Museum Visitor FAIL

[redvanner]

At least he got up there correctly...

For sure he used the correct black painted walkway.
I think it all can be reduced to respect. Those people who trespas, use, walk on or simply touch others property just don´t show proper respect. They don´t respect your property, your (spent) money, your work, your love, your ambition. They neither respect the owners nor the people who put a lot of work and time and ambition in this maybe one and only kind of art. It is just the idea of: others have to provide my kind of..... living, fun, satisfaction. And of course for free. Or am I totally wrong, misunderstanding everything, being unjust? I sometimes would like to have a look inside a cockpit myself, even sit inside. But: I never ever would touch a plane if the owner did not invite me. I know I would like to feel things, but: I always put my hands on my back when nearing a plane. Why? Just to show everybody: No touch. And: I respect your property.

Michael

P.S: Same things happen over here all the time. Sometimes I feel like a Dinosaur, lol.

[gregv]

back in 2000 I took a road trip to go to the Canada Aviation & Space Museum, and after walking around for a while I was mortified to realize that more than half the exhibits were not open for public viewing, being parked close together and behind some barricades. I cruised over to the info centre, explained that I'd really like to see the aircraft not in the public area, and offered to pay for a personal guide for a couple of hours if necessary. Next thing I knew I was crawling around tightly packed airplanes snapping pics (with film no less) and having a great time, while someone kept a very casual eye on me. Didn't cost me a cent. I guess what I'm getting at is if you are polite and ask sometimes you can get into areas where normally you can't.

greg v.

[Steve Nelson]

I'll add my praise for the folks at the Ottawa museum as well. I wanted to get some detail shots of the Boeing 247, and a docent happily allowed me behind the barricades for a few minutes. I've had similar experiences at the NMUSAF (although it's best to ask when traffic in the museum is fairly light.) As a model builder, I'm always trying to get pics of wheel wells or other obscure little details. I find that if you politely and respectfully ask permission, many times museum staff are eager to indulge you. As has been mentioned many times in this thread, the key word is RESPECT!

SN

[C VEICH]

I understand that the discussion might still be a valid one regardless of the answer but, in this instance, does anyone know with any level of certainty that the person in this photo did not have permission to be on the aircraft?

[bdk]

When I was in China, I used the stealth mode, hiding behind the planes when an employee would walk by. I went to the tank museum though, and had a guard follows me around every exhibit. He prObably thought I was a spy trying to obtain WW2 Japanese and 1950s Soviet technology. Nobody in China has any authority, so if you ask the answer is typically no.

[JFS61]

I'm sure a lot of the Texas warbird crowd...and maybe some others.....like my self have heard the famous story (true or not I could'nt tell you, but I would lean towards 'true') of a famous Texas warbird collector with his own strip...and some aviators passing over head who saw his strip and a few vintage planes on it and who swooped down on the strip, exited their plane, and began climbing all over the vintage planes parked near the strip.....and the owner of the vintage planes who, unbeknownst to the trespassers, had snuck up onto the wing of the trespasser's plane and began yelling 'Hey lookit me! Lookit me!" or some such thing and began jumping up and down on the wing, and when told by the offenders to 'get off the plane, you can't do that!', this warbird collector stopped and looked at the trespassers and yelled "That's funny, I was about to tell you the same thing! Now GET THE HE11 OFF MY PROPERTY!!"
Funny how some folks think the rules just don't apply to them but to everyone else.

Mark

Don Hull?

[RickH]

Don Hull?

Sounds more like Connie Edwards, to me.

[Dave Hadfield]

I relate it to cars. Most people have no idea about airplanes, but they do have some aquaintance with autos.

I say, "That airplane is more rare than a Lamborghini. Would you just hop into a Lamborgini as soon as the owner walked away??!?"

That remark always makes them stop and think. And then you see the light dawn...

Dave

[TROJANII]

Not wanting to sound crass, but that guy is doing what I have ALWAYS wanted to do!

[Randy Wilson]

Don Hull?

Sounds more like Connie Edwards, to me.

Me, too.

Randy

[carlisle1926]

You know if I was a docent and saw that I wouldn't say anything to him. I would try to figure out which car in the lot was his. I'd then finagle the hood open and when he showed up to leave he'd see me browsing around the engine underneath the hood. Do ya think he'd get the hint?

I like your way of thinking!!!

[K5DH]

Don Hull?

Sounds more like Connie Edwards, to me.

I was thinking Connie Edwards, but also maybe Junior Burchinal?

[famvburg]

While I agree that this person should know better, in reality, if the museum wants people to stay off, the displays should be roped off and posted as such.

[The Inspector]

Roping things off is absolutely NO guarantee! Back when I was an Inspector at BADWRENCH, we'd use what seemed like miles of CAUTION tape around the jacks the airplane was on and turn on the anti smashes supposedly the universal signal to all that you were stay clear as functional tests were in progress. And in a hanger populated by aviation maintenance 'professionals' we would cycle the gear up and down one cycle, then run them back up to do fit and fair and then do the manual extension checks and 99 times out 100 you'd turn around and some flight controls induvidual would be standing directy under the right main gear looking at some bit of fairing. I'd yell at them which brought a vacant questioning stare followed by 'what's the problem?' "was it hard for you to get in here with all that CAUTION tape?" 'yeah' "why do you suppose it's there" 'I dunno' "then you stand right there while I send 1500 pounds of landing gear through where you're standing to punt you out past the wing tip you dummy" 'GEEZ, you don't have to be so crabby'
"do you find it hard to work while wearing your butt as a sun shade?"

[FG1D Pilot]

I have a policy at the museum. If you ask, we'll have someone show you around. If you don't ask first, then we won't let you closer.