shut off valve, leaving just enough fuel to get airborne.

Pompano - 6-16-2008 at 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by 805gregg
How about a concelled gas shut off valve, leaving just enough fuel to get airborne.

Hey Vince...does this ring a bell from many years ago? :yes:

BigWooo - 6-17-2008 at 06:20 AM

I found this lock for airplane wheels while searching for alarms for my truck. I know absolutely nothing about airplanes, but this seems a lot simpler than a lot of the ideas mentioned in the previous threads.

http://www.tirelock.com/product.php?cid=5