I was almost robbed of my Phantom tonight

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There is a 2 phase shopping center development where I fly. The first phase is finished and has an Acadamy, Best Buy, etc in it but they just broke ground on phase 2 and right now it is just a huge field. I stopped there tonight after work to mess around some. I was minding my own business flying when a low rider pulled into the Acadamy parking lot and parked. The parking lot is 100 or so yards away, I dont fly over it.
A bunch of kids got out and were just hanging out talking for a while until one of them spotted my bird. I could here them talking about it but couldnt understand what they were saying completely. I brought the bird in closer to me to land and change batteries and I heard one of them say "there he is". A few minutes later as I was loading my Phantom into the case they drove up and five of them got out. They started asking the generic questions and I figured like most everyone else I encounter they were just curious. All of a sudden one of them said "what would you do if someone stole it" I told them it wouldnt matter because they would have to have my flight code (B.S), then another one said something like "what if we took it from you, what are you going to do about it?"
I realized they were serious and one of them went back to the truck and opened the door like he was getting something. I pulled out my Rugar (I have a concealed carry permit and always wear one when I come home from work). I told them they could either run, now, or they could wait for the police but either way the police would be called. Needless to say they hauled ***.
I immedietly called the police and withing 3 minutes an officer pulled up. I told him what happened and gave them a description of the truck. As he was getting my information and checking out my permit he got a call in that another officer had found them. After some time it turns out that when they got stopped the officer found a bunch of stolen stuff in the truck. The officer I was talking to told me that there had been some car break ins in the parking lot that they had been getting calls on and thats why he was so close and got there so fast when I called. Few minutes later another police car pulls up and sure enough two of them were in the back. Officer asked me if it was them and I said yes.
Apparantly the other 3 had run when they got pulled over. He asked me if I happened to have any video of the incident or any video of the parking lot where I might have caught them on video. I didnt because I wasnt over the parking lot and wasnt filming. By the time it was all said and done there were a total of 6 police cars around me and eventually it turned into a conversation about drones and the Phantom. One of them said he was looking into Walkera but I think I might have sold him on a Phantom lol.

This is probably one of the crazyest things that has ever happened to me.
 
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dirkclod said:
Lol.
I don't just go around pulling guns on people either. In 20 years of carrying that was the first time.
 
I think you meant Ruger. Just a friendly suggestion to make your posts more readable: Use your "ENTER" key, to make paragraphs. It makes it much more readable.

Having said that, I read what you wrote and I have a no -quad experience that is related. After becoming disabled, I could no longer ride my GoldWing, teach SCUBA diving or dive and I lost SO many hobbies as I was very active. If the sun was out, either I was gone teaching diving, or doing some project.

To the point: I had always wanted to metal detect, but other hobbies used up my time. So, I finally bought a White's metal detector - top of the line, I got addicted and went out around 1 pm and I came back home around 9 - 11pm each night. Unless you find gold, all coins look like dirt. I would put them in my tumblers, while drinking a glass of wine. Then I would look at the brand new coins. Unfortunately, due to neuropathy, I couldn't handle the 12" coil and I used a 6" coil instead. This meant I didn't find the old coins that I wanted to find.

I hunted out all public parks, dealing with the kids who wanted to help. There was one park that I left for last. It was in the bad side of town. After an hour, despite wearing headphones, I heard some guys of another race, who said: "Look at that white guy trying to find gold!"

I acted as if I didn't hear it. I probably should have left much earlier, but it was so nice and cool. Suddenly three teenagers on bicycles rode very fast, towards me in three different directions. Their first question was: "What is that worth?"' Not what it cost.

I wasn't afraid, but I saw no reason to hurt or kill someone. I told them what it cost, I stated that I was still paying for it, via a credit card, because I was disabled. I then asked all three if they would like to see how it worked. After awhile, they all left.

I knew they planned to rob me. They didn't know that I was carrying a fully loaded, 11 round .45 pistol, with two back-up 10 round magazines. Was it was my being nice, showing no fear, etc., I don't know.

I've had a firearms license since the early 70's and I've never let it expire. AND, I ALWAYS carry! Call me a nut, or if you knew my life experiences, you would understand. I've never had to draw my firearm. What few know, what they call a concealed firearms license, also allows one to carry openly.

Due to this hot climate, I now carry openly, with a locked holster. Even if I'm flying. Sometimes it is easier to just carry my badge, with the gun.

So, yes, I'm a gun nut! When you are begging for your life, I'll be reaching for my gun!! Maybe I'll be too late if I draw that late, but I choose to die trying to save my life than begging for it. Honestly, by having a firearm, my life has been saved several times. Excuse this long post, but if one person applies for their state's FireArms license, it would be worth it!
 
