I am being sued

[NewBlue]

Devalue the property values? Have they any idea what houses go for in a fly-in community?

 

[Metro752]

In Kentucky, I am gonna wager you have a very good chance at completely blowing these morons out of the water, along with recouping all costs.

 

[bluesky421]

Hey, is your strip long enough for a Merlin or a Turbo Commander?
flydaddy

Yeah! I know a guy who has an MU-2. That should work. He likes to taxi real slow and does a full warm up. Heh heh. That ought to do it.

 

[FN FAL]

Uh yeah, I don't think harrassing them is going to be the best course of action.

You're saying that if guy has property of the size and dimension where it is safe to do so, that shooting guns (flying planes) on it is harassment?

Haha...your neighbor can determine what you can and can't do on your property? So much for property ownership and it's apparent benefits.

We had one of these people that complained about the airport noise and planes flying over their house. They said their kids were having nightmares about planes crashing into them...they lived under the base leg of the muni-airport. They complained and complained...my wife used to answer the phones at the drop zone and manifest the jumpers. Eventually, the feds came out, because some jerk from D.C. got a phone call from these idiots.

The feds came out, looked at the operation for an hour or two and basically said the homeowner was a moron.

Him and his wife were from Illinois and owned one of those convenience store/fast food restaraunts...lived in an estate on a hill with tennis courts and a swimming pool. Eventually, they moved...hopefully, back to Illinois.

 

[FN FAL]

I live in LaGrange, Kentucky. Its a 2100' grass strip. And yes their are trees between us. And speaking of the pro bono work, the lawer for the people that are sueing us is their dad. I will call AOPA though, I am a member of the legal services plan too, I guess that might help.

Ky is a machinegun friendly state, I go to the big semi-annual shoots at knob creek...it's noisy.

I'd be having a machinegun shooting social event on my property if it was me and if it was safe to do so. Give him something else to pi$$ and moan about.

 

[avbug]

The only remotely sound counsel so far has been your own; go get a good attorney. Not AOPA...AOPA puts out flashy magazines and talks a lot, but is all but worthless in court and in the lobbying arena. I've been on the business end, sat in national meetings with them and between them and the FAA and others, and have been sickeningly disappointed. I've been no less impressed with their "legal plan" in action.

Get a good attorney. He might or might not get a few dollars out of the legal plan, but don't count on it. Get one who is good dealing with zoning ordinances, and be prepared to spend a LOT of money.

I lived on a private airfield upon which the neighbors were waging war, in Oklahoma. We did a lot of ag work from that location, and as it all involved low flying, we had neighbors shooting at us regularly. Guess who's side the law was on...it wasn't us. We were legal, within our rights, and even in the traffic pattern when shot at...nobody was rushing to support our rights. The owner managed to hold off for ten years or so before selling off, he was fighting hard when I left, but he eventually lost.

I am not saying you'll lose. The only good counsel you're going to get will come from an attorney on retainer, but don't expect any actions between you and your neighbors to qo quickly, quietly, or inexpesively.

Good luck!

 

[mattpilot]

I lived on a private airfield upon which the neighbors were waging war, in Oklahoma. We did a lot of ag work from that location, and as it all involved low flying, we had neighbors shooting at us regularly.

avbug - was that area 5 miles ENE of OKM?

 

[lowtimeguy]

If you already have planning and zoning approval, then it will be VERY hard for your neighbors to change it. Judges don't like to go against zoning boards decisions.

But don't try to harass them with more noise, that will just give them video proof and probably annoy some more neighbors who will then join in their cause. A smart man will let the courts see what a respectful neighbor he is and your air strip plays nice, not aggressively trying to be a nuisance.

I don't think you need an aviation lawyer for this, you need a local attorney who knows zoning and the area.

 

[avbug]

avbug - was that area 5 miles ENE of OKM?

No.


Virtaully every airport I've ever been to has had the same problems...people encroaching, wanting the airport gone. Private or not. Eventually people in out...it's only a matter of time.

I recall one little airport, fairly rural area. Every time we had a noisier airplane, like a Cessna 185 or a 206 land, the daughter of an old man who lived a half mile out on the extended centerline, would call to complain.

I was accused of being out to cause her father to have another stroke, trying to kill him harassing them. I had the police called and came to visit me...and I had nothing to do with her problems, the airplanes landing, her decision to live there (long after the airport was built), etc. At length, I invited her, and her father, to come to the airport. I offered them a scenic tour of the area which would culminate in several landings to show them why aircraft flew the traffic pattern how high they were, and why they couldn't go elsewhere. I offered to take pictures of their house or other things that might be of interest, all at no cost to them. Just to placate them and help them understand what was going on.

They adamantly refused. They wanted the airport gone. Not rides. Not pictures. Not free flying. I didn't need to show them anything, they already knew what they wanted to know, and wouldn't hear of anything else.

Sometimes you can throw a drowning man a glass of water, but you can't make him drink.

...however much you'd like to cram it down his throat and help him.

Some people won't ever go away no matter how much you fight them in court.

The only thing you can do after hiring that attorney and following his counsel to a T, is ensuring that your flying is as noise abatemenent friendly as possible, modifying your takeoff and landing paths to eliminate as much conflict as possible, and making as few waves as possible. Be a good neighbor, to the point of excess, so long as you can be safe. Anything else will only excite, inflame, and upset. You don't want that.

Attorney. Good neighbor. Quiet.

You might try inviting them for a flight, or offering to take pictures of their homes...or having some sort of public dinner or friendly get together that shows the fun family side of flying. If you're already involved in litigation, you're probably too late to make nice but do what you can. Most of the time, you're facing an uphill, losing battle. Sometimes the best way to wage war is to avoid the enemy completely.

 

[TrafficInSight]

You're saying that if guy has property of the size and dimension where it is safe to do so, that shooting guns (flying planes) on it is harassment?

Haha...your neighbor can determine what you can and can't do on your property? So much for property ownership and it's apparent benefits.

Swing and a miss strike one.

People are suggesting that he regularly buzz their house, or start a pig farm or whatever, for no other reason than to flip the finger at them.

The wrong way to go about saving your airstrip.