Please can the uninvited just bu**er off
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Please can the uninvited just bu**er off
I am getting increasingly fed up. Those who know me know it takes a lot to get me really annoyed and I have finally got there.
I have spent 9 (nine) years trying to regain the reputation of my airstrip as one that is responsibly run, cared for and policed. I rent a single hangar space to a great guy who loves his plane, his flying and his chance to be at such a lovely strip.
It seems that certain individuals want to ruin my fun.
Today I flew three times. Each trip wasn't especially long but on every occasion my attention was drawn away from what I was doing to some flipping fool who had decided to help themselves to my little bit of England.
Those who know me know that I would allow anyone on to the strip with prior knowledge and prior reassurance that they were not "spam canned" and knew how to fly from real grass strips (too many seem to think they know these days but are dangerously worrying when it comes to it).
I watched 3 (yes three) wa***rs fly a full approach to my strip with full flap AND flipping landing light on!
Whoever you were, you are not bloody welcome ok. I would not gatecrash your Saturday night bar-b-q without a bloody invite so don't bloody gatecrash my property without one either. Just because a windsock is up it doesnt mean "all are welcome".
I know I sound like I am rather annoyed. It is because I am. I am furious. I have had four phone calls from locals tonight asking if I was having a problem landing my plane earlier on................ say no more.
PLEASE chaps. If it is a strip with lovely mown grass, windsock, hangar and obvious activity...........it does not mean that it is a flying club.
I have spent 9 (nine) years trying to regain the reputation of my airstrip as one that is responsibly run, cared for and policed. I rent a single hangar space to a great guy who loves his plane, his flying and his chance to be at such a lovely strip.
It seems that certain individuals want to ruin my fun.
Today I flew three times. Each trip wasn't especially long but on every occasion my attention was drawn away from what I was doing to some flipping fool who had decided to help themselves to my little bit of England.
Those who know me know that I would allow anyone on to the strip with prior knowledge and prior reassurance that they were not "spam canned" and knew how to fly from real grass strips (too many seem to think they know these days but are dangerously worrying when it comes to it).
I watched 3 (yes three) wa***rs fly a full approach to my strip with full flap AND flipping landing light on!
Whoever you were, you are not bloody welcome ok. I would not gatecrash your Saturday night bar-b-q without a bloody invite so don't bloody gatecrash my property without one either. Just because a windsock is up it doesnt mean "all are welcome".
I know I sound like I am rather annoyed. It is because I am. I am furious. I have had four phone calls from locals tonight asking if I was having a problem landing my plane earlier on................ say no more.
PLEASE chaps. If it is a strip with lovely mown grass, windsock, hangar and obvious activity...........it does not mean that it is a flying club.
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Monocock
Shame you didn't get the registrations. You could have looked them up on G-INFO and invoiced them £25 for each "missed approach" and £50 for each/any landing. Even if they didn't pay (likely) it may deter them in future.
BS
Also from a quite farm strip.
Shame you didn't get the registrations. You could have looked them up on G-INFO and invoiced them £25 for each "missed approach" and £50 for each/any landing. Even if they didn't pay (likely) it may deter them in future.
BS
Also from a quite farm strip.
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I reckon the invoice system works well. Last time a farmer mate of mine presented an unwelcome visitor to his quiet strip with a £50.00 landing fee demand, the pilot nearly croaked! He politely pointed out that if he had bothered to ask for permission, he would have told him how much it cost to land there!
Or you could, if they land, impound the aircraft with a 'badly parked' vehicle until they pay up!
As you say, it's like somebody helping themselves to your piece of Garden!
Worlds gone mad!
Or you could, if they land, impound the aircraft with a 'badly parked' vehicle until they pay up!
As you say, it's like somebody helping themselves to your piece of Garden!
Worlds gone mad!
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Monocock old chum,
You are not the only one.....
As I and the odd invited guest stand around our beautiful biplanes drinking Twinings finest, I often have an aircraft slow, circle, gawp and continue orbitting, perhaps in the hope that I'm going to fire off a green Very light or blind them with a green light!
It's generally a Norwich flying school based 172 or PA338 but it is never a Chippie or a Jodel!
