Rumour? Plane impounded in France
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They are even using model aircraft to get drugs across the Strait of Gibraltar.
La Guardia Civil investiga el transporte de droga en aviones de aeromodelismo | Intereconomía | 641376
La Guardia Civil investiga el transporte de droga en aviones de aeromodelismo | Intereconomía | 641376
Customs seized 12 kilos of cocaine and 1.1 kilograms of heroin on the tarmac of the airport of Abbeville.
Coordinated action by French and British Customs has a seizure in a passenger plane bound for England and the arrest of the driver. The individual from Great Britain had a few days earlier, leased the plane to London and had traveled from Britain to land in Abbeville
Coordinated action by French and British Customs has a seizure in a passenger plane bound for England and the arrest of the driver. The individual from Great Britain had a few days earlier, leased the plane to London and had traveled from Britain to land in Abbeville
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People don't appear to realise that airfields, while notionally uncontrolled are actually subject to quite a lot of surveillance
Last edited by piperboy84; 8th Nov 2012 at 00:15.
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So if the police find drugs in a Hertz hire car, they impound the car?
Do the authorities impound the aircraft owned by an airline if someone is found carrying illegal items onboard?
If the owner was aware of the illegal activities, no contest, but if the rental was in good faith that aircraft should be back with the owner in good time?
If the owner was aware of the illegal activities, no contest, but if the rental was in good faith that aircraft should be back with the owner in good time?
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Do the authorities impound the aircraft owned by an airline if someone is found carrying illegal items onboard?
And it can take months to get them back, if you get them back at all. Depends if they can link it to the owner or if its the operator thats been naughty. Even if its not the owner its a huge legal fight to get it back.
I wouldn't have thought its to bad in the EU but outside its a bit wildwest. The amount of hulks sitting at airports around the world rotting away is quite staggering.
Mind you the same happens in the EU as well. The Metro sitting in IOM after the cork crash being an example.
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Do the authorities impound the aircraft owned by an airline if someone is found carrying illegal items onboard?
Last year, a Thai Boeing 737 was impounded in Munich for several weeks because Thailand hadn't paid some bills of a German construction company for a motorway they built there.
So yes, airlines can cave their aircraft impounded too, if a court decides so!
Last edited by what next; 8th Nov 2012 at 09:43.
Last year, a Thai Boeing 737 was impounded in Munich for several weeks because Thailand hadn't paid some bills of a German construction company for a motorway they built there.
Ask this guy: George Jung | The biography of Boston George
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It really doesn't matter who the owner is or for that matter who the operator is if either of them owe cash to someone the airframe can get impounded by the courts.
If the AAIB want to pull the CVR or FDR again impounded.
Criminal activity is the easy one because the plane becomes evidence.
The fun one is when the reg of the aircraft has money owing from a previous operator or owner because the debt stays with the airframe. Saw one of those once. A nice biz jet pulled onto stand and as quick as you like it had snow ploughs parked either end and a notice slapped on its door. The current owner or pax not amused as the crew were removing there personal items.
Quiet alot of aircraft that were owned by bust airlines get flown to a safe airport stuck in the hangar and re reg'd quite quickly if they have huge debts on them. I have flown one aircraft which has got quarter of a million on it in one country, which is more than it is worth minus engines and nothing to do with the current owner. But we were told it would get rather interesting if we had to divert into that country for any reason.
You also have to watch when you sign fuel receipts on account because there is usually a clause in it that the person signing for the fuel is personally responsable if the account isn't payed. Which is why a few old a devious pilots have a different signature for refuelers which you wouldn't have a clue who it was. And one I met has spent the last 15 years signing M.Mouse round most of europe.
If the AAIB want to pull the CVR or FDR again impounded.
Criminal activity is the easy one because the plane becomes evidence.
The fun one is when the reg of the aircraft has money owing from a previous operator or owner because the debt stays with the airframe. Saw one of those once. A nice biz jet pulled onto stand and as quick as you like it had snow ploughs parked either end and a notice slapped on its door. The current owner or pax not amused as the crew were removing there personal items.
Quiet alot of aircraft that were owned by bust airlines get flown to a safe airport stuck in the hangar and re reg'd quite quickly if they have huge debts on them. I have flown one aircraft which has got quarter of a million on it in one country, which is more than it is worth minus engines and nothing to do with the current owner. But we were told it would get rather interesting if we had to divert into that country for any reason.
