Peter Miller Posted March 29, 2019 Share Posted March 29, 2019 We have a nice mown strip about 100 yards square in the middle of a field. On Tuesday one of our members was walking his dog on a nearby cart track when he saw an aircraft land, turn round and take off again. Based on his description I suspect that it was a Eurofox microlight. Unfortunately he did not get the resgistration. The fact that the aircraft did not stop indicates that there was no problem with it. I can see the strip from my bedroom window and can take good photos with a very long lens. I shall be watching a bit more often now. This Apache was hovering overc our box, taken from my bedroom window. This is full frame, no cropping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Cooper Posted March 29, 2019 Share Posted March 29, 2019 When I am in Spain (more often these days) I fly from a model club's site as a guest. VERY often, microlight aircraft fly past at low level and give us a wave... some even do touch-and-goes on the runway. . Nobody knows where they come from or where they go to afterwards. . It is all a part of the way of life over there and nobody seems to mind. B.C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Lee Posted March 29, 2019 Share Posted March 29, 2019 We have a good relationship with our local Police Helicopter & they occasionally use our strip to practice night landings in a 'dark hole' environment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted March 29, 2019 Author Share Posted March 29, 2019 The Apaches are always around. We never have a problem with them. We have even been told that they use our box as a "tank" Our slight worry is that if people see the microlight too often they might think our field was being used for that. Hopefully this was a one off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Christy Posted March 29, 2019 Share Posted March 29, 2019 A couple of years back I was putting up the electric fence around our hill-top patch after a days flying, the other members having just left. There had been a light aircraft (not a micro-light) buzzing round for a while, but as I put the last post up, I realised he was heading straight for our patch on a landing approach!!! I waved furiously, as the fence would probably have caused considerable damage had he landed, but since I couldn't see the pilot, I assumed he couldn't see me! I legged it off the patch PDQ! Anyway, at the last minute he veered off to wards the next field - downhill of us - and for a brief moment I found myself looking straight across at the pilot in the cockpit! He appeared unconcerned, but opened up and flew off. I assume he was just practicing emergency landings, but I have no idea if he saw me or the fence! I was almost looking down at him as he flew by, only about 100 yards away! It all seemed to happen so quickly, I didn't even get his registration! Not seen him since, though! -- Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vecchio Austriaco Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 Flying in Italy in the past (club: ALA Lecco, some 50 miles north of Milan) we had all kind of full size landing on our strip. Starting from paragliders coming from the near by mountains to mini helicopters. The latter did flight training in a field nearby and were sometimes useful if you have lost your plane in the corn field next to the strip as they showed us where. Looks like autumn as the corn behind the strip is already harvested. I suppose it was in 2009. This guy landed in the middle of our strip, he was asking for one of our club members who wasn't present at this day. We had some chat with him and he went again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor Chinnery Posted July 23, 2020 Share Posted July 23, 2020 For our entire tenancy at Lowe Farm we (the CMFC) have shared an enormous field with sheep and a small mixed flock of Domestic and Cananda Geese, but in the last few weeks a Jackdaw joins us from the Farm most mornings, tame to the point of being cheeky, He's round the cars and the pits - every car and plane being given a thorough going and he's not above joining the pilots whilst they're flying to play with their shoe laces and even trying to perch on their shoulder, he certainly expects to help pilots retrieve planes after landing by riding on shoulders to the plane and then back to the Pits. Explanation, for those who hadn't guessed, he was hand reared from a chick by one of our landlord's sons after his mother was killed. Corvids such as "Our" Jackdaw are at least as bright as most Parrots. So far Jack has managed to avoid the traffic on and above our patch - Heaven help the pilot who ends up having a mid-air with the little chap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted July 23, 2020 Author Share Posted July 23, 2020 We have a family of red Kites living in a wood close to our flying field. They do not normally bother is and we keep a mutual distance. However one did take exception to my MAK 15 MP, a Russian powered glider No contact was made but you can see why it didn't like it in its territory Edited By Peter Miller on 23/07/2020 08:09:01 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted July 23, 2020 Share Posted July 23, 2020 It seems you should report any suspicious aircraft movements. My club used to fly on a small private airstrip with just a couple of light aircraft which flew very occasionally. )Last year my club had a visit from the Border Control 'police' - a car arrived and 4 armed and tough looking officers got out , asked questions about aircraft then asked us to report any suspicous landings and gave out a leaflet with a phone number to report anything................ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Colbourne Posted July 23, 2020 Share Posted July 23, 2020 Practice forced landings are the most likely explanation, with drugs,contraband and illegal immegrant drop off being the possible but far less likely alternatives. Mis-identification of farm strips is also a possible. If you don't want your strip used for Practice Forced Landings, mark each end of the strip with a large 'X' and notify local flying clubs and farm strips. Most full-size operators should be sufficiently aware of noise issues to be understanding of your request. The best deterent for illegal activities is probably a number of prominent signs which say the strip is covered by CCTV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted July 23, 2020 Author Share Posted July 23, 2020 well our field is only 100 yards sq so that microlight (since identified and warned off) is about the only thing that could land there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Smith 1 Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 (edited) I had an intruder of a different type over the weekend in the dark evenings at my local "patch". It seems on Friday night late some tearaway drivers (that's putting politely) decided to skid up & down the flying strip. It seems to most fun when the ground is wet thereby aiding the skidding. This happens in the winter where there is reduced daylight hours and has occurred 2-3 time a year for a number of years. The owners of the private flying strip have bowed to the inevitable and decided to install an infrared motion activated camera if only to capture a few car numbers. The is something the local Suffolk police advise us to do such that they can take action. I am still able to fly with care, but as the strip is listed as an emergency landing runway for distressed full size light aircraft there is a worry that aircraft unfamiliar with the runway will encounter some of the deeper ruts which will precipitate an accident. Grrrrr ........ Edited December 14, 2021 by Adrian Smith 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan p Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 The other sad thing is they are driving on the public highways too, probably with the same abandon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul De Tourtoulon Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 We had a similar problem with cars doing burnouts on our old tar and gravel runway, it was cured by 'roughly' rounding up the end of steel used for reinforced concrete hammered in the grass at the edges of the tarmac at the entrance and leaving a couple of centimetres sticking out,,, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyGnome Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 We usually have a couple of incidents a year - 'joyriders' or 'lampers'. Unfortunately, we can't restrict access as our farmer/landlord needs to be able to get his large equipment through. We considered IR cameras etc. but decided they'd get stolen - as our mower was. Our solution is for the farmer to drag a VERY heavy roller over the strip. Eeejits everywhere it seems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 Turned up at field one morning, there's a Honda 4x4 parked in middle, parks up and walks over and there's ruts aplenty and left front suspension broken. Note in window saying "Sorry for any inconvienience caused, will be back later to remove" aw bless what a nice man. ? Phoned Police, they came took details, yes we can move it, NO we can't set fire to and dump in pond. ☹️ Moved it to a layby down the road, cost us £70, few days later, it's trashed then set afire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Smith 1 Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 The camera option would seem to work in our case as there is a telegraph pole almost directly in line with the runway and it can be located at a sufficient height so as to be unreachable. The trouble with a roller during the winter months will damage the grass apparently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J D 8 Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 Its not so much the roller that does the damage but the wheels of the tractor digging in as pulls the heavy roller. How about using a nature trail cam to keep an eye out, they are small camouflaged and can be hidden. Run for days on one charge and have motion sensors and IR night vision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Smith 1 Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 Not sure what make the full size fliers are installing other than it's an IR night vision motion model with a large capacity SD card and long life battery ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatMc Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 43 minutes ago, Adrian Smith 1 said: The camera option would seem to work in our case as there is a telegraph pole almost directly in line with the runway and it can be located at a sufficient height so as to be unreachable. The trouble with a roller during the winter months will damage the grass apparently. If it's an in service telegraph pole I think you will need permission from BT/Open Reach. Unless things have changed from my day this is unlikely to be granted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyGnome Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 Strangely, we always get our problems in summer so tractor tracks haven't yet been an issue...... I actually have an unused action cam which I could try next year (got it to see how a now-deceased rat was entering our loft!) - thanks for the idea. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Davis Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 (edited) A few years ago we had a series of break-ins at our clubhouse. A cooker and stocks of alcohol were stolen and the door was destroyed. We repaired the damage, fitted a stronger door and installed a camera in a tree opposite the entrance. After a few weeks it filmed a young couple in a small white Toyota stealing a drum of electrical cable which had been stored in a shed on the site. We were unable to see the car's registration but small Toyotas are fairly rare in our part of France, most of the locals preferring French marques. We made a copy of the film and presented the evidence on a DVD disc to the local gendarmerie. They didn't tell us anything but they must have recognised the couple and presented them with the evidence thereby revealing the location of the camera. A few days later the camera was stolen! Edited December 15, 2021 by David Davis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J D 8 Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 Monsieur Plod is alive and well then. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Fry Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 Anyway, icing the Christmas cake this morning, I thought, in tribute to misfortunes, I’ll do a Santa does wheely touch and go theme. Sledge ruts on. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Smith 1 Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 Pat, fortunately it's a disused pole. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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