Crop Duster shot at with rifle

Ralliart · Post by **Ralliart** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 10:42 pm

This sounds like a pretty bad day at the office! Glad the pilot wasn't hurt.

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/LondonFre ... 0-sun.html

WINNIPEG -- The man family and friends have dubbed the Red Baron vows he will fly again, because "no bullet is going to stop me."

Josh Hiebert's crop-dusting plane was sprayed with gunfire from a high-powered rifle last week in an apparent attack of, well, crop-dusting rage.

Hiebert, 24, of Niverville, Man., said he's never been to a war zone and hardly expected ground-to-air combat as he sprayed a fungicide on a canola crop in southwestern Manitoba on July 13.

He said as he flew over the field, he spotted a resident of a neighbouring property holding an object near his eyes.

"I thought he might have had a digital camera, but then I realized digital cameras don't have muzzle flashes," said Hiebert.

He heard two distinctive "pops" as he passed near the man's home.

"The first one wasn't too loud and I started to worry something might be wrong with the engine," said Hiebert. "But the second one jolted the plane violently."

Confused and concerned for his safety, Hiebert headed straight for nearby Killarney and safely landed the plane.

He was stunned as he surveyed the damage. A high-powered rifle slug had penetrated the hopper tank, which holds the chemicals. Another tore part of the engine mount.

"If it would have taken more of the mount off, the engine could have ripped right out," said Hiebert.

"If the slug had come through the window, it probably would have hit me. I would have been dead. I just started shaking. The guy I was flying for looked at that and said: 'I think you need a rum to relax.' "

RCMP believe the shooter was angered by the noise of the plane flying near his home.

A 46-year-old man faces numerous criminal charges. His name has not been released.

FREEFALL · Post by **FREEFALL** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 6:22 am

I hope that crazy redneck bastard gets everything coming to him.

BTD · Post by **BTD** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 6:30 am

and more

TopperHarley · Post by **TopperHarley** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 7:41 am

I was always worried that when I was doing my low-level photo work over the farms that something crazy like this would happen. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

Hedley · Post by **Hedley** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 7:45 am

I'm glad the pilot was ok. Frankly I'm amazed the guy on the ground was able to hit the aircraft. It's not as easy as it sounds, to get the right amount of lead ahead of the target.

If you're something of a student of history, you will recall in WWII the british hurricane pilots would pour bullets into a German bomber to no effect, only to have the one behind it burst into flames. Hm.

Also in Vietnam, the Americans stumbled across a training camp of VC which used models of aircraft which descended on wires, to try to teach their people how to lead a moving target.

greenwich · Post by **greenwich** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 8:17 am

Getting shot is one of those fears that is always in the back of my mind when I'm flying low in 'farm country'.

Planes piss people off, and in rural areas where everyone owns guns it wouldn't take much for some bloke to run outside and take a couple shots at you!!

G

Dust Devil · Post by **Dust Devil** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 8:29 am

Hillbilly Manitoba

Just jokin

ski_bum · Post by **ski_bum** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 10:22 am

I have flown with josh, he's a good guy and glad to here he is ok. It is crazy what people will do. Hopefully he gets some good fines and these redneck farmers will learn the lesson. I am sure this has happened may times in the past....

Capt · Post by **Capt** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 1:55 pm

my boss in the 337 got shot at doing fire patrol, hunter was pissed that the noise may have scared the moose away so he fired one at the 337. bullet came through the floor and lodged into the roof. dumb people in this world

Flybabe · Post by **Flybabe** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 2:52 pm

It's not just low planes that people don't like.. crop dusters particularly seem to get a bad rap. We're all out to kill innocent people with chemicals.

Sprayed near a farmstead in KS owned by an elderly lady whom (I found out later ) had been sprayed years ago.. apparently resulting in lasting health effects. After heated phone calls after I got back to base AND a detailed conversation with an FAA official, it was cleared up.

Add to it the frenzy after 9/11 and the thoughts that terrorists were going to spray America with ag planes, well.. you get the idea.

Sucks though. If I wanted to be shot at I'd go spray "special" crops for the US DEA... nice big black AT802's

:D

Shooter isn't necessarily a redneck, just pissed off and ill-informed

Babel Fish · Post by **Babel Fish** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 3:38 pm

Flybabe wrote:Shooter isn't necessarily a redneck, just pissed off and ill-informed

Angry and ignorant? Isn't that how 'redneck' is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary?

Avro Arrow 206 · Post by **Avro Arrow 206** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 5:52 pm

there is a local Cessna cardnal pilot who was shot at when he was doing a search and rescue around brandon here, didnt know it till one day he look inside his engine and saw a bullet lodged in there.

Flybabe · Post by **Flybabe** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 7:29 pm

Babel -

Guess it's up to interpretation eh?

Expat · Post by **Expat** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 9:05 pm

I believe that guy was growing something illegal. It happens all the time. One pilot had his plane burned last year in Quebec after another plane the same color was rented by police to survey pot crops.
Why do think no-one wants to use aircraft to spray the poppies in Afghanistan? Too many Kalashnikov here...

CLguy · Post by **CLguy** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 7:14 pm

Boy I hope for that farmers sake the he had that gun registered or he is really going to be in trouble!!!

bandaid · Post by **bandaid** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 7:35 pm

Hey it's not just you pilots, I was shot at by some drunk while we were parked outside of an apartment building. Apparently we had the drunks combatent in the back of the ambulance. There are lots of nuts out there.

CFV2 · Post by **CFV2** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 7:42 pm

Pull...

phillyfan · Post by **phillyfan** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 8:12 pm

It's not uncommon to have guys look up at airplanes through the scope with loaded rifles during moose season in Northern Ontario. If the light is just right your can see the reflection on some days. Just something to think about for you guys.

Expat · Post by **Expat** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 9:55 pm

I flew with CASARA for a few years in northern ontario, and during the hunting season, the best sunny saturday, when all the hunters are out, we go flying...Yes 500 AGL, making noise and scaring moose. Chilling when you think that half these guys are drunk and pissed off.
Cheers

Busted · Post by **Busted** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 1:23 pm

This sounds like going into Shamattawa.......

This is still a reg thing, but they are usually to high on somthing to hit anything...........

FREEFALL · Post by **FREEFALL** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 6:23 pm

Hey busted, were you one of the lucky folks to get a "WELCOMING COMMITTEE" in ZTM?