You also have to watch when you sign fuel receipts on account because there is usually a clause in it that the person signing for the fuel is personally responsable if the account isn't payed. Which is why a few old a devious pilots have a different signature for refuelers which you wouldn't have a clue who it was. And one I met has spent the last 15 years signing M.Mouse round most of europe.
Last edited by mad_jock; 8th Nov 2012 at 11:31.
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In the not-too-distant past, when well-heeled individuals, opportunist "entrepreneurs" and Asian corner-shop keepers made regular "booze-cruises" , overly zealous Customs officials made arbitrary decisions as to wether a "cargo" was for personal consumption ,or not.
They would sieze the vehicle and turf -out the returnee, sometimes without cash or mobile-phone, onto the road outside the port.
Tales in the motor Trade were legendary, as to the bargains that could be had at the local "Block" (Auction) which was suddenly flooded with a huge selection of vehicles which had been siezed.........
Someone finally snapped, took HM C&E to Court (think it was a Co. that had hired-out a Transit) AND WON....Rather like the handgun debacle, the compensation and restitution for their bungling remains well-hidden.
They can't nick something that belongs to an innocent third-party. they cant jiggle the owner on a chain indefinitely, either.
(NOT saying the tossers won't try throwing their authoritative weight around, but.....)
They would sieze the vehicle and turf -out the returnee, sometimes without cash or mobile-phone, onto the road outside the port.
Tales in the motor Trade were legendary, as to the bargains that could be had at the local "Block" (Auction) which was suddenly flooded with a huge selection of vehicles which had been siezed.........
Someone finally snapped, took HM C&E to Court (think it was a Co. that had hired-out a Transit) AND WON....Rather like the handgun debacle, the compensation and restitution for their bungling remains well-hidden.
They can't nick something that belongs to an innocent third-party. they cant jiggle the owner on a chain indefinitely, either.
(NOT saying the tossers won't try throwing their authoritative weight around, but.....)
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The aircraft reg thing is pretty hard, if a reg owes eurocontrol it will get seized next time it lands inside eurocontrol land at a controlled airport.
It doesn't really matter who the owner is or who the operator is that incured the debt. The debt stays with the aircraft. And until someone pays it you don't get it back.
Once your outside europe it gets even more complicated.
It doesn't really matter who the owner is or who the operator is that incured the debt. The debt stays with the aircraft. And until someone pays it you don't get it back.
Once your outside europe it gets even more complicated.
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Some years ago there was a light twin which landed at Staverton bringing people in for the Cheltenham races. When the pilot got back to it some time later. He found it was minus an engine. Turned out that the maintenance organistion on the field had done work on it at one stage and had never been paid. So they took their engine back!
I had a worrying moment once in Liverpool. Flew over from Dublin for our club's 'cross channel' check. Sitting in the terminal enjoying a cup of tea after surviving our epic journey across the Irish sea. Four Customs officers appeared and asked who was the pilot in command of that 172? Everyone pointed at me, the traitors. As I glumly accompanied the officers over the aircraft imagining my erstwhile companions making good their escape. I wondered what was going on. To my dismay they started going over it in detail.
Eventually with relief, I realised it was nothing more than a bit of training for some of the Customs officers. I then entered into the spirit of it showing them where and how you could hide things. Showing how inspection panels were easily removed etc. Thinking about it if you weren't too greedy there are plenty of places in a C172 to hide contraband.
But don't go to Liverpool, they're well trained now!
I had a worrying moment once in Liverpool. Flew over from Dublin for our club's 'cross channel' check. Sitting in the terminal enjoying a cup of tea after surviving our epic journey across the Irish sea. Four Customs officers appeared and asked who was the pilot in command of that 172? Everyone pointed at me, the traitors. As I glumly accompanied the officers over the aircraft imagining my erstwhile companions making good their escape. I wondered what was going on. To my dismay they started going over it in detail.
Eventually with relief, I realised it was nothing more than a bit of training for some of the Customs officers. I then entered into the spirit of it showing them where and how you could hide things. Showing how inspection panels were easily removed etc. Thinking about it if you weren't too greedy there are plenty of places in a C172 to hide contraband.
But don't go to Liverpool, they're well trained now!
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That was a Thai government aircraft, not the property of a Thai airline.
Another instance of an aircraft landing and not departing again on time is the unfortunate circumstance when someone shuffles loose of his mortal coil while on board. Somewhat rare, but it has happened a few times and the plane always got impounded upon landing, no matter how many people it was supposed to leave again with shortly afterwards. It's even worse if the body does not belong to a manifested passenger but is instead found in the hold or some other cavity.
