Tired Old Man

My Feedback: (1)

She doesn't like airplanes and/or people and has simply found another way to get them away from her. It has nothing to do with noise or wildlife. Those are just a means to an end. I've been through a similar situation and it took years and lawsuits to put an end to it.

What you have is not going to change without legal action since legislative actions have put the rule in place. Either fly electric, change locations to a land owners property more friendly to the activity, or spend mega bucks to fight the law.

pub

The way this country is going or now, if it wasn't for Al Gore I would not have know of this (He invented the internet). Get a illegal to join the club,when the LIBS & DEMS find out that he can not fly ( because he makes the economy strong) You will have 24hrs of flying time. AND THANK GOD THAT WE WILL HAVE THE (new word order) really( LOCK AND LOAD) pub

pub

NEW WORLD ORDER pub

JustPlaneSweet

Your club roster shows a lot of members. Perhaps you need to form a political action comittee of your own to have the punitive sound ordinate repealed altogether. Could be a new board position within your club, PAC/PR Coordinator.

Can the runway be relocated (or angled) to put the women's property behind the flightline?

Club members need to talk with the council members, find out why they supported the ordinance, and remind them that there are a lot more voting club members simply trying to enjoy the club's leased property. Let them know individually the steps the club is taking to accomodate the neighbors. A public hearing is not the time to change their minds, they need to be convinced on a one-to-one personal basis.

Stan

pub

Alaska has what?3.52 people per sq. mile.What happens with your field will effect the world. pub

CrashBurn69

My Feedback: (1)

Why not just get a couple of chain saws and run them while you are flying. This will legally raise the ambient niose and keep you from getting in trouble. Or you could get a hugh stereo or anything for that matter. You just want to raise the ambient niose enough to drown out the planes. There is nothing they can do.

Gary L.

Sounds like a good case of discrimination to me........

whatwind

My Feedback: (1)

flyfisher431 The only thing I can suggest is have your club pool some money and buy some lawyer time to check and see if the ordinance violates something. In the mean time start a friendy campaign to get it repealed. start with things like what's next we going to be like the lower 48 and have home owner associations that tell you what color to paint your house or when to mow your grass or what kind of vehicle you can park in your drive way. Don't be force full just give them something to think about . what body of goverment passed this ordinance and who was there first the club or the whiner? If you can fly at the field with out violating the law and be ready to prove it. At one field we had a neighbor kept calling the sheriff making tresspass compliants two days in arow we proved her wrong [no foot prints in a muddy field} the sheriff told her not to call again or she would be charged with making false reports. Chatch them in the lie and you get the pwers that be on your side.

flyfisher431

I want to thank everyone for their comments. As far as raising the ambient noise level, while the idea seems sound on the surface, and believe me it was even discussed by some members, the bottom line is that the code enforcement office established the normal ambient noise level in the area at 40db. Two problems exist with the idea of running a non model engine, boom box, etc. First most of the people like us and even come out to see us fly. If we were to say set up a noise maker that we ran when flying it might just be counter productive and make more people want us to leave the area. Second the base was established and until we can get that changed we are fighting city hall. The focus group that the assembly decided to form hasn't gotten off the ground yet. Below is a report from our club president about the status of the focus group.

"The focus group the MSB Assembly requested should get off the ground this week. The MSB placed the organizational responsibilities for the focus group with the Planning department and the delay has been due to a lack of staffing. After numerous queries on my part, I was contacted by the head of the department two weeks ago and he assured me that a planner's time would be scheduled to coordinate the committee beginning this week."

For those that have suggested legal action here is a synopsis of what a Law firm told the club.

"As far as the discrimination angle, we brought that up when we met with Birch, Horton, Bitner and co. and their expert said that for it to be a viable path to pursue, we would basically need written evidence that someone within the MSB was abusing their position to make the planning department go against it's internal recommendations. In other words, we would need written evidence that someone was forcing the planning department to come up with this ordinance outside of their normal procedures. Is is fair and reasonable? No. Is it discrimination? Maybe, but without written evidence of wrongdoing in hand it's quite likely that pursuing the discrimination angle might actually cost more than buying a field outright."

I am a bit disappointed that AMA's policy when these things happen is, "It sucks to be you buddy." I know we don't pay a lot as members, but when a local government at the behest of one or two very vocal people sticks it to a small group and national organization doesn’t do anything but say, "Well ain't that a shame. Guess you guys need to find a new flying field." It is a bit disappointing. I at least thought their might be some legal support but from what others have said it looks like we are out on our own.

On a more positive note it looks like several club members have found some one with land away form the complainer that is willing to lease us land. Our club meeting is tonight and the proposal will be set before the membership. I'll provide an update tomorrow.

Ben

Nathan King

I find it odd that the law measures your airplanes against ambient noise levels considering the frequency of change in ambient noise. It doesn't matter if they consider 40dB "ambient" since homeowners will percieve the same noise differently when they attempt to compare it to ambient noise. Who has a dB meter laying abound?

It would make much more sense if they checked for a strict decibel level. What does it matter if it's a wood chipper or an airplane?

I'd just keep flying. When they come up to give you a fine tell 'em to put it on your tab.

TimT2000

My Feedback: (1)

So what happened in this case? It is only 2 years later! any one still have
this subscribed?

Cheers Tim

flyfisher431

IT still drags on. One club member has filed a legal action against the ordinance, because he has his own field on his property. The club rented a new field about an hour and 1/2 driving time from the old field. Presently the new field while under the same ordinance is so far out in the middle of noplace that nobody complains. Simply the old bag won. There is a chance that the assembly will slowly swing back from the far left to the center but as long as it is 100 guys with RC planes vs.the MATSU Borough with the deep pockets of the taxpayers to fight back the ordinance stands and they lady that hates RC has won.

I say she has won because a few folks still lease that old field and fly their glyders and Electrics off of it. She still calls in noise complaints and the Borough still comes out to measure the sounds.

Fly

da Rock

Sounds like (pun intended) you guys should get involved with politics just a bit.

Look into the opposition party next time elections roll around. Feed them your story and see if they can use it against her party. They will know if they can put a spin that'll work.

Get some signs for opposition candidates and stick 'em up. Work a bit for the opposition and make noise about why you're doing it.

Or just fly at your new field and pray her sister doesn't build right next to it.

cfircav8r

My Feedback: (1)

Get the ACLU involved. It is a clear case of discrimination and can easily be won if someone is willing to foot the legal bills. The ACLU is geared towards this type of injustice.

ARUP

It's like one poster said-run a chainsaw. Retaliate and when the folks (the 'old lady') operate their weed whackers have them fined for breaking the same noise rule! Soon enough the whole thing (which is moronic at best) will become so evidently ridiculous that, surely, some judge with common sense will throw the whole lot of non-sensical 'rules' out of the window!!!!

eagledancer

maybe you should sub lease the land to a group that wants to race dirt bikes, you know the type the really high pitched ones!! after a few months of that noise she will beg for you guys to come back

jester_s1

It just sounds like it's time to do some old fashioned politicking. She's a squeaky wheel, so they've appeased her. Give the lawmakers a reason to see it your way. Maybe it's time to offer a community outreach at your location. Do something for the kids because you want to be good citizens and all. Maybe also invite some of the local politicians to spend some time on the buddy box and see what is actually going on at the field?