It would be more fun to just shoot the planes down. If you can use deadly force just break out the 12 ga. look at em and smile and tell them ya gotta land sometime.

Cut off the tails of people who are flying. Dont warnem if its posted private then just fly up there tail and wreckem they wont fly anymore. The really odd thing is that on the shooters forum I get on everyonce and awhile they are talking about the same thing at a members only shooting range up in estes park.

Thanks for your input...That just made me laugh.

I'm the president of the Aero Modelers of Perrine (AMPs) in Miami Florida. We've used the same flying site for 15 years now. Originally 5 acres we owned in the Everglades. The state purchased the 5 acres from us and leased back 13 acres.

I think every club has problems with non-members flying. After the state bought our property, they dug a trench around the property and suggested we put up a gate to control vandalism. The gate with a combination lock has solved all our vandalism problems but does nothing about the non-members. When there are members present the gate is open. Obviously the gate stops non-members when no members are at the field. The only way a gate will help is if every member closes and locks the gate after entering.

What has finally helped control the non-members at our field was educating our membership. You have to get the membership to understand that they are all responsible for controlling non-members. All members are required to display their membership card on their person while at the field. If a member sees a person flying without a membership card, it's the members responsibility to approach that person and ask them to show their membership card. If that person cannot produce a membership card they are asked to leave the premises. Even members are not allowed to fly without displaying their membership card. It may seem harsh but sometimes that's what it takes. All guest pilots (non-member) must be pre-registerd with one of the Board members before the day of the visit.

If a non-member refuses to leave, the membership has been told to call the county sheriff. Unfortunately, the county doesn't care about us (or anyone) so most people realize that calling the sheriff is an empty threat.

The laws in Florida are much the same as Texas. If a person refuses to leave the premises, many of our members carry, including myself and we will escort a person off our property. This of course is considered a last resort and we've yet to go that far. Although we did have to escort an aligator off the premises a month ago. Our lease from the state allows us full control of our property.



Bob Cox
President: The Aero Modelers of Perrine (AMPs)
Miami, Florida

Hummm....This could never be a problem....Intentionally crash into another plane. This will cause at least one to crash into the ground. Then said plane crashes into the Pits killing a paying member of the field. Brilliant!!!

I appreciate everyone's ideas-thanks

Wow did this thread went south real fast. The person asked a simple question and the replies are out of this world. I apologize to the owner of this thread for the behavior of those individuals. I hope you dont think this reflects the majority of the folks here on RCU, or Modelers as a whole.


Vince

According to Section 9.42 of the Texas Penal Code, a landowner can shoot at or use other deadly force against a trespasser if the landowner reasonably believes the land or property cannot be protected or recovered by any other means.

What part of that didn't you understand?
Keep trespassing and you can be shot in Texas.

I feel your pain, Jim. While I was a member of Sport Flyers off Kuykendahl we had the same problem. We put up a gate that helped, but has not stopped the vandals. I wish there was a more effective solution. Short of an open season on humans (sometimes I think that is desperately needed), I have not heard anything better.

Good luck. I would like to come out and guest-fly sometime when I get back.

Bedford

Actually it must be pretty nice to have such a "problem" , when we fly if someone shows up flying at our site we encourage it, there's just not enough people out here flying to ever want to run one off.

If you have an organized field and if it has an AMA requirement, then that's another issue and you need to let persons know that 'no card means no flying' and back to getting to what really matters, I've bought a kid an AMA card as a kindness gesture because I knew $ to be tight and he was so happy that the next year he went and proudly bought his own...

No dramatic policies, just saving the world one pilot at a time.

Hopefully, you are a little smarter than your dad. Trespassers have been known to shoot back.

You are a serious threat to the normal public. Im a sheriff and understand law pretty good. You must read the entire law. Im sick of you and this thread. READ THIS AND LEARN HOW TO COMPRHEND IN ENGLISH> Someone flying at your field does not warrent LETHAL FORCE. THis thread needs to be Trowen away. I hope the owner of has deleted. I hope you don't teach your kids this way.

Texas law (Section 9.41 of the Texas Penal Code) allows you to use "reasonable force" to protect your property. Reasonable force includes any force that is not potentially lethal. This would probably include physically blocking the trespasser's entry onto the land and perhaps even showing the trespasser that you have a gun and are prepared to use it if warranted.
Warranted means inement danger. Interpretation of the law has already been done and not for you to twist for wanting to shoot other Hobbyist.

That's what the second barrel is for.

I wonder also why clubs don't just charge them a fee for the day that the non-members fly and let them know that in order for them to fly again they will need a membership. People don't like to spend money and if they have to pay that will make a quick difference.

Maybe after a while they would just buy a membership If that don't work I guess they could be arrested and put in prison [X(] OK, just kidding. If they are moochers then you will have a problem with them until someone takes the time to address the situation. If they honestly just want to fly and don't have much money then help them out until they can get a membership (I don't know how anyone can be involved with RC without any money!). Help someone out? HHmmmmm....do we help people anymore?

