Check out this security measure taken in Brazil:http://www.airliners.net/open.file/978840/L/Has anyone here used this technique or seen it used? I know I wouldn't fly that plane without said measure removed...Kevin

Some airport's in the US require some form of security.for example Massport at KBED, Hanscom airport in Ma. requires prop locks.

You can buy many different types of throttle locks. Sporty's Pilot shop sells several styles. Look at www.sportys.comThey also sell prop locks (think bike chain wrapped around the prop in a figure-eight and secured to... well, I don't know what they secure it to), there are locking clamps that can be used to lock the ailerons and such which are a variation of the gust locks seen on many alaskan based aircraft. I've even seen locking chocks. The big thing is how much a pilot wants to do to secure his aircraft. AOPA encourages pilots to be vigilent and many are volentarily taking measures.----------------------------------------------------------------John MorganReal World: KGEG, UND Aerospace Spokane Satillite, Private ASEL 141.2 hrs, 314 landings, 46 inst. apprs.Virtual: MSFS 2004"There is a feeling about an airport that no other piece of ground can have. No matter what the name of the country on whose land it lies, an airport is a place you can see and touch that leads to a reality that can only be thought and felt." - The Bridge Across Forever: A Love Story by Richard Bach

I know I'd not rely on just the ignition key as theft protection for my aircraft (if I had one)...

Yeah, especially the older Cessna and Piper models, which can be started with just about any key that was cut for any of the company's airplanes.We had an old straight tail 172 on our ramp for maintenance. The owner forgot to leave the key, so we went inside and grabbed a spare for our school's 152. Not only did it open the door lock, but it also turned the ignition. Scary huh.

Not really, when those were built, theft wasn't a concern. If you look at cars of the same time period, there were models that opened and started with the same key. I know one of the japanese manufactures was infamous for this even into the 80s or so.----------------------------------------------------------------John MorganReal World: KGEG, UND Aerospace Spokane Satillite, Private ASEL 141.2 hrs, 314 landings, 46 inst. apprs.Virtual: MSFS 2004"There is a feeling about an airport that no other piece of ground can have. No matter what the name of the country on whose land it lies, an airport is a place you can see and touch that leads to a reality that can only be thought and felt." - The Bridge Across Forever: A Love Story by Richard Bach

yes, heard somewhere they had 5 or so distinct keys so there was a 20% chance of a key working on any lock you might try it on.