Popham vandalised

Britfrog is trolling, pure and simple. The police response at Popham has been good.

Thought as much. 🙂

Has there been any developments, any items been recovered or anyone held accountable yet?

Britfrog, when did the local constabulary say they think flying is for rich kids? I don’t think that is really in their interest. Obviously they’ll conduct an investigation as they have been and they’ve probably done more than what you see on the surface.

Britfrog is trolling, pure and simple. The police response at Popham has been good.

NottsPilot, there is no fly in listed until April and none of them have been affected. Come on down.

Britfrog, when did the local constabulary say they think flying is for rich kids? I don’t think that is really in their interest. Obviously they’ll conduct an investigation as they have been and they’ve probably done more than what you see on the surface.

Popham Fly-In Still On?

Hey I saw your notice on http://www.myflypal.com/clubhouse/noticeboard.php and was wondering if the fly-in is still going ahead considering what has happened?

Sorry to hear about the damage guys.

sadly the local constabulary would have trouble catching a cold, they think that flying is just for rich kids who can afford to lose the odd bob every now and then . Any airfield in the uk could be subject to such random attacks by such pond life as they are usually empty at night so it is down to each of us to keep an eye out for undesireables eyeballing the place in day light. I do hope that if and when these fellows are caught that each individual who has suffered at their hands recently carry out a private prosecution to get compensation as the police (CPS) will only do the absolute minimum which will inevitably end up with the pond life being given a spanked wrist and probably no jail time as the jails are full and the judges will only give jail time to murderers or the like.

Makes me doubly glad I fly from a military base. There’s no thought of any problems leaving a/c outside or cars unlocked. If anyone tried to get on they would have the choice of inspecting the wrong end of an automatic weapon or trying to convince one of our hairy alligators not to chew his arm completely off.

When conducting a preflight, a thorough pilot would drain two or three fuel strainers of fuel from each tank to check for contamination, water etc. He would also dip the tanks with a wooden stick. Assuming that a vandal had put some substance lighter than fuel in the tanks, it won’t show up in the fuel strainer, but might show up on the dipstick. An eyeball inspection in the tank with a flashlight might also reveal mischief. There might also be other evidence of tampering. Other than that there is not much one can do.

Do not forget its not always what’s in the tank but what has been put in it

RE 17

VeeOne

All you write is beyond dispute. However, life isn’t like that – neat and tidy. Because of the frailties of human nature there will be someone somewhere who will neglect to visually check their fuel state.

Yes, I agree. Pre-flight walk-around checks are designed to avoid human error, but not to check for deliberate sabotage. If you own your own high-wing aircraft and you know you filled it up (you’d do this especially in winter to avoid condensation contamination) then it seems reasonable not to check the level before flight.

Many non-aviation people consider private pilots as part of the upper-class, loads of money segment of society. I think it makes some people who have nothing very angry. Yes there are fliers who are very well off indeed but in my experience most of us are spend all we have to fly, even aircraft owners often spend their money on flying. You rarely see people turning up in really expensive cars because the money goes on flying the aeroplane. If Popham was attacked because of this then it is a shame as Popham is populated by ultra-lights and light tail-draggers, rather than expensive, touring aircraft. I still feel, given the isolation of Popham, that it was a ‘revenge/jealousy’ attack by a local man. I think the police should use that photo to check out the local farmers (woow, controversial).

RE 17

VeeOne

All you write is beyond dispute. However, life isn’t like that – neat and tidy. Because of the frailties of human nature there will be someone somewhere who will neglect to visually check their fuel state.

Perhaps a difficulty – as you comment – a high wing, will intervene or, perhaps they are secure in the knowledge that they left the a/c with nearly full tanks and are unaware that some ‘lowlife’ has been and plundered.

Most of the pilots with who I’m familiar, would as a matter of course check ther fuel state regardless. Since events at Scarum, I’ve got an idea that everyone does.

For all the years that I have been involved in operation of aircraft I have been under the impression that it is a criminal offence to tamper with, or in any way interfere with an aircraft, unless authorised. Such, that when invloved with aircraft, and seeing something amiss, I do not take it upon myself to ‘rectify’ any situation, but look at it as my responsibility to inform whoever needs to be informed. Vandals, thugs etc do not have authority to touch aircraft, airfields etc.

There is in existance, the legal instrument ‘Air Navigation and Order’. There has to be a copy at each establishment licencesed in connection with aviation, including, I guess, Police Air Support Units. So, would someone kindly put the coffee down, climb out of the chair, go to ‘ops’ and look for the green coloured binder on the shelf. Surely there is something in there that covers all that is going on.

