On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 12:03:38 -0800, "gatt"
wrote:


While preflighting the Arrow yesterday afternoon I watched a C172 pull up
through the tiedown T right next to me. Not sure why he didn't stop right
at the chains. Instead, he pulled ahead and stopped.

As he was beginning to push the airplane back, the other FBO C172 darted in
from behind and took the first guy's parking spot like it was a friggin'
shopping mall parking lot at Christmas.
snip
The fellow who runs the FBO is a retired cop, mayor and career Marine. He's
gonna blow a gasket when he hears about it, but I believe it's my duty to
report what I saw almost happen to his airplanes. Thoughts?

Rather than bust the pilots (although it sounds like the 2nd C172
pilot was an idiot) - can you address the root of the problem so that
it doesn't happen anymore in the future?

I am having a difficult time visualizing the ramp setup... But, would
it be possible to paint diagonal yellow stripes behind the tiedown to
indicate that the area is not to be traversed.

For an aviation sense of humor, how about a hold short line behind the
tiedown?

Having said this, people are lazy, and will always cut corners. And
it is hard to legislate against stupidity. Last summer, we had a
transient taxi off the parallel taxiway, across the grass to pull
directly into a tiedown on the edge of the ramp. The tiedown is next
to a fuel farm and there are concrete posts to protect/prevent against
wingtips hitting the pump. The transient Cessna hit the concrete
post, and the wing was badly damaged. The pilot ranted at the FBO
staff and promised to sue them for damages because the FBO told him
(via radio) to park in that spot. Of course, the FBO never told him
to skip the taxiway to the ramp and cut across the grass...

-Nathan