Protesters

[bottieburp]

I go into Turweston EGBT for fuel and maintenance.

The airfeld - an ex WW2 bomber base - was re-opened 9 years ago and has become an excellent GA site. Well worth a visit.

The owner has pumped lots of money into it - a new hangar is almost complete.

THere were noise complaints initially. However, provided that pilots strictly observe the published circuit procedures and operating hours, these have reduced to almost nothing.

Well....

That was the case until somebody decided to move next to the airfield 18 months ago with his Polo ponies.

Since then, he has become an absolute pain in the butt. He has become chairman of the (then) fairly dormant Action Group - stirred them up - and is now lobbying his MP and the Local Authority.

The actions of this one idividual are causing great concern to those who rely on the airfield for their livelihood.

Isn't it staggering that somebody can actually make the decision to move next to an airfield with his skittish horses and then cause so much grief when the locals had otherwise learned to live with it.

A salient point also is this - legally, it is irrelevant to any defence to point out that the protester is a newly arrived nimby!

The concern is that this horrid little bloke ( I have met him - he is horrid and also vertically challenged!) will actually cause some problems because - when you are operating an airfield with such stringent planning restrictions there is bound to be the odd and otherwise totally inoffensive glitch.

Last take-off on Sundays is a ridiculous 4.00pm. Try turning somebody away at 4.05 when they are inbound from a long flight - tired, kids getting twitchy etc. . Do you tell them to divert and get a taxi back?

He complained about somebody doing a circuit over his house and scaring his horses. Again not interested in any reasonable explanation (the aircraft in question had burst a hose and was losing pressure - potentially risking a U/C problem hence the quick circuit in contravention of the normal published procedure).

Anybody else out there have a similar problem?


BB

[BRL]

The usual NIMBY story. Move next to an airfield then complain not giving a toss for anyone or anything connected to it. :mad:

I hope you asked him why he moved next to an active airfield knowing full well the place would be noisy? If not, ask him next time around.....

Perhaps we should have the next pprune fly-in there. One condition, pre-1975 jets only, hush-kits not allowed, the older the better......... ;)

[Whipping Boy's SATCO]

Perhaps a counter-complaint about the unsociable smell of horse manure that obviously affects the airfield. ;)

[28thJuly2001]

....bit like moving to the countryside and complaining about the smell of cow sh*t and cock-a-doodle-doos.


WARNING....Airfields can be noisy....Do not move here if it will offend....Thank You.

or do you think the above statement is too *%&$^&* obvious.:mad: :mad: :mad:

28th,,

[bingoboy]

Perhaps we need a forum/website where airfields can advertise adjacent property that comes up for sale so those who love aeroplanes can buy them.


Meantime if the offending acticle is downwind of your site ask a local pig farmer for some of his best.

[khorne]

I was based at Turweston until about 2 years ago and can't think of a bad thing to say about the place (which is quite something for me). The circuits are strange and high in order to keep the locals happy and I can't see what else they could do other than pack in so as not to annoy a few horses.

The best solution I heard was on this board or a similar one some time ago. That was to make sure that anyone who complains understands that they will be obliged to notify any potential purchaser of their property that they have made complaints about the noise.

[stiknruda]

Understand that negotiations for a large flying association to move to Turweston are under way!

Stik

[rustle]

Not only Turweston:

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=72140

[bottieburp]

Dear KHorne

I agree entirely!

I take comfort in the fact that he his actions have almost certainly put a blight on his property ie. the risk of serious financial grief if he sells, fails to disclose and the truth emerges?!

What we want people to do is think twice about picking up the phone.

An idea is forming here -

When a call is received the caller can be told - I will send you details of our planning consent and how to complain/ log on to our website.

I think it would only be neighbourly(!) to advise complainers that they may blight their property if they wanted to make it offical as opposed to the airfeld treating it as a 'friendly enquiry only' ??!!

Lets be clear - if you don't like planes (and there are such people about!) the noise can be irritating.

It is just a question of degree.

I operate out of a farm strip in the Midlands - I understand that there hasn't been a noise complaint in anybody's memory. However, I do vary my circuits - never do any circuit practise there and never fly over the villages.

It is clear at Turdy that some visitors acknowledge that they are aware of the Noise Abatement Procedure yet actually haven't quite worked it out and are too proud to clarify it over the radio.

The result is a groan from the tower - all avoidable - the complainants, circuits and min heights are marked on a local area map there.

The procedure is simple if unusual.

