freeonthree

My Feedback: (1)

I went to our flying site today, which is a huge paved lot that use to be part of the mill. For about 2 + years now, (since one of our local club members got us written permission to fly there until they start building) we have been parking in the same place on the same side of the lot. When I pulled in today, there was a newer guy there flying his little electric park flyers, but he was on the other side of the lot. I went to the same stop we always do across from him, and he made a big deal out of it, and said it was rude of me not to park by him. I think he's wrong, and should have known better. When we started flying there, we decided that we would park where we do because it allows us to easily make our approach from any direction, and I know for a fact that he has never seen any of US park on the other side, and he's been parking with us for a few weeks now. I wasn't going to fly till he was done anyway because I can't hear his little electrics and can't tell where he is up there unless I look around for it. I dunno, maybe it was rude of me, and next time I may park next to him if he is there before me, but I think we should stick with the origional agreement unless we all get together and agree on the change. So was I wrong for parking on the opposite side of the lot from him, or was he wrong because he knows where we always park. Now that i've had time to think about it, I am going to appoligise to him, but my friend Greg said that all those guys should know the program by now, and he was wrong for parking there, wether he was the only one there or not at the time.

YNOT

A better way to handle it in the future is to park over by the person in the wrong spot, wait for them to finish flying, introduce yourself and in a very nice manner, tell the newer person that "we" park over there and say, come on, I'll show you. Do you need help packing your planes?

freeonthree

My Feedback: (1)

He's been there at least six times when I and others were there lately, and a couple of times he was there before me, and was parked on the correct side then. He said something about the wind today, but it didn't make any sense to me. When the wind blows the way he said it was earlier, we just make our approach from over the pond, but he said he didn't like that. I agree with him in a way, but thats what we agreed on over 2 years ago. It dont matter to me where he parks, and I wasn't going to say much to him about it. He usually flies a couple of packs and leaves anyway. I was just settin up and waiting for him to finish. I felt bad though because he got irritated about it. I didn't see what the big deal was myself... Maybe he thought I was going to start flying over him or something. I dunno...

MikeL

My Feedback: (3)

It sounds like he was a little grouchy over nothing. I wouldn't give it a second thought, and I wouldn't deviate from established practice to appease him. He's the one doing something out of the norm, and it should be nicely but firmly explained to him that he needs to conform.

Just because someone says you've been rude doesn't mean that you have been.

freeonthree

My Feedback: (1)

Yeah, I guess I shouldn't let his attitude bother me. Im am going to appologize to him for it though, and explain to him that we (Red Bluff RC) agreed to the parking arrangement over 2 years ago. We have other situations out there as well, like some of the new guys that have been coming out there lately, like to stand in what we deem the runway when they fly, rather than near their vehicles, and as you can guess, that make some of us very nervous. Some of the electric flyers will actually walk down the middle of the runway as there flying. In my book, thats completely wrong ! I guess there's something to be said for flying at sanctioned flying fields under firm written rules, over some huge lot with just loose rules and comon sense to go by. Since we don't own the property, and he was there first today, maybe it was rude of me a little. Here's a pic of some of the guys in our group, and we always park right where you see us there, have been for years...

freeonthree

My Feedback: (1)

He was parked on the other side over there... It looks further, but it's only about 100 feet away. There's a pond below where the pavement ends, and sometimes we make our approach from over the pond, just depends on the wind direction.

MikeL

My Feedback: (3)

It might just be an education issue. The electric guys might think all planes are as harmless as a foamie?

freeonthree

My Feedback: (1)

No, he has one nitro plane. He acts as though nobody went to the trouble to get written permission to fly there, and it is just some un used lot that people go to fly off of. I don't think he relizes that as a club, we started flying there over 2 years ago, with written permission that one of our members attained from the property owner. Given that, I think we sorta have a say so on how people should conduct operations out there. It wasn't supposed to be a big free for all, park where ya want, do what you want deal. We had some organization anyway...

MikeL

My Feedback: (3)

So enforce your standards.

freeonthree

My Feedback: (1)

Im gunna talk with the others about it and see how they feel. Since were not an AMA sanctioned club anymore, maybe the few guidelines we agreed on are out the window now.

Allie33

Rude? My therapist told me that the person accusing another of being rude is the rudest of all. [sm=48_48.gif] He probably didn't know the agreed procedures at YOUR field and may not be good at dealing with people.

AW

rc-sport

My Feedback: (12)

Did you ask him why he parked there?

KW_Counter

Dennis,

It sounds like you guys are a club and this is your flying field. Is this correct?
If so, there should be a written set of field safety rules that need to be followed.
Is he a member of your club?
If yes, he needs to follow the rules or fly somewhere else.

If this is just a place where a bunch of people have permission to fly then welcome to chaos.
This is where first come has the right to set the standard for the day.
In actuality you were both rude to a degree and both should apologize to each other.

The only cure is to set up some field standards and post them.

