CAP'ers Flyers Impressions

[RADIOMAN015]

While "undercover" today happend to observe two out of state CAP "flying club"members at a local community airport who had stopped to eat at the admin building.  Dressed in Golf shirts that weren't inside their pants.  What I found interesting is the chocks that were provided by the FBO were just placed to the rear of the front tire of the Cessna 182 & they just taxied away.  Fortunately there was a FBO line man out there serving an aircraft next to the CAP aircraft who walked over and picked up the chocks after the plane departed.

I wondered why one of the crew members couldn't have just picked up the chocks and given it to the line man before leaving to ensure that no other aircraft might have hit the chocks.  Am I missing something?
RM

[CommGeek]

Just curious...what Wing?

[Short Field]

M39-1, Table 4-4, Line 2: 

Shirt must be worn tucked in by men unless heat conditions on the flight line require additional air circulation. Women may
wear the shirt out of slacks but shirt length must not fall below mid-hips.

And the temp was???

[Eclipse]

Please stop using that term.

Also, instead of just observing them so you could make condescending comments later, why not just ask them?  It could have been anything from "we forgot" to "we had a better idea".

Who knows, but good luck explaining to anyone why your wing has one less airplane because you chose to "observe".

[RADIOMAN015]

Please stop using that term.

Also, instead of just observing them so you could make condescending comments later, why not just ask them?  It could have been anything from "we forgot" to "we had a better idea".

Who knows, but good luck explaining to anyone why your wing has one less airplane because you chose to "observe".

CAP'ers -- one who is a member of Civil Air Patrol and utilized as an "inside joke" among personnel

Wasn't able to ask them because they took off, but did know what wing based upon aircraft registration # & CAP callsign utilized with radio.  Were not from my wing.

Point of the whole posting is when CAP flyers are flying into airports they should be at their top courtesy and go out of their way to insure safety for ALL.  Also I always thought that the aircraft carried its' own chocks and they were required to chock the aircraft themselves.   I heard the aircraft taxi in on ATC comm but didn't see if the FBO actually parked them.
As we all know most of CAP aircraft accidents/incidents involve members in proficiency flying (aka "flying club" activities)
RM
   

[Eclipse]

CAP'ers -- one who is a member of Civil Air Patrol and utilized as an "inside joke" among personnel

It's not an inside "joke" here.

Point of the whole posting is when CAP flyers are flying into airports they should be at their top courtesy and go out of their way to insure safety for ALL.  Also I always thought that the aircraft carried its' own chocks and they were required to chock the aircraft themselves.   I heard the aircraft taxi in on ATC comm but didn't see if the FBO actually parked them.

"Top courtesy".  What is that supposed to mean?  Now you acknowledge you only saw them from a distance so you don't know what "courtesy" they were in at all, or for that matter who or why the aircraft was chocked as it was

As we all know most of CAP aircraft accidents/incidents involve members in proficiency flying (aka "flying club" activities)

We don't know that at all...and not all proficiency and training flying are "club" activities, so there's no way to support your statement.

[EMT-83]

CAP'er – a derogatory term used for Civil Air Patrol members. Considered insulting, it is used only by those who hold the program and/or its members in distain.

[PHall]

CAP'er – a derogatory term used for Civil Air Patrol members. Considered insulting, it is used only by those who hold the program and/or its members in distain.

Also used by TROLLS to "stir the pot".

[Thrashed]

While "undercover" today happend to observe two out of state CAP "flying club"members at a local community airport who had stopped to eat at the admin building.  Dressed in Golf shirts that weren't inside their pants.  What I found interesting is the chocks that were provided by the FBO were just placed to the rear of the front tire of the Cessna 182 & they just taxied away.  Fortunately there was a FBO line man out there serving an aircraft next to the CAP aircraft who walked over and picked up the chocks after the plane departed.

I wondered why one of the crew members couldn't have just picked up the chocks and given it to the line man before leaving to ensure that no other aircraft might have hit the chocks.  Am I missing something?
RM

Are you kidding?  Get a life!