Last edited by Dg800; 8th Nov 2012 at 14:03.
Not long ago (two weeks?) a Syrian airliner was impounded in Turkey for several days because of a suspected cargo of arms.
I suspect naughty owners will forfeit their toys once the authorities are able to demonstrate a link between the operation of transporting illegal items and the ownership of the vessel/vehicle/aircraft.
Where the pilot of a rented aircraft becomes involved in illegal activities without the knowledge or suspicion of the owner, the aircraft could at worst be impounded as part of the evidence chain.
Unless the authorities can overcome the presumption of innocence on behalf of the owner, the aircraft will eventually be released from the evidence chain to the rightful owner.
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Your all thinking UK laws.
Rest of europe as Berger say you will be lucky to see it again and if you do it may not be all in one bit because they will have taken it to pieces and it won't be a licensed engineer thats done it.
Rest of europe as Berger say you will be lucky to see it again and if you do it may not be all in one bit because they will have taken it to pieces and it won't be a licensed engineer thats done it.
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A story about using GA aircraft for drug smuggling and the results from yesteryear, many moons ago after I finished training for my PPL in LA and trying to hour build there were a few CFI guys who hung around the airport bar who ran small charter operations, they both offered me right seat time in twins which was really tempting, one of them ran an operation called “The Mile High Club” which as you can probably guess involved taking a beat-up old Twin Commander up to 5200 feet, sliding a small curtain between upfront and the passengers, turning on a red light (ironic huh) in the rear, circling while they bonked then landing and giving them a bottle of shampers and a certificate acknowledging the couples status as freshly minted members of the mile high club. That was a lot of fun with many memorable moments.
Another operator told me how he flew his 310 down to Mexico a few times a week in the middle of the night to pick up a load of shrimp for an LA based Mexican guy who distributed seafood at the markets downtown. I was asked if I wanted to do some flights with him as I guess it was boring doing it on his own, as tempted as I was getting to log some twin time I declined as arriving back in LA at 5am with no sleep I would have been knackered for work. Fast forward several years and after landing in the US upon completion of a shrimp run the plane gets surrounded by the full works, DEA, Local cops with guns at the ready and dressed like storm troopers etc. Turns out the “shrimp” was sniff and/or smokable. Bottom line, the last he seen of his beautiful 310 as he was being driven off the airport cuffed-up in the back seat were the feds posing in front of the Cessna taking trophy pictures of their latest confiscation/asset seizure, he went off to do a decade of Federal time, plea bargained down from a potential life sentence.
The moral of the story, It’s a mugs game.
Oh I forgot to say how they knew, I guess a DEA agent always suspected what he was up too but could never prove it or catch him, the agent moved to a totally different division of the government for a while then decided he wanted to go back to the DEA, his first week back on the job he remembered about the “one that got away” and decided to take a second look, he pulled up any flight plans that the pilot had filed or was flying and waited for the right moment. Then it was curtains (and hard time) for the pilot !, I see on Facebook he was recently released with his kids all grown up and wife remarried.
Another operator told me how he flew his 310 down to Mexico a few times a week in the middle of the night to pick up a load of shrimp for an LA based Mexican guy who distributed seafood at the markets downtown. I was asked if I wanted to do some flights with him as I guess it was boring doing it on his own, as tempted as I was getting to log some twin time I declined as arriving back in LA at 5am with no sleep I would have been knackered for work. Fast forward several years and after landing in the US upon completion of a shrimp run the plane gets surrounded by the full works, DEA, Local cops with guns at the ready and dressed like storm troopers etc. Turns out the “shrimp” was sniff and/or smokable. Bottom line, the last he seen of his beautiful 310 as he was being driven off the airport cuffed-up in the back seat were the feds posing in front of the Cessna taking trophy pictures of their latest confiscation/asset seizure, he went off to do a decade of Federal time, plea bargained down from a potential life sentence.
The moral of the story, It’s a mugs game.
Oh I forgot to say how they knew, I guess a DEA agent always suspected what he was up too but could never prove it or catch him, the agent moved to a totally different division of the government for a while then decided he wanted to go back to the DEA, his first week back on the job he remembered about the “one that got away” and decided to take a second look, he pulled up any flight plans that the pilot had filed or was flying and waited for the right moment. Then it was curtains (and hard time) for the pilot !, I see on Facebook he was recently released with his kids all grown up and wife remarried.
Last edited by piperboy84; 8th Nov 2012 at 18:34.