Kangaroos on airstrip problem.

[Oscar]

Roos are the most determinedly stupid animals; I used to drive in a number of areas where they were in large numbers and I've hit/been hit by (and the latter, more frequently) around a dozen over the years. No matter what speed you drive, they can and will target you, though at low speed you minimise the damage / maximise the ability to swerve/stop/accelerate. I've had one jump out from behind a tree and hit my mudguard hard enough to put it onto the tyre at about 10kph in the Gurnang Forest; I've had one tear down the side of a slope (Cann River Highway, near 'Hopping Joe Creek') from over 200 metres off the side of the road and thrown it probably 50 metres off the extremely strong bull-bar on my Rangie at 130 kph. Neither strong lights nor air horns are necessarily effective in every situation.

 

The low grass for visibility seems a good idea, but no grass at all has other downsides, including a lack of erosion control and more likelihood of stone damage to props. The low pass before landing seems advisable provided the surrounding terrain is good for that. Not always possible, of course; years ago, a glider pilot had to put down in the Warrumbungles and hit -(and killed) a Roo that popped up in front of him; since it was in a National Park the local Ranger was apparently mulling some sort of action, but the pilot pointed out to him that since he'd used a Boomerang (Schneider ES-60) to do the deed, it should be considered 'traditional hunting' - and matters were resolved..

 

 

[AVOCET]

A jabiru and a land rover owner !

 

We will have to organise a new club !

 

 

[Teckair]

In Supercheap Auto they had cheap whistles ($5.25) and dearer ones ($31.48) so I got one of each. When I blow in the cheap one there is no audible sound but the dearer one makes a high pitch squeal.

 

 

[Oscar]

A jabiru and a land rover owner !We will have to organise a new club

Mick - actually, it was a Rangie - but in its defence, it was a very, very early one (the 613th ever built for the Aussie market, not even a rear window wiper) and extremely feral - Leyland P38 motor, hotted-up (9.55:1 compression, extractors, cam, Holley 400) with a bull-bar from 6mm wall rhs that took no prisoners. A proper electrical system, though, and I did probably 600K plus miles in it over the years with only two 'not get home' issues (well, three if you count running completely out of brakes on an up-ramp to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and deciding that peak-hour traffic and NO brakes was just not going to work, so I opted out of that one).

 

Now, if I could work out how to put a bull-bar on the Jab....

 

 

[turboplanner]

A jabiru and a land rover owner !We will have to organise a new club ![ATTACH=full]31772[/ATTACH]

No need to apologise AVO

 

 

[turboplanner]

No duty if the incoming pilot has not bothered to obtain permission first, and if they do seek permission all you need do is warn the incoming PIC about the roo and other risks or deny permission to use.

Not correct, and this reversal of responsibility from the old Prescriptive regulation days when, if the other person broke some prescriptive rule or other you had no responsibility is the thing most people have difficulty coming to terms with.

 

There are multiple cases you can study where a property owner paid out to someone who did not have permission to be on the property the defendant owned or controlled, from falling down trenches with no guard fences or warnings, to riding motor bikes, quad bikes horses through the property.

 

Donoghue v Stevenson makes it clear that there was no contract between Donoghue and Stevenson, so there should not be any confusion about this, but many people pay the price.

 

If you have an airstrip, and it has a hazard, such as power lines, erosion, ditches, or ROOS etcetera, etcetera you have the duty of care to make it safe.

 

 

[Oscar]

Here's the best answer, if you're a good enough pilot to hit the buggers square-on - those that don't get kebabbed, get minced on the cabin antennas before they get to the prop.:

 

 

 

[Teckair]

Not correct, and this reversal of responsibility from the old Prescriptive regulation days when, if the other person broke some prescriptive rule or other you had no responsibility is the thing most people have difficulty coming to terms with.There are multiple cases you can study where a property owner paid out to someone who did not have permission to be on the property the defendant owned or controlled, from falling down trenches with no guard fences or warnings, to riding motor bikes, quad bikes horses through the property.

 

Donoghue v Stevenson makes it clear that there was no contract between Donoghue and Stevenson, so there should not be any confusion about this, but many people pay the price.

 

If you have an airstrip, and it has a hazard, such as power lines, erosion, ditches, or ROOS etcetera, etcetera you have the duty of care to make it safe.

Gee I will be in heaps of strife.

 

 

[AVOCET]

I thought that having a public liability for ALA covered you ?

 

Ive got one , but have a sneaking thought that its not worth the paper its written on .

 

( thats why i keep the front end loader handy down near the creek ). Lol

 

Mike

 

 

[David Isaac]

Not correct, and this reversal of responsibility from the old Prescriptive regulation days when, if the other person broke some prescriptive rule or other you had no responsibility is the thing most people have difficulty coming to terms with.There are multiple cases you can study where a property owner paid out to someone who did not have permission to be on the property the defendant owned or controlled, from falling down trenches with no guard fences or warnings, to riding motor bikes, quad bikes horses through the property.

 

Donoghue v Stevenson makes it clear that there was no contract between Donoghue and Stevenson, so there should not be any confusion about this, but many people pay the price.

 

If you have an airstrip, and it has a hazard, such as power lines, erosion, ditches, or ROOS etcetera, etcetera you have the duty of care to make it safe.

Well on that basis Tubz anyone who owns any this is Effed completely.

 

 

[Soleair]

Nice one Oscar - but this one is better. I flew in Snoopy for 8 years and we never once had trouble with roos!