[sparks]

I believe "CAPER" was also a term used to describe one of South Africa's paramilitary  apartheid  "enforcers". So, it probably wouldn't be a good term to use to describe ourselves.

[RADIOMAN015]

I wondered why one of the crew members couldn't have just picked up the chocks and given it to the line man before leaving to ensure that no other aircraft might have hit the chocks.  Am I missing something?
RM

Are you kidding?  Get a life!

I was NOT at that airport to spy on CAP members.  I just happend to be there an observed what I did.  Hey IF I am forming a wrong conclusion then by all means say so.   It just seemed to me that I've read about chocks being hit and caught in propellers before.  I didn't hear any comms on the FBO frequency.  Perhaps it was a "given" that since the line guy was out there he would automatically pick up the chocks when the aircraft left.   

Also again, do CAP aircraft carry chocks and should we use our own chocks or if the FBO marshals the aircraft in (which I'm assuming was done, because I observed other aircraft landing after the CAP aircraft were parked) is it their responsibility
RM

[Thrashed]

Chocks on the ramp are normal.  I worked the ramp for years, and I have over 13,000 hours flight time.  This is not an issue.  I use CAP chocks or the ones on the ramp (so I don't forget the CAP ones).  Leaving them is NOT a problem.  They will be picked up, and if they are not, then the next aircraft will taxi around them.  That's what I do and it's never been a problem.  I've worked as a professional line supervisor, a flight instructor, corporate pilot, airline pilot, etc.  If you want my opinion, then don't worry about it.   

[Short Field]

There is a big difference between chocks on the ramp in the designated parking/tie-down area (not a safety issue) and chocks in the taxiways (safety issue). 

[Thrashed]

So now the chocks are on the taxiway?  Maybe they were on the runway!
?

[Short Field]

Most ramp areas have designated parking spots and areas to taxi to and from the parking spots.  Those was the taxiways I was referring to - not a lettered taxiway. 

[a2capt]

There are times when I'll flip one chock around the other, other times I'll take them to the pile, rack, etc. But for them to be on a ramp space is not un-normal at all. I do try most of the time to shove them over near the rope/chain if thats permanent. If not, near a cone, or maybe just where they are.

You could still figure out what wing if you really wanted to, even searching the tail #, there's bound to be some discussion somewhere from someone who flew it, calling it by that vs. the CAP flight number.

Yeah, trolling, and continued use of terms that many of expressed derogatory seems to be your MO.

[simon]

At least they remembered to untie the tail tie down. My personal favorite as an onlooker, I've seen, oh, 2200-2300rpm on that one prior to a shutdown and a humble soul exiting the cockpit. By golly those ropes are strong...

[davidsinn]

At least they remembered to untie the tail tie down. My personal favorite as an onlooker, I've seen, oh, 2200-2300rpm on that one prior to a shutdown and a humble soul exiting the cockpit. By golly those ropes are strong...

I bet that poor airplane sat up and begged...

[RVT]

At least they remembered to untie the tail tie down. My personal favorite as an onlooker, I've seen, oh, 2200-2300rpm on that one prior to a shutdown and a humble soul exiting the cockpit. By golly those ropes are strong...

I just did the airplane ground handling class last month, and from what I was told, loose tie down ropes are the real issue, not the chocks.
At the airport I fly out of they are chains, and thats probably why.

[SarDragon]

CAPR 66-1 has specific rules for using chains as tie-downs.

c. Tie-Down chains. Chains shall not be used directly from aircraft mooring points to an anchor point because of excessive impact loads on wing spars. When chain tie-downs are used, they shall be attached to wire rope anchors as depicted in Attachment 3. Wire rope anchors are constructed of two continuous lengths of parallel wire rope passed through the anchor points. Tie-down chains shall be attached to the wire rope with round pin galvanized anchor shackles. This allows the chains to float along the wire rope to reduce impact loads. Chain links used for tie-down must be at least 5/16-inch steel and a proof load of 2,720 pounds and breaking load of 5,440 pounds. All fittings must be equally strong and chains should be secured without slack.

Most of the tie-downs in my local area do not use wire rope, so all corporate A/C carry (and use) tie-down ropes.