In my younger years, I was hired by a small municipal airport to catch the kids who were going there at night and shooting out the runway lights. These lights are expensive and when they are out it is dangerous for a plane to land at night. The manager told me to do whatever was necessary to catch these shooters in the act. I was lucky enough to be able to borrow a night video camera that was designed to work in low lighting. To set up the catch, I created a blind at the end of the runway behind the runway end safety area. There was a dirt road that led into that are that had to remain open, as it was a right of way for a farmer’s pasture. I assumed that was how the shooters got to the runway. The blind was in the ground, so my eye level was even with the ground. I had a little stool to sit on so I could be comfortable.

We decided I would sit there on a Friday and Saturday night because that is when the lights seemed to be shot out. I would be there from dusk until about 2am. First night was uneventful. My second night I was better prepared; I had several sodas, a few snacks, bug repellant, a mini light and a book to read. Low and behold about 10pm I heard a car come up the dirt road. I watched as the car pulled up in front of my blind and stopped there blocking some of my view of the airfield. It was a nice clear night, a boy and a girl got out of the car walked a few feet and spread a blanket on the ground. About 10 minutes later another vehicle came up the road and stopped right near the first vehicle.