 

 

Bruce

 

 

[Oscar]

Jeez, I dunno - there's always SOME brassturd with a bigger knife in the park - and that IS a bigger knife.. it's a bloody broadsword... but I reckon one low pass down the strip - Herc low, that is -with everything hanging out on METO power and you'd blow the 'roos into the next State.. (also the strip, but what's the objective here? Total domination, THAT's the objective..)

 

 

[turboplanner]

Well on that basis Tubz anyone who owns any this is Effed completely.

Not necessarily, but you won't get on to too many properties for shooting, trail biking etc compared with a few years ago.

You have to address the risks for others.

 

 

[Teckair]

Well on that basis Tubz anyone who owns any this is Effed completely.

As we know David based on what Turbo reckons every airstrip would have to be shutdown. I can say what he is saying usually does not happen planes hit roos all the time without the airfield operator being sued.

 

 

[rankamateur]

I give you all fair warning, my strip is not and is not going to be fenced, you still land with your own care at your own risk. On the hunting front in the last ten years every hunter I have not given permission to was refused to protect his own safety. I would hate to put a .243 slug in the butt of his ear because he came to think he owned the place and didn't need to let know he was coming out this one time. The twenty something blonde chicky babe who pulled up on the road and wanted to have a ride on my motorbike missed out for her own safety too, a shame really.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Stop grizzling and fix it Richard, you've got some good suggestions.

 

Sure you would mostly just expect some aircraft damage, but most will be landing at around 110 km/hr so there is a danger zone.

 

 

[AVOCET]

If you get rid of the shooters you'll have more kangaroos to hit !

 

Seems like culling is the best option around airfields .

 

 

[pmccarthy]

I was told a few years back that roo impacts were the biggest maintenance problem for RFDS aircraft.

 

 

[AVOCET]

The Hawker strip was upgraded a couple years ago with big fences at the "request " of RFDS .

 

I did hear that some where in qld a while ago when a PC12 hit a horse ,

 

I think that was the last straw and RFDS wanted upgrades to bush strips

 

 

[turboplanner]

A jabiru and a land rover owner !We will have to organise a new club !

Just for you Mike. had two of them, this one a drilling rig in the South East; one of the two best 4WDs I ever owned.

 

 

 

[Oscar]

Oh, happy days.. now there's a new potential issue coming down the track: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-29/google-project-wing-drone-delivery-test-warwick-queensland/5707034

 

Presumably, such deliveries would be programmed to avoid the circuit area for recognised airfields, but for private strips on the flight path between the local eBay seller and the customers desperate for two soft-porn videos and some Tequila for that wild evening?

 

 

[Dafydd Llewellyn]

Bird strike with a vengeance . . . but there's a thought, now - could we use drones to chase the 'roos off? They don't take any notice of the wedge-tailed eagles that have a nest on our place, within a couple of hundred metres of the airstrip. Drones with whistles? And if we did, would that satisfy the duty of care?

 

Maybe we should stipulate that all aircraft using the strip must be equipped with whistles and air-horns (all that would be missing is the bells). Or paint a large kangaroo sign on the ground (but don't make it look like the QANTAS emblem, or who knows what might happen . . .)

 

 

[AVOCET]

Bird strike with a vengeance . . . but there's a thought, now - could we use drones to chase the 'roos off? They don't take any notice of the wedge-tailed eagles that have a nest on our place, within a couple of hundred metres of the airstrip. Drones with whistles? And if we did, would that satisfy the duty of care? Maybe we should stipulate that all aircraft using the strip must be equipped with whistles and air-horns (all that would be missing is the bells). Or paint a large kangaroo sign on the ground (but don't make it look like the QANTAS emblem, or who knows what might happen . . .)

Drones with motion sensors to detect animals programmed to automatically patrol airstrips .

What a great idea Dafydd

 

Mike

 

 

[Oscar]

Years ago, a bloke I know near Binalong had a set of carbide guns to scare roos off areas he'd just sewn to pasture. Seemed to work ok, though when some of the local lads decided one 'merry' evening to move them to around his house and stayed to watch the fun, they scattered when he came charging out of the house with his .303 (yes, it was that long ago) and proceeded to let off a few rounds.

 

But in seriousness, an auto-scarer needn't be a drone per se; a ground-based small cart with gps tracking around the perimeter of the strip and solar power than would work in flyable sun conditions with suitable noise-making apparatus ( I'd think a rap track would drive even roos to vacate the area) shouldn't be all that expensive to set up - only needs a steering servo, no gyros etc. and unaffected by (flyable) wind conditions.

 

Add a small petrol-powered mower that you start once a week to mow the path for it...

 

 

[AVOCET]

Years ago, a bloke I know near Binalong had a set of carbide guns to scare roos off areas he'd just sewn to pasture. Seemed to work ok, though when some of the local lads decided one 'merry' evening to move them to around his house and stayed to watch the fun, they scattered when he came charging out of the house with his .303 (yes, it was that long ago) and proceeded to let off a few rounds.But in seriousness, an auto-scarer needn't be a drone per se; a ground-based small cart with gps tracking around the perimeter of the strip and solar power than would work in flyable sun conditions with suitable noise-making apparatus ( I'd think a rap track would drive even roos to vacate the area) shouldn't be all that expensive to set up - only needs a steering servo, no gyros etc. and unaffected by (flyable) wind conditions.

 

Add a small petrol-powered mower that you start once a week to mow the path for it...

Good idea , the only issue i see is , roos tend to run at ground vehicles ,emus get curious after a while ,

 

And blowing the horn doesn't always work .

 

Drones will scare off birds as well .

 

Mike