About 18 months ago - a microlight landed, the strip is about 150 yda from the house. It just happened that I was returning from the south on foot with my dog (large), a rifle and a muntjac deer over my shoulder. (The deer had been injured by a car and I felt duty bound to find it and despatch it).
As I approached the nylon triangle, matey quickly got it going it going and vokked off! Never seen another one here since!
Stik
You are not the only one.....
As I and the odd invited guest stand around our beautiful biplanes drinking Twinings finest, I often have an aircraft slow, circle, gawp and continue orbitting, perhaps in the hope that I'm going to fire off a green Very light or blind them with a green light!
It's generally a Norwich flying school based 172 or PA338 but it is never a Chippie or a Jodel!
About 18 months ago - a microlight landed, the strip is about 150 yda from the house. It just happened that I was returning from the south on foot with my dog (large), a rifle and a muntjac deer over my shoulder. (The deer had been injured by a car and I felt duty bound to find it and despatch it).
As I approached the nylon triangle, matey quickly got it going it going and vokked off! Never seen another one here since!
Stik
I do sympathise with this, I fly from a smallish club strip - we won our right to fly there through the normal protracted planning process, and now guard it jealously. This basically means insisting upon PPR until we're satisfied that a pilot has been properly briefed on the local "don't upset the neighbours" procedures, then tell them to drop in any time.
But, the main offenders:-
- A certain microlight school who used to come and fly missed approaches then bu99er off without stopping to sign in or pay a landing fee (landing fees go to the landowner, who in return maintains the runway).
- A certain other microlight school whose CFI will send students in on QXC without telling them to phone for PPR, or briefing them properly on the local join procedures.
- A certain large gliding club very close to RAF Odiham which has had numerous landouts at our strip (to which we have no moral objection in itself) all of whom have been sent home with a copy of the briefing procedures, which has then never been seen by the next glider pilot to land unnanounced.
- A PPG pilot who got permission to fly from the strip, then completely ignored the join and departure procedures, decided to do a spiral climb right over the main noise avoid, then came back and derigged in the middle of the runway, blocking it for about 20 minutes.
All totally unnecessary, and displaying appauling airmanship. (Notice I don't criticise any light aircraft pilots, this is almost certainly just because any who can handle our rather short runway are seasoned strip flyers with more sense and courtesy - I'm not necessarily suggesting that light aircraft pilots are more or less courteous than anybody else).
G
But, the main offenders:-
- A certain microlight school who used to come and fly missed approaches then bu99er off without stopping to sign in or pay a landing fee (landing fees go to the landowner, who in return maintains the runway).
- A certain other microlight school whose CFI will send students in on QXC without telling them to phone for PPR, or briefing them properly on the local join procedures.
- A certain large gliding club very close to RAF Odiham which has had numerous landouts at our strip (to which we have no moral objection in itself) all of whom have been sent home with a copy of the briefing procedures, which has then never been seen by the next glider pilot to land unnanounced.
- A PPG pilot who got permission to fly from the strip, then completely ignored the join and departure procedures, decided to do a spiral climb right over the main noise avoid, then came back and derigged in the middle of the runway, blocking it for about 20 minutes.
All totally unnecessary, and displaying appauling airmanship. (Notice I don't criticise any light aircraft pilots, this is almost certainly just because any who can handle our rather short runway are seasoned strip flyers with more sense and courtesy - I'm not necessarily suggesting that light aircraft pilots are more or less courteous than anybody else).
G
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I'm glad that the first few responses seem to have echoed my sentiments.
I am not a misery guts.
I am not an anti'.
I am not an airport.
I am not a club.
I am not a free circuit provider.
I just want some friggin' peace !!!!!!!!
Next time I will make sure the bino's are ready!!
M
I am not a misery guts.
I am not an anti'.
I am not an airport.
I am not a club.
I am not a free circuit provider.
I just want some friggin' peace !!!!!!!!
Next time I will make sure the bino's are ready!!
M
Not so N, but still FG
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Monocock, you are absolutely right to complain about this. The rudeness shown by these people is astonishing.
On a slightly different subject, over on the Flyer forum, some bloke was crowing recently about landing at a strip which has a published (and high) landing fee (to deter visitors), but leaving without paying, because the owner was not there. Why are some pilots such gits?