Another thought worth considering – if hijacking was the current vogue would the same attitude be applied to getting something sorted – thought not.

…they hadn’t realised the potential seriousness of a/c departing with less fuel than they thought (not everyone bothers to check before flying) and the prop stopping over Salisbury City center. Still, someone should remind the Police of the potential for catastrophe.

No competent pilot will fly without first checking their fuel state visually or at least by gauge. Running out of gas over a city would be one of the most incompetent things a proper pilot could do. It would not be the scumbag’s fault but that of the pilot. Or am I just old-fashioned in this matter? I did learn in the 1970s before the days of easy-going ultralight aviation.

The only time I might not have checked fuel carefully would be on a quick turnaround. Maybe high-wing pilots might ignore the visual check but anyone who would start up and taxi out without once checking the fuel state would be an incompetent idiot, imho.

Back in the late 1970s when I was at White Waltham we rarely had vandelism but most of the aircraft were hangered. Once some punks broke into the old RAF hangers and smashed in a storm window to to steal something inside the aeroplane. Luckily for us these toerags don’t know how easy it is to syphon out a low-wing aircraft’s fuel tanks, or simply open the underwing drain. Hopefully they never will or all aeroplanes will have to be hangered.

Popham has a whole bunch of mogas types as I recall. Anyone stealing 100LL for their car will suffer. I used to know a flying instructor at Blackbushe (back in the 1970s) who used a mix of (old) 80-87 and 100LL fuel for his sports car. eventually the engine blew up.

Popham is far from the average scumbag centre so I would suggest this attack was personal. Maybe someone living nearby doesn’t like the airfield noise? The man in the photo looks at least 50 to me.

We need to get together a new generation of ARP Wardens. Airfield Raiders Protection Wardens.

On John Green’s previous thread we suggested a number of measures.

I remember – perhaps others do – when there used to be notices placed at intervals along the boundaries of an airfield warning of condign punishment peculiar to airfields should anyone be caught contravening the regulations.

Is this not still the case? Or, like much else, all gone by the board? When at Old Sarum we had the problems of aircraft fuel theft – about a year ago – I wrote to the Forum explaining what was going on and asking for suggestions to deal with it.

I spoke to the local Police and it was apparent that with little knowledge of aviation they hadn’t realised the potential seriousness of a/c departing with less fuel than they thought (not everyone bothers to check before flying) and the prop stopping over Salisbury City center.

The Police didn’t say so but, at that point the game changed. Touch wood ! We haven’t, as far as I’m aware, had a problem since. Apart from Andover one way and Basingstoke another, Popham doesn’t have much in the way of residential areas around it. Still, someone should remind the Police of the potential for catastrophe.

Well it doesn’t look like kids

http://ukga.com/news/view?contentId=29501

It should be written into law that those suffering this can under police escort exact the same sort of justice to the houses, cars and possessions of these scum, and that their insurance would be invalidated.

I thought it was common for them to strike twice, as they believe the insurance will have paid out and items will have been replaced with new.

Sad to hear it has happened once again. Truly dreadful! Those criminals are a disgrace.

From the BBC website

Burglars have targeted a Hampshire airfield for the second time in as many weeks stealing tools, generators and aviation fuel and damaging aircraft.

Buildings at Popham Airfield were broken into on Monday night and Tuesday morning at 21:00 and 02:00 GMT.

Police have arrested two men from the Basingstoke area in connection with another burglary on 27 January.

A 35-year-old was released without charge while a 25-year-old remains in police custody.

Police said the burglary on 27 January at about 23:00 GMT saw offenders spray graffiti on aircraft, set off fire extinguishers and cause widespread damage.

Tools, televisions and various equipment from the airfield’s buildings were also stolen along with a number of charity boxes and items of sentimental value to members of the club.

CCTV images from the first burglary were released by police while officers are currently reviewing footage from the most recent incidents.

Moggy

Just a short item on South Today with what I think was film from the last attack.
Available on iplayer until tomorrow afternoon. Usual story, late at night at a weekend, think we’ve discussed this before.

I didn’t catch the TV news item myself. My wife called me – slightly late – to hear that to-day, Popham has again? – been vandalised. Fuel has been stolen. I don’t know about a/c damage. Does anyone know more?

More on the damage here

http://www.popham-airfield.co.uk/