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PhantomFanatic said:
I think you meant Ruger. Just a friendly suggestion to make your posts more readable: Use your "ENTER" key, to make paragraphs. It makes it much more readable.

Having said that, I read what you wrote and I have a no -quad experience that is related. After becoming disabled, I could no longer ride my GoldWing, teach SCUBA diving or dive and I lost SO many hobbies as I was very active. If the sun was out, either I was gone teaching diving, or doing some project.

To the point: I had always wanted to metal detect, but other hobbies used up my time. So, I finally bought a White's metal detector - top of the line, I got addicted and went out around 1 pm and I came back home around 9 - 11pm each night. Unless you find gold, all coins look like dirt. I would put them in my tumblers, while drinking a glass of wine. Then I would look at the brand new coins. Unfortunately, due to neuropathy, I couldn't handle the 12" coil and I used a 6" coil instead. This meant I didn't find the old coins that I wanted to find.

I hunted out all public parks, dealing with the kids who wanted to help. There was one park that I left for last. It was in the bad side of town. After an hour, despite wearing headphones, I heard some guys of another race, who said: "Look at that white guy trying to find gold!"

I acted as if I didn't hear it. I probably should have left much earlier, but it was so nice and cool. Suddenly three teenagers on bicycles rode very fast, towards me in three different directions. Their first question was: "What is that worth?"' Not what it cost.

I wasn't afraid, but I saw no reason to hurt or kill someone. I told them what it cost, I stated that I was still paying for it, via a credit card, because I was disabled. I then asked all three if they would like to see how it worked. After awhile, they all left.

I knew they planned to rob me. They didn't know that I was carrying a fully loaded, 11 round .45 pistol, with two back-up 10 round magazines. Was it was my being nice, showing no fear, etc., I don't know.

I've had a firearms license since the early 70's and I've never let it expire. AND, I ALWAYS carry! Call me a nut, or if you knew my life experiences, you would understand. I've never had to draw my firearm. What few know, what they call a concealed firearms license, also allowand s one to carry openly.

Due to this hot climate, I now carry openly, with a locked holster. Even if I'm flying. Sometimes it is easier to just carry my badge, with the gun.

So, yes, I'm a gun nut! When you are begging for your life, I'll be reaching for my gun!! Maybe I'll be too late if I draw that late, but I choose to die trying to save my life than begging for it. Honestly, by having a firearm, my life has been saved several times. Excuse this long post, but if one person applies for their state's FireArms license, it would be worth it!
I hear ya, sorry about the lack of spaces. My computer spell checks Ruger to Rugar. Pisses me off when I am in a firearm forum. I have had several instances where people have followed me to my car at gas stations and try to get in after I lock the door and beat on windows. Never felt threatened, just easier to drive off.

Its legal here to open carry without a permit, many do, I do not. Sometimes I think open carry can do more harm than good but that is a discussion for another forum

I am in the beginning stages of metal detecting right now. An old high school buddy of mine is getting me into it. Hadnt seen him in years and he gave me a ring to see if I wanted to go with him. We grew up on a property with a house built in the 1700's and are having a field day. Nothing too valuable yet but lots of fun and good to relive some old memories. Actually found some old arrows that we lost shooting rabbits together 20 years ago.

He will have a Phantom soon. We use the Phantom to scout out old Indian shell harvest areas. There are shell plots hidden all up in the marsh which are only visible from the air. Indians would set up for days picking clams and oysters and these plots as a post to trade with trappers and settlers. There is bound to be something there.
 
Speaking of which, I need to get my concealed carry permit when I get a chance. I've been wanting to do it for a while now, but just never got around to it. Even though I live out in the middle of nowhere, we have quite a few break ins, on our shops which has quite a few very expensive things inside. I actually had to fire off a few warning shots last year, as I caught some people in the act of breaking into the shop down the hill, and they got out of there in a hurry.

So around the property, I'm not too worried, but with crime like that getting worse each year, I think it would give me a piece of mind just to have it on me if I needed it. It's like they say, it's better to have it and not need it, than to not have it and need it.
 
Good job with the punks.
"What would you do if we just took it from you?"
"Blow a few rounds of fifty caliber in your truck. I can use the target practice."
As I pull it out of my pocket.

I was thinking that this would be a good thing for a business with a large lot like that.
They could hire someone with a bird and use it to watch the lot with. At a mere fifty feet up, you can see quire a lot.
You can't always see that much on the ground. Their other option is to install security cameras and actually have someone watching them. Not just for show.
 
