Malicious damage to our grass strip.

[Methusala]

A small group of enthusiastic aviators are priveleged to have the rights to operate from a grass strip not far from Canberra. The strip is lightly vegetated and there is almost no topsoil, the ground is almost pure sand. We have watched, in the past, as one enthusiastic individual (now banished), dragged a couple of timber pallets over it to "smooth the surface". The inevitable result was that as the drought's grip tightened, winds deeply furrowed the ground and we were forced to relocate the strip 20m north.

 

Enter a small group of young toy plane pilots from the nearby rural hamlet. At 1st only a couple of them and seemingly an innocent pastime we thought. However, recently when a convoy of 5 mainly 4 wheel drive utes, conveying males and their young consorts of the other sex arrived, the apprehension took roots.

 

What had started as a flattened grass ribbon became 2 obvious bare tracks straight down the strip. When this was bought to their attention the jaws extended, scowls all 'round and the voice scoffed, " It's a bit rough off the strip!".

 

Today, I have no doubt in response to this or a later warning (we did place a sign that read " Don't damage the airstrip, no vehicles PLEASE"), we find that the strip has been badly scoured by vehicles doing circles while driven at power down it.

 

 

[Yenn]

We had to put dead trees all down he side of the strip to stop vehicles encroaching. Some people think it doesn't apply to them. Luckily our strip is locked except when we are in attendance, but we can't see the track in from the hangar area.

 

We found radio controlled planes to be too dangerous, they kept flying until the last minute, also they could not hear our planes above the noise of their own screaming engines, so didn.t know when we were in the circuit.

 

 

[shafs64]

As a so called toy plane pilot and a real plane pilot. these people are not members of clubs. so they go out to paddocks or real aircraft strips because they don't want to pay membership.

 

There is a club who share a airfield with real aircraft. so it can work.

 

shafs

 

 

[Ben Longden]

Methusala,

 

Its probably one of the 4x4 users that came for the party. Probably has a P Plate on it somewhere.

 

We had someone deliberately cutting the string, then the chain, then the padlock on a horse agistment paddock - so the horses would stray onto the road during the EI crisis. (then they would be impounded and us fined..)

 

I placed a "this gate is under video surveilance" sign on all the entrances, and for good measure, placed a dummy security camera opposite, up high..

 

Fixed the problem quick smart.

 

If the ar$eh*les believe they are being watched, then they wont do it.

 

Ben

 

 

[Guest Fred Bear]

Methusala, Its probably one of the 4x4 users that came for the party. Probably has a P Plate on it somewhere.

 

We had someone deliberately cutting the string, then the chain, then the padlock on a horse agistment paddock - so the horses would stray onto the road during the EI crisis. (then they would be impounded and us fined..)

 

I placed a "this gate is under video surveilance" sign on all the entrances, and for good measure, placed a dummy security camera opposite, up high..

 

Fixed the problem quick smart.

 

If the ar$eh*les believe they are being watched, then they wont do it.

 

Ben

Gosh, I hope they are not reading this forum mate now that you have given all your secrets away

 

 

[markendee]

Darren,

 

They would be flattered that you think they can read.

 

 

[Flyer]

Like shafs, I'm a toy plane pilot and a real pilot. I also belong to a club and fly the toy planes from a 900 metre airstrip. The owner also flies a 182 from there and some of the RVAC boys drop into see us from time to time.

 

The toy planes dont damage the strip any more than a full size plane.

 

Most people who land there (they have to have the owners permission) are aware that they need to overfly at 1500 and give us time to get the toys on the ground.

 

Just as a matter of interest, some of these toys have a wingspan greater that 2.5 metres, 62cc petrol engines and weigh in at 15kg's.

 

The worst incident we had was when some clown in a PA28-235 decided to creep around the hills so we couldn't see or hear him until he was at the end of the strip. He then did a full power pass along the length of the strip complete with passengers on board at about 20 feet scaring the bejesus out of about 4 pilots flying RC at the time.

 

Turns out he was known to the owner and when we handed the rego over there was a please explain for the pilot....

 

Generally RC and full size can co habitate successfully.

 

Young bucks full of testosterone showing off to the fairer sex can be a totally different kettle of fish...

 

Regards

 

Phil

 

 

[Guest airsick]

Seems to me that they are trespassing. Regardless of other clubs experiences with a combination of RC and real planes I think the issue lies elsewhere here. They don't have permission so they don't have the right. Pretty simple really. Maybe time to involve the boys in blue?

 

I hate resorting to such measures but if they don't listen to reason, and further, feel the need to trash the strip, then it might be the only option.

 

 

[eastmeg2]

Methusala,

 

Thanks for posting this note that this is going on, we'll be more cautious next time we fly over Currandooley checking for any activity on the ground.

 

Would hate to cop a face full of RC without having even known they were here.

 

Rgds,

 

Glen

 

 

[Methusala]

G'day fellow posters. I was really angry when I posted. I and my freinds fly electric models & helis so please don't get me wrong. And they did have some sort of permission to be there. As I said the problem seemed to get bad when the no's grew and girls became involved. There is a real behavior problem here. Something to be aware of and try to guard against, Regards, Don.