Good Luck,
KW_Counter

khodges

My Feedback: (1)

BINGO, we have a winner. Any club, AMA or not, should have their policies and field rules written down, every new member gets a copy. Somebody new shows up, they get "the talk" about what's okay and what's not, and why it's that way. The explanation of why is most important; if they don't understand that, they may feel it's some kind of arbitrary thing that just got thought up for their sole benefit. If they see things in writing, they have no recourse to say "I didn't know", or "nobody told me".

It seems like your field is sort of a "semi temporary" arrangement, so I would assume that permanent things like a pin board and signage are verboten by the landowners. I don't think you were really rude because you didn't park next to him, after all, you're the established party and acting to the norm, which was to park where you did. As you say, he's been there long enough to see what everyone else does, he should have it figured out by now. Sounds like he may have realized he should have been elsewhere and is a bit on the sensitive side about being wrong. If this causes some continued contention in the ranks, bring it up when there's a bunch of you there, settle it by majority vote after discussion. Failing that, just gang up on him and whip his ........

Oh, Lord, don't take that last comment seriously, it'll start a whole new thread.

Stickbuilder

I'm in !!!!!!!

If one has to ask if they were ruce, they probably were. Don't sweat it. We are all rude occasionally. It goes with the territory.

Bill, AMA 4720
WACO Brotherhood #1

freeonthree

My Feedback: (1)

Well, we used to be a sanctioned ama club, and we flew at the local airport. When that dried up, and one of the guys got us permission to fly at the big lot. Lately though, people just wander in and fly because they see us fly there, and now it's getting out of hand. I guess it's just a big free for all now. Yeah, I asked what he was doing on that side, and he said something about the wind earlier. I told him we approach from over the pond in that case, and he looked at me like I was nuts. lol Just got off the phone with one of the other members, and were going to start puttin out our club banner when we fly, and carry our permission slips with us, and if anyone want to complain about the rules, they can leave, or take it up with the Sheriff.

proptop

My Feedback: (8)

There ya go...
You have to do something like that, or some doofus will come along and muck it up for all of ya...[:@]

Like it or not, we had to do something similar...
We were rather un-cerimoneously (sp? ) booted off of our (30+ years ) flying site because of big business and developers, but thanks to a club member, we were allowed to fly in a different section of the closed-down Air Force base.
It worked well, until some new guys who didn't feel the need to join our club or even get AMA decided that they would "share" our flying site...(un-invited )
They started flying over "restricted" areas...and didn't want to hear it when I tried nicely to explain to them that we had a pattern, or over-fly area.
My buddy, who's a rather large and muscular "biker" dude, and the one who got us permission, decided that they should leave!
He got "rude" you might say... (he's got a short fuse )
They left with their tails between their legs...but a couple weeks later, they came back after one of the "nicer" club members explained to them the error of their ways...
They are regular guys, and good club members now...

freeonthree

My Feedback: (1)

At least with a locked gate like alot of sanctioned model airports, if ya don't have a key, your not gettin in, but where were at, anyone can just drive in. Oh well... Were gunna fly the club banner now, and knuckle down a bit.

BasinBum

My Feedback: (2)

I wouldn't worry about it because with people just showing up and guys like him doing whatever they want your club will soon lose permission to fly there.

Dzlstunter

Maybe I'm missing some part of the story here, but it seems as though SOME group, club, or organization secured permission to fly at this site. That same group, one would assume, told the site owners there would be no unsafe or illegal activities during flight sessions. One would think that the same group then could go to the owner and secure his/her permission to exclude safety rules non-compliers from flying--and get the owner's OK to call the authorities to remove anyone who put up a fuss. It IS private property, is it not? BTW, even though you are no longer AMA, it might be a good idea to continue using their field safety rules as a guide.

freeonthree

My Feedback: (1)

Oh, were gunna put our foot down now, and if the stragglers don't like it, they can go fly somewhere else, Period.

khodges

My Feedback: (1)

ANOTHER WINNER!!!! It only takes ONE to screw the pooch for everybody. Conformity to an established norm, that being the accepted way you guys parked, the pattern you fly, etc. is the only safe haven to keep your flying site. Apparently the landowner accepts what you have been doing, so keep it that way, and everyone who comes there to fly had better know it and accept it. Some kind of sign needs to be posted at the gate establishing who is permitted there, the accepted way of doing things at that field, as well as the consequences for not doing it, or bedlam will ensue and everybody will soon be looking for somewhere else to fly. Hope you get it worked out. We recently had a situation at our site that posed a risk for losing it. It'd kill me to have to go somewhere else.

blikseme300

My Feedback: (118)

See - you only need someone to "explain" properly.

Safe Flying!

Cyclic Hardover

My Feedback: (3)

I wouldnt apologize to him at all, you all have a system that works and he's been their before. He's knows what he's doing and seems to care less.

freeonthree

My Feedback: (1)

Well, no one else was there. so it wasn't a big deal, but I wasn't going to fly from that side. Im glad to see the everyone basically agree's with my feelings on the matter, now we just have to let him know that the lot is not just a free for all, and it took some trouble to get the permission to fly there, and we can thank our friend John for that.