rpembert

Our little club is not AMA but we might go that way shortly. My friend has a small private airport and the neighbor has threatend to shoot down any aircraft(RC) that flys over his house. Now my friends airport is reconized by the FAA as a private use airfield. He owns the air rights around the airport.

Know my question, is it illegal to shoot at a RC aircraft. Let me know.

Thanks,
Joshua

Hibrass

My Feedback: (1)

Joshua,

Are you seriuos? I mean if you guys want to fly and shoot at your own planes have at it... But if some irate idiot starts shooting at them Duck and dial 911...!

Good Luck,

Ed

Cryhavoc

My Feedback: (46)

You have a baseball bat? You live in Alabama don't you. Ve haf wayz down heaah....<G>

PLANE JIM

My Feedback: (109)

I guess the neighbor does not want you flying rc over his house which is not a unreasonable request-I would not fly over his house, as far as being illegal to shoot at your property, I would think it would be. I would find somewhere else to fly if this guy is upset enough to shoot at rc planes, I do this for fun and not confrontation.

skull1971

Get him on video shooting, and or, a bullet from a plane. That should be enough to get him sent up the river. We have the same problem here in Texas, just don't have the proof for the Fuzz yet.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

Just call the Sheriff. The neighbor then knows that his threat is recorded and would really have to be an idiot to carry out his threat. At any rate, make sure you are always ready to defend yourself and keep your wits about you.

Cryhavoc

My Feedback: (46)

I got shot by a dove hunter one year ago while mowing our flying field. Wasn't a direct hit but was painful to say the least. My 14 year old son, (at the time) was on the other side of the field weedeating. I shut down the PTO on the tractor and rounded up my son and headed in. We never did find out whom did it. The year before a friend of mine had his plane shot by another dove hunter. We own the area but they get in around us during bird season and there's no telling who or whom does this stuff. It's funny because we live in the Louisiana and it's usually so hot during dove season that even if they went and picked up the birds at once, they'd have to ice them down imeadiately for it to remain good to eat. I don't think they even pick them up. Just shoot the birds. I like to hunt but we clean and cook what we harvest. At least you can identify your assailant. I'd stand my ground if I had the right. That's what laws are for. To protect those that are in the right.

Good luck.

abel_pranger

Get one of [link=http://www.neural-robotics.com/Video/Gunship.html]THESE.[/link]

TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

Your friend doesn't own any air rights . And you can't fly over someone else's property with your models. I don't know if the neighbor has the right to shoot a modle that keeps over flying his house or property. If he threatens you it is assault. IF he threatens to shoot a real airplane, then he is in deep do do. He does have the right to tell you that you cannot fly your models over his property.
You should make amends. It sounds as though every party involved is slightly in the wrong; you for flying over this man's property without his permission, and he is as fault for making threatening comments. You need to approach him, apologize for getting off on the wrong foot and see if you can negotiate an agreement. He could very well shut down your model flying. Not only can you not over fly someones property without their permission, but the noise from your models can only measure so high, (ex. 90db) at the edge of his property. The sound levels vary from state to state and even from one community to another. Some places don't have defined sound levels and its left to the discretion of law enforcement. It is possible that you have already wrecked the situation and negotiations are not likely. Good luck.

Dave ESPI

If you are FAA approved, the sound level arguement and not being able to fly over his property is bunk if there is clear "aorspace" and flight path that is zoned for such. It really lies in your best interest to contact teh FAA and find out exactly what kind of footing you have, an dhow it applies to all sorts of "FLYING" air craft and where your "property" and "public airspace" begins and ends.

Contact the sherifs office at any rate if he does indeed bother you or mentions anything again about any kind of threats. Could be he was just having a bad day or something.

redfox435cat

as cool as that is I wouldn't trust any of my radio gear enough to do that not to mention its against ama codes

KidEpoxy

Didn't we get one of these last year,
some fool shooting at a RC plane that was.... bothering his goats?

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

You've got to be CRAZY to take any advice from this forum on this subject. NOBODY here knows tha answer, this a MUNICIPAL and STATE issue. Do not take 1 single piece of advice here ... run.

Roby

I'll offer some advice that you might find useful.

Don't fly there. Find another site. If this is the way
that this situation is going to "start", then it isn't
going to get any better as time goes on.


Good luck,
Roby

SSRCCPREZ

See if he is friendly with Dick Cheney and offer to pay for a hunting trip for the two of them.......

