I bit my tongue this afternoon, but....
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I bit my tongue this afternoon, but....
1400 hrs today...
I was in my hangar giving my aircraft a good "shoite weather"'check over. Cowls off, and a really thorough look over.
Lycoming heard overhead (low), and the weather was really crap. I felt a bit sorry for the chap (or woman if we are being properly 2015'ish) overhead and thought 'he's welcome to pitch in when it's like this'.
Sure enough, the Warrior did a Lancaster-style circuit and lined up for the strip. A nice approach and a well controlled mains-first touch down with training wheel held off as long as possible. All good stuff.
I was interested to hear where they were from and going to as they taxied back towards the windsock and hangar. Curiously, after a nice wave, they taxied right past me and went to line up to depart!!
A minute later they were at full power and casually heading off again.
So.....whilst I won't publically name and shame, I will just say that the bloke from Oxfordhsire with a yellow/blue/white PA28 is a rude and assuming bugger who has just put a nail in the coffin for any more visitors I'm afraid. It happens time after time now, and it's just not what it used to be. People really do seem to think that any airstrip is theirs to use these days, and I can't work out what's brought about this assumption and lack of respect for privacy.
I was in my hangar giving my aircraft a good "shoite weather"'check over. Cowls off, and a really thorough look over.
Lycoming heard overhead (low), and the weather was really crap. I felt a bit sorry for the chap (or woman if we are being properly 2015'ish) overhead and thought 'he's welcome to pitch in when it's like this'.
Sure enough, the Warrior did a Lancaster-style circuit and lined up for the strip. A nice approach and a well controlled mains-first touch down with training wheel held off as long as possible. All good stuff.
I was interested to hear where they were from and going to as they taxied back towards the windsock and hangar. Curiously, after a nice wave, they taxied right past me and went to line up to depart!!
A minute later they were at full power and casually heading off again.
So.....whilst I won't publically name and shame, I will just say that the bloke from Oxfordhsire with a yellow/blue/white PA28 is a rude and assuming bugger who has just put a nail in the coffin for any more visitors I'm afraid. It happens time after time now, and it's just not what it used to be. People really do seem to think that any airstrip is theirs to use these days, and I can't work out what's brought about this assumption and lack of respect for privacy.
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Nothing to do with flying, it's about common courtesy, if you land at a remote field which is obviously private and the person that owns/runs it is there, take five minutes to get out and introduce yourself and have a chat about the days flying conditions perhaps, maybe even thank them for letting you land then go on about your way. It's just good manners showing the person that you're aware he/she has put the effort into mowing, sowing, patching, repairing equipment and all the other chores that go into keeping a strip in a usable condition for no financial reward but for the benefit of GA
Just my 2 cents.
Just my 2 cents.
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Monocock
Are your sure the guy was not doing a dry run for some sort of smuggling operation ? After all it is a customs requirement to make an entry in the airfield movements book.
May be this is the sort of thing that should be reported to the authorities ?
May be this is the sort of thing that should be reported to the authorities ?
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I agree that public naming and shaming is inappropriate, but I trust you will be writing to him to remind him of his manners and including a substantial landing fee invoice. You might mention that visitors with PPR are free others are charged £50 :-)
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It's an interesting point though. Arriving on someone's private strip.
I fly from a private grass strip, and would never dream of pitching in, uninvited, nor by a least a telephone call to the owner/manager. We also go to another privately owned strip, it is a different and difficult approach, and gives us good practice. We leave a voicemail to say we are coming, and pop a tenner in an envelope. Generally, a few touch and go, then off.
To arrive, then go, without even an acknowledgement, is downright bad manners, but as I stated above, sign of the times.
I fly from a private grass strip, and would never dream of pitching in, uninvited, nor by a least a telephone call to the owner/manager. We also go to another privately owned strip, it is a different and difficult approach, and gives us good practice. We leave a voicemail to say we are coming, and pop a tenner in an envelope. Generally, a few touch and go, then off.
To arrive, then go, without even an acknowledgement, is downright bad manners, but as I stated above, sign of the times.
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It happens when I'm not there too, as I see wheel marks. I know they're not mine as the middle wheel mark is as wide as the outers. I think they were caught out by the fact that my car was in the hangar with me and it looked like nobody was about.
It's the new generation of aero-chavs.
It's the new generation of aero-chavs.
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Damn flying chavs, gives us proper Aeropikeys a bad name.
In all seriousness Mono it might be worth be worth pursuing this. It is pure
arrogance. I like the idea of free coffee for PPR and £50 who don't.
I know a chap at an Oxfordshire who has a strip, his solution is simple. If the pilot has no valid reason for landing on the strip he parks his tractor in front of the offender and then goes for a tea.
Sounds a bit draconian, but a lot of pitfalls of flying into a strip without a brief.
In all seriousness Mono it might be worth be worth pursuing this. It is pure
arrogance. I like the idea of free coffee for PPR and £50 who don't.
I know a chap at an Oxfordshire who has a strip, his solution is simple. If the pilot has no valid reason for landing on the strip he parks his tractor in front of the offender and then goes for a tea.
Sounds a bit draconian, but a lot of pitfalls of flying into a strip without a brief.
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Don't worry, you're still the original Aero-Pikey!! :-D. Thanks for the text by the way.
I have searched the reg' and it's registered to a man who has a surname that also forms part of an Oxford solicitor's firm.....
On the basis that I was recently threatened on three different occasions on another great forum with legal action for:
1. Resting my foot in the edge of a Cub door ledge whilst in flight. (Flight safety).
2. Saying that Carol Vorderman had a great @r5e. (Sexism).
3. Telling someone he spoke to much about how good he was at flying and that he was a prick... (Threatening the image of a sky God??)....
....there are obviously quite a few legal eagles in the fraternity and apart from the fact that he is a solicitor, his home address sounds far posher than mine!!
I have searched the reg' and it's registered to a man who has a surname that also forms part of an Oxford solicitor's firm.....
On the basis that I was recently threatened on three different occasions on another great forum with legal action for:
1. Resting my foot in the edge of a Cub door ledge whilst in flight. (Flight safety).
2. Saying that Carol Vorderman had a great @r5e. (Sexism).
3. Telling someone he spoke to much about how good he was at flying and that he was a prick... (Threatening the image of a sky God??)....
....there are obviously quite a few legal eagles in the fraternity and apart from the fact that he is a solicitor, his home address sounds far posher than mine!!
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Having studied G-INFO closer, I was wrong. It wasn't a Warrior, it was an Archer. These trainers all look the same to me. Is an Archer a newer version of a Warrior? 
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Thanks John, that's kind and I appreciate it, but I know how clever the legal lot are. I just don't want to get embroiled with it all. Had he been a normal person I'd certainly follow it up.
Watching my solicitor defend me in court a few weeks ago, these guys are more slippery than a doped slug in a jar of warm KY.
Watching my solicitor defend me in court a few weeks ago, these guys are more slippery than a doped slug in a jar of warm KY.
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I'd get your solicitor to write to him then, poacher gamekeeper etc. An Archer is an excellent aeroplane and can be considered as a Warrior with a decent sized engine. 181 as opposed to 161 .
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...and the old slab (Hershey bar) wing. More drag at low approach speeds but less float.
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Monocock
If you now know his address then stop being so polite, go and park your tractor on his front lawn while delivering the invoice for his landing fees, see how he likes that unannounced without PPR.
If you now know his address then stop being so polite, go and park your tractor on his front lawn while delivering the invoice for his landing fees, see how he likes that unannounced without PPR.