Yet another Hacker News

The Learjet Repo Man (2009)

31 points HR01 3 days ago 9 comments

gnabgib 3 days ago | parent

(2009) At the time (153 points, 49 comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=646758

Igrom 2 days ago | parent

What a great read. Though it looks like the Salon write-up was not the only outcome of the interview.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2009/09/12/super-repo-m...

creeble 2 days ago | parent

Having some trouble with the math in the article.

"Today Popovich, 56, is co-partner..."

"Popovich became a Braniff pilot in 1976"

That _is_ an incredible guy -- flying commercial jets at 6 years old!

alter_igel 2 days ago | parent

The article is from 2009, so Popovich would have been in his early to mid 20's in 1976

drpixie 2 days ago | parent

I'm having some trouble with the idea that someone who does know the type can get in and just go flying! Airliners are not like cars, different types are very different. If you don't know the type, you couldn't even get things started without days of preparation. And one hours notice to get the paperwork done on an unfamiliar aircraft, owned by someone else, in another country - dreaming!

FireBeyond 2 days ago | parent

My father was a Sheriff's Officer in Australia a few decades ago. Not a cop - in Australia it's more akin to the Marshal Service.

One of his most memorable gigs was three days locked in the bridge of a supertanker anchored just outside the Port of Melbourne, him, a partner, supplies and sleeping bags. The tanker owners hadn't been paying harbor fees and had obtained a lien. But you can't just stop a tanker leaving if it wants to...

By all accounts, uneventful, but yes.

manarth 2 days ago | parent

Happens to boats too:

  > 'Cruise for life' ship seized in Singapore

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqr7y7myer53o

js2 1 day ago | parent

Read also Max Hardberger makes his living by stealing back stolen cargo ships, beating pirates at their own game from Haiti to Russia. John Crace talks to the ultimate repo man:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/14/max-hardberger...

And let me recommend his semi-autobiographical Freighter Captain:

https://www.amazon.com/Freighter-Captain-Max-Hardberger/dp/0...