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Flight school victimized by renter's smuggling arrest
A southern California flight school owner faces the loss of his two-year-old business, along with the Cessna 172 he rented to a well-known customer. The Jan. 20 seizure of N5283E and arrest of Lino Rodriguez-Chavez by border patrol agents marked the fourth arrest and seizure of a light aircraft involved in the smuggling of people, rather than drugs, since 2010. (www.aopa.org) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Give the man back his plane and hang the guilty parties.
Couldn't put it any better. Well Said.
Civil forfeiture laws man...it's the new way to tax.
This has been going on for nearly 40 years. I remember scheduling a Cherokee Arrow in the 1970s with long range tanks when the FBO told me, only if he get it back from the Feds. Seems he rented it to someone who flew down to Mexico and got caught at Customs in New Orleans coming back with 400 pounds of marijuana. Luckily he got the plane back and I completed my trip. However, I don't know all the circumstances of what Bill had to do for the plane's return.
A piece of humor to this story. When I picked up the aircraft at night, the FBO was already closed and the keys at the FSS. The aircraft had not been refueled. Having flown it many times before I calculated there was sufficient fuel for Ft. Lauderdale with 45 minutes reserve. My route included deviation to ORL, TPA, FTP and PBI if my calculations were off. Arrived in FTL with 45 minutes reserve and watched the "newbie" refueler looking under the wing for leaks as he passed 60 and 65 gallons.
A piece of humor to this story. When I picked up the aircraft at night, the FBO was already closed and the keys at the FSS. The aircraft had not been refueled. Having flown it many times before I calculated there was sufficient fuel for Ft. Lauderdale with 45 minutes reserve. My route included deviation to ORL, TPA, FTP and PBI if my calculations were off. Arrived in FTL with 45 minutes reserve and watched the "newbie" refueler looking under the wing for leaks as he passed 60 and 65 gallons.
This just makes complete sense that the government who doesn't allow individual states to pass legislation with regards to illegal immigration goes after the small business owner who had nothing to do with the crime. This is supposed to deter illegal use of an aircraft by making the rental owner responsible for the action. Do you think that they will apply this same logic to the missuse of a gun???
OUTRAGEOUS! This is our Damn Tyrannical government at work. Allow millions of illegal aliens to live and work in the country but penalize the American citizen business owner when he is Defrauded. Good Job, keep up the good the work you lazy incompetent FEDS.