I notice you refuse to acknowledge the section of the law that refutes you.
You seem to be the danger to society. Do you only follow parts of NC law that you like?

You will need to install posts and cables and or a fence with a locked gate. Where only the members and land owner have the gate key.
Not really any other way to do it. The scofflaws will simply keep at it. Very likely they don't have AMA membership (insurance) either.

The reason they don't "charge by the day" is because these people are NOT GOING TO PAY IT. They don't intend to join the club, nor pay a fee to fly. They think they can use the land as they please, and they are challenging you to do something about it. The first time you should remind them the land is posted, and that the club maintains the property, and it costs the club money to do so. ASk them if they are interested in joining the club and being able to fly there anytime they want. The second time they are caught there, you call the authorities and have them removed. The third time you press charges for trespassing. Sooner or later the word will get around that you are not playing games. $50 a year is not unreasonable to have access to a flying site. They will spend more than that on a lipo battery or two gallons of fuel. This is an issue as old as the hobby. It is about some jerks who want to play but do not want to pay their own way.
You are not "saving the hobby one pilot at a time" by allowing these guys to ride on the backs of others and take advantage of you.

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of you teamming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door. But Whatever freedom you enjoy in these united states " DO NOT GO TO TEXAS " you WILL be shot.

This has been a pretty interesting thread to follow. As I've been reading it, I've been trying to pretend that I'm an "outsider" who doesn't know much about RC. When I put myself in those shoes, I can only come to the conclusion "Wow. People who fly RC are divided into two camps. One camp or RC'ers feels they are above the laws especially when it comes to anti-trespassing laws. Apparently they have the propensity to get violent when told otherwise. The other camp or RC'ers is interested in the forcible or possibly lethal removal of said persons."

In all honesty, after reading the mindset of this thread, I can see why the interest in RC is dwindling. It's too bad that half of us think we can disregard rules and regulations and it's also too bad that others feel they can consider the use of firearms just because someone else hasn't paid some dues. I'm not taking either side here. I'm just looking at the tone a topic such as this has taken. What have we become? What have we done to this hobby?

Eric

All,

I think I have to agree with Eric on this one. "Thou shall not murder" is a law that preceded Texas and Florida law and in my life, supercedes both. That you would take a life over the use of a model airplane field speaks volumes.

I'll pray for you.

Echo....I don't think the problem is necessarily "what have we become". Sure, some of the reactions are out of line, but what's really at issue are individuals that are trespassing.Yes, they can be bullied off the property, or they can be invited to stay or come back under the rules. But, what they're doing in the first place is in fact trespassing and unfortunately in this day an age, (it's been my experience that) people are more than willing to do whatever they want if they think they can get away with it, and I think that's societal. A guy rolls up, sees a decent place to fly and thinks "if anyone says anything, I'll leave" not even considering the fact that it MUST be someone else's property andhe shouldn't enter it. "It isn't wrong until someone TELLSme it's wrong." A public park and an unused farmer's field or an empty-at-night industrial park aren't the same things, but people don't see it that way.

For the OP.
Put up fences, gates, post, signs and lock up the field. I bet that solves the majority of the problems.
Cheers.

Don't move to Texas if you don't like their laws.
Can I come and swim in your swimming pool anytime I want?
Yeah, you would get mad. Maybe want to shoot me. Some people have this insane notion of private property. Others think they should just do whatever they want, wherever they want. I am one of the insane people that respects other people's property and protect my own.

Formerbug, I'd have to agree with you. I'd first place the blame on the trespasser. Above all else, they should not be doing that. There wouldn't be any problems if they didn't feel that the rules didn't pertain to them.

Dbcisco, don't get me wrong! I totally agree with you sentiment. If someone were trespassing on my property and not responding to reason (in other words, if they didn't leave the moment I said "Get off my property!") then the first thing I'd do is make a bee line for my firearm in order to protect my wife and young daughters. I wouldn't hesitate a single microsecond to drop the guy if he made a threatening move towards my family. I'm just saying it's too bad that we (people in general) have to bring it to that point when it comes to an RC flying field.

Eric

PS. As a person who grew up in D.C. and as a Redskins fan, I could not STAND anything to do with Texas (think "Cowboys"). However, last year my family and I drove all throughout the Southwest including a stop in Amarillo, TX. We fell in love with the place! Best food! Best hotel! We're thinking of taking our next vacation just in Amarillo specifically because of the food!!!!

I don't think anyone was suggesting murder. However the law in Texas and PA (at least) allow the use of lethal force under certain circumstances. You don't have to use it. Just like you can drive a car or choose to walk. Some folks would even rather be murdered than defend themselves (the Amish for example). Just like police can shoot people under certain circumstances however they (usually) try all other solutions first.