locking fuel cap?

[astjp2]

Does anyone know of a locking fuel cap that would fit, I seem to have some rotten little $#1t'$ keep stealing my gas for thier 4 wheelers, we have no fencing around the airport so Its real easy for them to drive up and get a hose out.....Tim

[btbell]

Re: locking fuel cap?

Hi Tim,

The previous owner of my T-craft used a standard locking car gas cap when he owned it. That will prevent siphoning from the top. You need to also make sure they cannot get it from the gasculator (fuel shut-off with locked cockpit doors would work). Then again maybe they are not that smart.

If you catch the little buggers doing it you can have them prosecuted for more than just theft. We had some teenage kids playing around out glider tow plane at the field and one stepped on the wing and left a footprint on the fabric. I happened to be at the airport when it happened and saw it from across the field. They saw me coming and hopped in the car and left. Fortunately I got the license plate. No damage was done but the cops asked if we wanted to press federal charges for tampering with an aircraft. The owner did not press charges but the cops showing up at home and talking to the parents hopefully did some good. We have not seen them around the airport since the incident.

Have you reported these incidents to the cops? Ours do a good job of patrolling the field.

Brian
New Jersey

[Ed O'Brien]

Re: locking fuel cap?

When I was a kid there was an old country-saw that said: "If you left a dead coyote near the hen house... other coyotes were warned away. In other words, a Coyote carcass makes a good guard dog." So in this case -- shoot one of the gas stealing, ATV driven, MTV watchin, slacker S@bs -- leave his body and ATV, under the wings, chained down as a trophies and the rest of'em will leave you alone. Go ahead and try it. Or, more precisely, better that you try it than me.
With regards;
ED OBRIEN

[astjp2]

Re: locking fuel cap?

I was thinking of getting one of those deer hunter cameras that take pictures when it senses motion......HHHHMMMMM..do they make them that shoot????

[Howard Wilson]

Re: locking fuel cap?

I was thinking of getting one of those deer hunter cameras that take pictures when it senses motion......HHHHMMMMM..do they make them that shoot????

Wal-mart ~ $60. If they don't steal the camera too. The little 4 wheel sobs shot one of my cams they could't reach. Put tape over the flash so they don't see it. Might still get a useable pic. Double edged sword but; put something uncombustible in wing tank and check the airport every morning for a grounded 4 wheeler.

[tawadc95]

Re: locking fuel cap?

I would sleep out there for a bit.

[VictorBravo]

Re: locking fuel cap?

I would sleep out there for a bit.

Seems like having a security camera image of the license plate, then having the police run the plate and making an arrest would help spread the word pretty fast. After the arrest and bail circus, you file in small claims court for all the fuel that has been stolen and then some for the camera and then some more for the money to put up a fence around the airplane. If you get a judgment in small claims court then you can wreck the person's credit rating, hire a collection agency to call their workplace and cause them trouble there. In the meantime you can have the local newspaper put an article in about the case so the person's family is shamed.

All that cumulative headache caused to the person and their family should serve as a fairly good deterrent for everyone else.

[flybikefarm]

Re: locking fuel cap?

Rent a backho, buy some lime. Just kidding this happened to a farmer by me. He shot at the kids stealing gas, he was the one who went to jail. George

[cpirrmann]

Re: locking fuel cap?

Rent a backho, buy some lime. Just kidding this happened to a farmer by me. He shot at the kids stealing gas, he was the one who went to jail. George

Out in the country, people sometimes just 'disappear'. It's handy to have a swamp nearby. Or , you could offer them an airplane ride, right bank, undo seat belt .....a@@holes away!

[Larry Lyons]

Re: locking fuel cap?

We were having trouble too. Bought a camera with flash, mounted it up high, set to take only a picture every 30 minutes even if movement was taking place. We figured that way they would get nervous waiting to see the flash again to shoot it. WORKED, we got a few pics, gave them to the Sheriff, haven't seen anybody since. As the airport is in a very rural area we could not catch the little buggers with standard patrol but the pics, although not really enough to prosecute (no license # and could not ID the driver) just the cops showing up at their house was enough.
Larry