However, what we have here with this (insert your own explative!) is a hidden agenda.

Maybe someone at Turdy has diddled his missus?? Come on guys - own up! (The beer goggles will definately be required !)

BB

[steamchicken]

bet he'd love that An-2....

[david viewing]

Some thoughts...

Is any part of his land crossed by a public footpath? If so, his 'skittish' horse might be a danger to the public and of interest to the highways dept. Does he have 3rd party liability insurance covering any footpaths?

Is he operating an equine business, eg stables, livery, etc. ? These 'skittish' horses might constitute a danger to customers and be of interest to his insurers.

Does he ride on public highways? If so, the 'skittish' horses might be a danger to the public. If they shy at aeroplanes, what are they like with traffic?

In my experience, horses are designed to run away from sabre-toothed tigers and take very little notice of aeroplanes, even low fast jets. Show them a hedge with a paper bag in it and it's another matter! Perhaps the horses in question are basket cases, so perhaps you could note if there really is a correalation between aeroplanes and 'skittering'.

Consider keeping a diary for a day or two using volunteer observers - that's what the council will ask him to do.

Of course, they may just be fit bored horses with no excercise or training to occupy them. Even then, a couple of weeks should see them adapted to the environment, unless something else is wrong..

[FormationFlyer]

BEAgle knows the full quote but its something along the lines of asking him if he wishes to make a formal noise complaint...because if he does then it must be recorded and when he goes to sell his propoerty he must declare the complaint which may affect its price.

This is a cracking way to help sort out the real complainers from the whiners...

[DamienB]

david viewing, excellent post ;)

In my experience, horses are designed to run away from sabre-toothed tigers and take very little notice of aeroplanes, even low fast jets. Show them a hedge with a paper bag in it and it's another matter!

Very true. Have seen my other half's horse totally ignore an F-15 that blazed overhead at about 1000ft with burners lit, but if she comes round the corner of the stable yard to find a Chipmunk (dH, not Yank squirrel) parked up on the grass quietly minding its own business... time to run for your life.

[Rallye Driver]

The guy that owns Stapleford also has a stud farm on the airfield, so it's not unusual to see horses in the paddocks and fields round about. They don't seem to take much notice of the comings and goings.

I can even remember being about to start up when a very young foal which had managed to slip under the fence can tottering up to have a look at what was going on - had to call up on the radio to have him escorted back to his mum!

Maybe the polo ponies are a bit like the characters that ride them - highly strung and lacking in brain cells. Good luck with your efforts to thwart this character.

RD

[Who has control?]

Of course, another way to tackle it is if all the users of Turweston were to join the Action Group......:D


Then any action proposed by the chairman would be democratically voted out of the window by the members.

When the Chairman gets fed up with achieving nothing and moves on, a Turweston 'resident' takes his place and 'The Action Group' reverts to being an 'Inaction Group'

['I' in the sky]

I don't know if it still does because I haven't been there for a while but Crossland Moor ( Huddersfield ) used to have an equestrian centre on the airfield. Don't recall it being a problem, in fact I think they were both run by the same people.

Perhaps Turweston could offer their new neighbour some counselling then he would feel really trendy.

[BRL]

I reckon a polo horse has to be one of the hardest horses on the planet. I mean, polo is quite dangerous for the old horse so therefore any horse involved in playing the game must be a bit of a nutter. Perhaps we should tell them over at horses.net all about the 'bottlers' who live near Turweston.......

[The man formerly known as]

What about the great hazzard to motorcyclists and car drivers of horses shi**ing all over the road. Have these people no consideration??

Give me Jet noise any day. The sound of freedom!!!

[Finishing the ATPL]

My personal way of life is, live and let live. I tolerate neighbours, and expect to be tolerated by them. At least to the same extent.

If someone bothers me, I take the hard stance. Everyone has something to hide, something they're ashamed of. He uses the public to force the airfield to close? You give the public interesting information anbout their new president. Perhaps, as was already suggested, notify his insurance of his doings.

I get a feeling that this guy bought the property cheaply, using the noise excuse, hoping to sell it at a higher price once he manages to completely close the airfield down.

Last but not least, you should approach the local MP,and invite him/her over to listen to the noise levels. I had a similar problem at a model flying site. A new neighbour kept calling the police, stating that the noise scared his homer pigeons. We invited the police Sergent over, and not only did we win his approval to fly, but he fined the guy for wasting the police force's time !!!

Take the hard stance, works wonders for me. But be careful, don't over do it.