DelRay

Joshua, first, I have some questions. Just how big is this private airport area, and is this neighbor's house in the approach pattern? I would definitely stay away from flying over or near any houses ( good advice, no matter what anyone says). How often is this field used for full scale aircraft, and what type of aircraft? If your rc flying zone contains any houses, I would take the advice of "don't fly there. Find another site", also good advice, no matter what anyone says.

Myself, I would look elsewhere to enjoy my rc flying, it sounds like this wouldn't be a "fun" place . I'd want to be flying, not fighting.

DocYates

My Feedback: (102)

Joshua,
I can tell you about another club in Alabama that lost a flying site for this very reason you are talking about. they also ended up on Judge Judy when one of the planes crashed in the guy's yard. He sued them for the damage to his grass, and guess what he won. Of course that is TV justice, but there was some law behind it. I had heard from some of the people involved that the neighbor complained continuously about the people flying over his property and the AMA even got involved and tried to help in the ongoing fued. In the end I believe the club ended up having to move to a new site.
The best thing you can do in this situation is sit down and talk with this neighbor and find out why he has a problem with you guys flying there. Invite him out to fly with you. Heck if there are enough of you, chip in and get the guy a plane and have him join you. Unfortunately, your friend's rights to the airspace is not worth a hill of beans, and the neighbor is the squeaky wheel who will get his way. Don't let it get to the point of gunshots. Go to him and try to talk to him sensibly before it gets out of hand. I would be willing to bet you can salvage this situation.
Where are you located in Alabama? I'm in the NW corner, about 45 miles west of H'ville.
Tommy

rpembert

Well I just got done talking to the county sheriff. He said if he threatens again that shooting at ANY aircraft wheather manned or unmanned is a FEDERAL OFFENSE. This also includes hotair ballons. We live near Fort Rucker and the Army is supposed to start training with UAV's. So rules are being put in place. Know I said that my friend owns the AIR RIGHTS not the AIR SPACE. The FAA owns that. That neighbor does not own the property that he is on. We DO NOT FLY OVER HIS HOUSE either. Most of the time he is pissed drunk when he makes the threats. This is because my friend bought it from a guy that would let him hunt deer on his property and now he cant. Messed up his huntin'. The strip is 2700 ft usable and 3000 feet long.
It is a private strip. The guys trailer is down in the woods and cannot be seen standing from where we fly and is 1500ft away perpendicular to the runway.

KidEpoxy

If the sherrif wants to take the heavy hand with that guy, let him.
Dont get into an FAA debate whether RC is GA with the sherrif if he is on your side, let him enforce what he thinks makes you right.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

The right to over fly for the good of commerce does not apply to model airplanes.

Might be illegal to shoot at them but he's within his right to tell you not to over fly owned or leased/rented land.

DocYates

My Feedback: (102)

Joshua,
Sounds like he may be the kind of guy that will take a pot shot at you, but more than likely he's just pissed drunk or talking big. In any case, if he shoots at your planes be sure and call the sheriff ASAP and don't go down there and confront him. Heck if he's drunk he won't be able to hit one of your birds anyway.
The area around Ft. Rucker is a great place, there are lots of R/C guys don that way.
Good luck with the guy.
Tommy

DelRay

Joshua,from the information of the layout you've given it sounds like this feller is just trying to run his mouth. Being 1500 feet perpendicular from the field, I would say that's plenty of cushion zone. Like mentioned, get the law involved and let them handle the " legal stuff". The feller will be a lot less likely to shoot off his mouth to the officer than he would you and your group. Sounds like this dude has an axe to grind and he's a little upset.

TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

I can't find any 3000 ft grass strip in Headland. Do you mean Freedom Field (AL41), a 3300 grass strip southwest of town, rwy 10/28 ? What is the name of the field on the charts ?

Cryhavoc

My Feedback: (46)

Let me get this rite...he's renting a trailer, he's a drunk and he's crying about your model flying noise? Who's his landlord? What's he paying for rent? Does the trailer belong to him or the landlord? Is it new? Is it insured?....etc.... Buy him a fifth or two every weekend...it costs about the same amount as glow fuel and invite him to the local tavern. When he goes to drive home, have the sheriff pick him up. Problem solved...

BTerry

My Feedback: (8)

Or even more effective, send him down to the beach with Teddy!