The Alaska Dispatch’s Bush Pilot blog has noted an unfortunate story about a Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub being stolen from Alaska’s Big Lake airport. The owner of the aircraft is a 73-year-old Alaskan named Don Laabs who had moved to Alaska in 1962 and who had started flying that same year. As a mechanic, Don had rebuilt the plane after it wrecked in the early 1980s and he had owned it for nearly 30 years. He figures its worth about US$80,000 and of course its not insured. However, he has put up fliers offering US$5,000 for the plane’s return.
And while having an entire plane stolen is probably pretty unusual, the Bush Pilot blog noted that Channel 11′s Natalie Travis has been following the story and she has noted a few ways that pilots can ensure that their plane doesn’t disappear without them. These ways included:
1. Use door locks. Even if you have an old plane, make sure there’s at least some kind of lock on the doors.
2. Use throttle locks. It’s a steel lock that makes it impossible to run the airplane.
3. File a report if something does happen. That helps airports know if they need to put in more safety precautions.
The above advice is definitely worth noting by all aircraft owners no matter where they keep their plane.
And as for Don, he actually owns another plane, a Piper J-3 built in 1943, but it’s not as good as the one that was stolen. Hence, we hope that someone will spot his Piper and that it gets returned to him in good working order.
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