From the perspective of being in UK- this topic seems like fiction :?

Our laws give the villains the advantage- they are the only ones on the street with guns.
 
From the other perspective of the UK resident, a polceman turning up in 3 minutes is more shocking! We would have to wait a week (unless it was a motoring offence)
 
I've watched about every Open Carry video on Utube, forgive me I knew you could carry where lawful but couldn't have a bullet loaded as such?, in the chamber I think it's called. I watch all cops good and bad videos, well everything to do will the world really.
It does give a view of how the world is moving.

You guys and guns, very scary. I shot a rabbit years ago and wounded it, vowed I'd never do a gun again..ever.
It's a different story if you did have to shoot, I ran over a person and it still haunts me, over his feat as he tried to jump out of the way just before he jumped in front of the car, not a clever boy.
 
landmannnn said:
From the other perspective of the UK resident, a polceman turning up in 3 minutes is more shocking! We would have to wait a week (unless it was a motoring offence)


How very true
 
discv said:
From the perspective of being in UK- this topic seems like fiction :?

Our laws give the villains the advantage- they are the only ones on the street with guns.

Our laws vary by state. In the ones that don't allow people to carry what you point out is true here too.

Glad the OP didn't have to ventilate anyone. :cool:
 
I've never owned a firearm and don't know anyone who carries and I can't imagine something like this happening, because I've never been threatened. I'm a US expat in Europe and stuff like this just doesn't happen.
You guys should work on the cause, not having to live in a society where everyone has to carry a weapon to feel safe. the US currently has the largest prison population in the world with 1.5mil people locked up. That's the size of a large city. Something's very wrong.
 
Fyod said:
I've never owned a firearm and don't know anyone who carries and I can't imagine something like this happening, because I've never been threatened. I'm a US expat in Europe and stuff like this just doesn't happen.
You guys should work on the cause, not having to live in a society where everyone has to carry a weapon to feel safe. the US currently has the largest prison population in the world with 1.5mil people locked up. That's the size of a large city. Something's very wrong.

The size of the prison population has nothing to do with our right to bear arms. Enjoy Europe. ;)
 
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discv said:
From the perspective of being in UK- this topic seems like fiction :?

Our laws give the villains the advantage- they are the only ones on the street with guns.
That is the reason why the gun owners here in the US run a constant fight against the gun grabbers because we know if every gun in private hands disappeared, crime would skyrocket. With over 23,000 gun laws on the books, 23,000+1 is not going to stop the "bad guys" from owning a gun. Politicians must be idiots thinking criminals follow gun laws.
Yes, I agree, we have a problem with our society here in the USA. It needs and would take a great amount of work to make changes.
 
Marlin009 said:
Fyod said:
I've never owned a firearm and don't know anyone who carries and I can't imagine something like this happening, because I've never been threatened. I'm a US expat in Europe and stuff like this just doesn't happen.
You guys should work on the cause, not having to live in a society where everyone has to carry a weapon to feel safe. the US currently has the largest prison population in the world with 1.5mil people locked up. That's the size of a large city. Something's very wrong.

The size of the prison population has nothing to do with our right to bear arms. Enjoy Europe. ;)


+1 :cool:
 
Marlin009 said:
Fyod said:
I've never owned a firearm and don't know anyone who carries and I can't imagine something like this happening, because I've never been threatened. I'm a US expat in Europe and stuff like this just doesn't happen.
You guys should work on the cause, not having to live in a society where everyone has to carry a weapon to feel safe. the US currently has the largest prison population in the world with 1.5mil people locked up. That's the size of a large city. Something's very wrong.

The size of the prison population has nothing to do with our right to bear arms. Enjoy Europe. ;)

I have nothing against the right, but there shouldn't be a need.
 
Fyod said:
Marlin009 said:
Fyod said:
I've never owned a firearm and don't know anyone who carries and I can't imagine something like this happening, because I've never been threatened. I'm a US expat in Europe and stuff like this just doesn't happen.
You guys should work on the cause, not having to live in a society where everyone has to carry a weapon to feel safe. the US currently has the largest prison population in the world with 1.5mil people locked up. That's the size of a large city. Something's very wrong.

The size of the prison population has nothing to do with our right to bear arms. Enjoy Europe. ;)

I have nothing against the right, but there shouldn't be a need.

It's a choice. Of the millions of people in the US that have right to carry, most do not. That is their choice and that's fine. I own guns and carry one. Not because I feel I need to, but because I can. I hope I never have to use one for the defense of me or my family but you can bet your *** I would if necessary. As the gentleman from Michigan pointed out, when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. They don't care. Ain't gonna happen.
 
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