Branscombe Air Day Cancelled

[rohmer]

The Branscombe Air Day and associated LAA Devon Strut and Aeronca Club fly-ins, planned for 27th July have been cancelled. A minority of local individuals opposed to the airfield have organised a clay pigeon shoot in an adjacent field on the same day and, in the absence of help or support from the police or local council, the airfield owner David Hayman considers it to be too dangerous to continue with the Air Day.

Local villagers, aviation groups and vintage car clubs are hugely disappointed at the loss of this East Devon spectacle which has raised many tens of thousands of pounds for charities over the years.

Rohmer

['Chuffer' Dandridge]

So it's ok to wake everyone up with noise from shotguns, but the noise from a small airstrip is not acceptable. Just shows what a narrow minded bunch of tw@ts most of these complainers are.... I note also that the chief female whinger moved there well after the airfield was established!!

I have a clay pigeon club 1/2 mile from the end of my garden and yes it's annoying on a sunday morning, but I accept it as part of country life....Maybe I should organise an air display to stop them shooting?

But then again, this just illustrates the way this country has become a haven for whingers and moaners. Whinging and moaning about nothing in particular, or breaches of their "Human rights"

W@nkers all of 'em

[Lister Noble]

The issue may not be noise,but the possibility of a light aircraft being mistaken for a clay!;);)
Lister

[Mariner9]

Why not simply re-schedule the fly in? Or by some strange coincidence, will the clay pigeon shoot likely be rescheduled to the same date?:hmm:

[rans6andrew]

someone should organise a serious muck spreading in the shooting field (or one just upwind of it) on July 26th. Use some really pungent stuff.

[airborne_artist]

Quick check for footpaths/bridlepaths etc round the vicinity of the clay shoot, perhaps? It's illegal to discharge any gun within I think 50' of a right of way.

[ShyTorque]

A good day for a very smokey bonfire, subject to wind direction. :E

[robin]

Unfortunately David is not just fighting the NIMBYs but also the local authority.

[Say again s l o w l y]

This sort of thing makes me want to join their shoot and not aim at pigeons if you get my drift.................

I'm not sure why they have stopped the fly in though. If anyone had found pellets in their aircraft, then a visit from the local plod and accusations of "reckless endangerment of aircraft" might have settled their hash.
Given that the useful range of a shotgun is less than a hundred feet, then I don't really see the problem.

If they were using 50.cal rifles, then I can understand it, but a 12 bore pop gun????

NIMBY's..........................:ugh:

[jayemm]

And so we all sit at our computers moaning about the moaners whilst in the meantime not a single flying association, flying club or GA group offer to help Branscombe out. No wonder these plonkers get away with it.

[Say again s l o w l y]

I'd help if there was anything I could do, but as SoCal has mentioned, the decision has already been taken.

[civil aviation]

Have horses and near Branscombe.
The area has regular and very low flying by military- jets, transports and helicopters. Doesn't bother the horses and, in fact, welcome the fact that they're 'aircraft-resistant'.
This all sounds like another simple case of greed i.e. some people will do or say anything to further their perceived financial interests which, in this case, they believe are not served by having a nearby airfield.

[jayemm]

This kind of situation winds me up so much, I despair of some of our utterly stupid laws and most especially of all our stupid and apparently senseless beaurocrats and members of the legal system. In the US it's simple; if the airfield was there first then it is allowed to operate as previously. Turweston has experienced a similar problem to Branscombe as has Compton Abbas (I believe, mainly from one particularly shrill lady who believes she has a beautiful body).

This stupidity doesn't affect just GA. I know of an autism charity in a part of our beloved country that has used homes in various towns and villages for over 20 years to care for people with autism. You would be astonished to hear about the vindictiveness of certain individuals who want these homes closed down. Taking photos into their bedrooms, regularly making complaints and generally harassing carers. The people that complain are a tiny minority but for some reason the law favours the one over the many. Just look at the number of people whose day at Branscombe was ruined by one or two wingeing individuals. Why is it that our system favours the vocal few over the silent majority? :ugh:

I've had my rant and I still don't feel any better.:* Perhaps I should continue in Jetblast!

[will5023]

I know to some that this may not seem sense, but if it where my airstrip/farm(I do own one) I would have a few people fly-in on that day and if any shot gun pellets spray onto the field, a fire-arms officer would take a very dim view of the plonkers in the next door field, have a video camera to hand and make the sods as uncomfortable as possible. In other word fight fire with fire, I'm sure David is a calm and reasonable man , but it does look like the incomers are getting there own way ? David if you are reading this make sure you fly that day if it is flyable, you can not discharge a shotgun at a clay, if you are on the flightpath. It is the person on the clay traps responsibility to ensure that the area he/she is directing the clays into will not inflict or create any damage to person or vessels. If the council are stopping you on grounds of endangerment, then they are blowing smoke up everyones ar** as the discharge of a weapon is the serious offence.
Good luck with your troubles, personally I think that the law is on your side, try the NFU for clarification.

Will Greenwood.

[xair2]

Unfortunately all aspects of GA are viewed as a minority sport / recreation, so our influence on the ‘political scene’ appears very small both in politicians, media and public mindsets.

Whereas if one takes in contrast the ‘Caravan Club’ they always underscore any statements with comments like ‘ representing 1 million members’ (some of this number do not own caravans and family members are counted in as well!!). For those who may not know, The Caravan Club happens to be made up from all caravanning aspects, from trailer tents to huge motor homes and every type of caravan in between.

Sadly until GA has a mouthpiece that speaks uniformly and speaks out for all aspects of GA, from the Parachutist to the chap in is own Private Jet and including ‘plane spotters’. Such a GA Group could underline / backup any statement to the public, meda, or politician with 'representing the interests of ****** members' or some other appropriate tagline signifying participant numbers involved. Sadly in today’s world it’s all about numbers, because numbers mean votes and votes mean political clout.

To paraphrase something from last century,

When they came for the Parachutists I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Parachutists,
When they came for the Gliders I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Glider Pilot,
When they came for the Para Gliders I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Para Glider,
When they came for the Farmstrips I didn’t speak up because I didn’t fly from a Farmstrip,
When they came for the Microlights I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Microlight Pilot,
When they came for the Spotters I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Spotter,
When they came for the Single Engine Aircraft I didn’t speak up because I didn’t fly Single Engine,
Etc, etc, etc
So when they came for ME there was no one left to speak up for ME!!!