On a slightly different subject, over on the Flyer forum, some bloke was crowing recently about landing at a strip which has a published (and high) landing fee (to deter visitors), but leaving without paying, because the owner was not there. Why are some pilots such gits?
Last edited by FNG; 1st Jun 2004 at 08:33.
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FNG,
I missed that. May I take it that you gave said person short shrift.
It is disappointing to see that the lack of courtesy has now extended beyond stroppy teenagers.
M, as you say these folks would not be best pleased if you gatecrashed their BBQ. Don't they know that any uninvited trespass is illegal?
FD
I missed that. May I take it that you gave said person short shrift.
It is disappointing to see that the lack of courtesy has now extended beyond stroppy teenagers.
M, as you say these folks would not be best pleased if you gatecrashed their BBQ. Don't they know that any uninvited trespass is illegal?
FD
Just a thought,
If you ever fly over "London Colney" airstrip, which is just North of the M25 and about 10 miles E of the M1, you'll see that the biggest hangar there has painted in big white letters on the roof....
PPR
Which makes the point very well with little effort.
G
If you ever fly over "London Colney" airstrip, which is just North of the M25 and about 10 miles E of the M1, you'll see that the biggest hangar there has painted in big white letters on the roof....
PPR
Which makes the point very well with little effort.
G
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Why are some pilots such gits?
Why not paint "£50 landing and approach fee" down the middle of your strip, you never know you could be onto a good earner
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Or what about a high tensile 100 mm cable draped across at prop height to act as a guard dog when I am not there!!!
I hope I haven't given the wrong impression about the level of welcome that is offered to invited guests.
I am fequently asked if I wish the strip to be included in all sorts of guides and my answer is always an emphatic "NO". This is useful for several reasons.
1. When I am not there and there is some action on the strip, the neighbouring retired chap sees it and calls me (self policing).
2. I don't really want people I don't know sniffing round the hangar.
3. If there was an accident and no-one was there to help I would feel dreadful about it. Similarly, many people forget that their insurance companies might not be too helpful if their a/c belly flops into a field of Oilseed Rape from an unlicensed strip.....
4. I don't want the locals to start thinking that it is growing in activity and to start some anti-lobby against me.
And finally, I like to go there to eat my sandwich by the windsock at lunchtime and I don't want my peace disturbed!
I hope I haven't given the wrong impression about the level of welcome that is offered to invited guests.
I am fequently asked if I wish the strip to be included in all sorts of guides and my answer is always an emphatic "NO". This is useful for several reasons.
1. When I am not there and there is some action on the strip, the neighbouring retired chap sees it and calls me (self policing).
2. I don't really want people I don't know sniffing round the hangar.
3. If there was an accident and no-one was there to help I would feel dreadful about it. Similarly, many people forget that their insurance companies might not be too helpful if their a/c belly flops into a field of Oilseed Rape from an unlicensed strip.....
4. I don't want the locals to start thinking that it is growing in activity and to start some anti-lobby against me.
And finally, I like to go there to eat my sandwich by the windsock at lunchtime and I don't want my peace disturbed!
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Can you please let me know where in the ANO it states the rules governing this; i.e. a flyer from legally making an app and go-around to a strip outside an ATZ with no restriction of flying published.
I'm playing Devil's Advocate.
I sometimes make an app into a strip, albeit the owner does not object and on such occasions, yes I do put landing lights, but I do that on all app's. I also go around from what I deem to be a sensible height.
I'm playing Devil's Advocate.
I sometimes make an app into a strip, albeit the owner does not object and on such occasions, yes I do put landing lights, but I do that on all app's. I also go around from what I deem to be a sensible height.
Not so N, but still FG
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Depending upon the location of the strip and the position of buildings, villages etc, the approach could possibly infringe (1) the 1500 foot rule and/or (2) the 500 foot rule but, as mentioned, all would depend upon the particular strip and its neighbouring sites. I would suggest that it is in any event bad manners to practice approaches at private strips without permission, as doing so could adversely affect the owner's relationship with his neighbours. I would suggest that PFLs are better done towards open fields (more realistic) or maybe towards disused airfields.
Last edited by FNG; 1st Jun 2004 at 11:31.
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Hi Monocock, I'm just wondering whether it might actually help if you DID allow the airstrip guides to publish your field, purely for the reason that you can specify (in big letters or whatever) 'Strictly PPR'.