Flying Field Problems!!!!

[thewrap]

I'm sorry to here about your problem. I recently switched fields due to not nice members. I hope it all works out for you.

[flying skunks]

You will find that all it takes is one home owner that can make it very tough on a field.A lot of times what he or she (home owner) feels is right over there yard is a perspective issue,then again we had a group of people the would purposely fly over a house,but then again they no longer are allowed to fly at that field.Try to keep the home owner happy,keep the field.
Donnie

[jack01]

Diddo on the police thing! Prove to them on the front end that your club means well, and they'll really work with you. We had a guy start shooting at our planes at one of the local fields. The police officers knew us well, on good terms, so they went and had a little "chat" with the shooter. Tecnically, he wasn't breaking any laws since he claimed he was shooting snakes in his backyard, but the police told him as soon as an airplane comes back with shotgun pellets in it, they would give him an all expenses paid vacation in the county jail. Never heard from the guy again. We lost that field due to an interstate going in though. We've now guy a better field on Federal property, and he's getting ready to have more noise than he dreamed of. What goes around, comes around!

[BOSSIER_ROB]

Lots of well spoken advice. Trying to get on his good side,mommy's side, and the law's side. Too bad that doesn't always work. I had folks in my high school who felt the same way, that I was a geek or nerd for playing with toy airplanes when they spent thier entire allowance(or paychecks) to finance little toy cars(or import four cylinders if you prefer). The only ones I couldn't convince that model planes were fun, were the ones that either couldn't afford it, or just didn't care for aviation at all. The only thing that kept them from "picking" on me was the fact that I was 5'9" and weighed 210 lbs and could bench press thier toy cars. lol . Maybe you should try one more time by telling this little jerk to just give it a try. Tell him to come over to the field and you'll hand him a remote, let him fly a little, then have some kickass 3D pilots, some awsome heli pilots, maybe some very detailed scale models, and some sport pilots put on a little demo. Maybe if that gets his attention, the club can offer to help get him involved but donating whatever it takes. If it costs your club a $500 full trainer ready to fly set up, it'll still be worth saving your aircraft and/or club.If that doesn't work and the local PD can not offer a solution........BEAT THE HELL OUTTA HIM!!!! LOL Or you could tell him every time he drives by YOUR field, you'll shoot his car with a shotgun.lol That's probably not a good idea but I'm one to not give a damn and would probably do it.What's another weekend in jail. Just a few days in the pokie and a hefty "don't do it again" fine.Seriously, though, if you cant get this kid to let yall be, he's just a jerk that has it in for you. Don't be intimidated by his kind. Play it cool, try everything you can to resolve this the right way. If you have no luck, call me. I'll beat his for ya! Good Luck!

[BOSSIER_ROB]

Oh, I forgot. We currently have the same problem with a redneck reident on our south end.(I can call him that because I am one too). He gripes quite a bit so we send him a case of Budweiser every once in a while to keep the peace even though we have fly over rights from the land owner( his daddy-in-law). Could you give us some info about your field? Are you in or out of city limits, is the complaining neighbor part of a sub-division or are the houses spaced out, do you have any restrictions for noise, altitude limits, etc.? This could help with advise. But like everyone else is saying, you MUST find a solution to make these jerks happy even if it means learning to turn base and final 10 ft from the runway. If your club stricktly enforces not flying over the road before thier house, then they have no legitimate complaint and problem is solved, pending you can't work it out so that they won't be calling Barney everytime they see an airplane.

[WangoTango]

We've had the same problem at our field. The guy next door to us is about 275 yards straight out in front of the flight stations. Our property line is at about 220 yards or so. We have over flown him by accident but are making a concerted effort to NOT fly near his place. Now lets add some other neat variables: He's got a penchant for beer. He loves his shotgun! He has shot at, near,etc. our property, planes, etc. He has confronted several of our members with shotgun in hand and spouted off as to what he'll do the next time we overfly his property.
I had a Chevy Suburban up until about five years ago. He and one of his "dove hunting parties" shot toward our pit area on a cold day and fractured the rear quarter window of the Suburban. I yelled at him and he got on his ATV and went to a different part of his property. (Nothing ever got settled with that one)
Our divided club membership (Some want to bend over backwards and not lose our paid-for field; others want to tell this jerk where he can go!) is all in a quandary over what to do. Our President has patiently listened to both sides of the issues and a few months back was yelled at by the obnoxious neighbor and he finally cut loose with a piece of his mind. During all this mumbo-jumbo the local sheriff's office went to have a chat with the guy and informed him that he can discharge his gun to his heart's content.......... If he does it in a threatening manner in the direction of any club members or tries to destroy any planes, he gets the trip to the Walker County Bed & Breakfast. Things have quietened down and both sides are minding their respective P's & Q's. Our club has a grievance form to be filled out against a club member that purposely flies over his place. I really don't think anyone tries to fly over him but we feel his clouded vision due to his drinking makes us an easy target. (In more ways than one!) All of these incursions over the guy's property (imagined or not) has made certain events just flat go away because of the publicity this guy is giving us. Our annual big bird is a test of wills. (We post a sentry/watch person at the property line to communicate with the flight station to let pilots know when they come close to encroaching the line.) Our pattern contest has ceased to be held for the last few years. We've invited him over to eat BBQ with us, offered him flying lessons, etc. but he really wants no part of it. He just doesn't want anyone flying over him. (We don't blame him!) Only thing is, 99% of the time nobody even got close! All is quiet on the western front...... Hope we don't tick him off...... But then again, we have a few ex-military types in the club that still remember how to call in an airstrike! LOL! I'm guessing that in the end, cooler heads will prevail.
WT

[Propstriker]

	Quote: Originally Posted by jack01
	Diddo on the police thing! Prove to them on the front end that your club means well, and they'll really work with you. We had a guy start shooting at our planes at one of the local fields. The police officers knew us well, on good terms, so they went and had a little "chat" with the shooter. Tecnically, he wasn't breaking any laws since he claimed he was shooting snakes in his backyard, but the police told him as soon as an airplane comes back with shotgun pellets in it, they would give him an all expenses paid vacation in the county jail. Never heard from the guy again. We lost that field due to an interstate going in though. We've now guy a better field on Federal property, and he's getting ready to have more noise than he dreamed of. What goes around, comes around!

Yup, Love the fact that the "Sem-I's" will be rattling his bedroom 24/7!!
Jack, Hope you hav'nt forgotten the new address....we have a great turnout on the weekends now. Also will be cranking up the Indoor events right after the holidays.

[Sukhoikid]

What I really hate is 10 years ago they use to be no homes on the other side of the road. Maybe about 2 or 3. Now it is like 6-8. You know it seems like if they saw model airplanes flying around they wouldnt move there!!! We are very lucky with this field. We have gone around 15 years with this field. So far things have calm down with the neighbors. We have been VERY careful and told ALL pilots to NEVER fly over the road. Only time you should come close to the road is coming in for landing. I can land my 42% with no problem coming in from that side and I am probably 75 yards away from the road.

[cid]

sorry to say its just a matter of time b4 they give you the boot . I saw a local gun club go that way they had land that they wernt useing and they sold it to a developer. the houses went up and that was it all the people cryed about the gun range making noise and the property was not fenced off.So they fenced it off and only used the range at set times and it still wasnt enough. now its all homes it was there 75 years and then people moved in and cryed.