Here we go again

[Dave_Trible]

Went out to the field this morning to fly.  It was a little rough Saturday when I mowed it but today- this.  Came home for a rake and hoe.  Will try to start over.

[Dave_Trible]

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[Dave_Trible]

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[DanielGelinas]

Sorry to hear about that Dave.

Its probably too late but a hunting camera may help to ID the intruder next tme.

Dan

[Terrence Durrill]

      Hmmmm ........ Crop Circles.........This looks like the work of UFO's ......... maybe they are trying to communicate and tell us something.      

                         Check this out if you don't believe.......!         

[Phil Krankowski]

Good trail cameras are about $100.  Since it is not hunting season you may be able to borrow one from a friend or club member. 

Phil

[mike londke]

That really sucks. Perhaps some big nails pounded through a board and placed upright in the circle would teach them a lesson.

[FLOYD CARTER]

I like the nail idea.  However, in today's legal considerations, you should post a warning sign about possible tire damage.  Place the sign so that it isn't very prominent!

Floyd

[Dave_Trible]

I got back out and raked the center a little to get a footing and put up a flight.  Hard to fly when you are pissed off.  Kevin is coming this weekend with the drag rake and 900 lb. roller to work it over.  I put about $400.00 of grass seed on it last fall.  Doubt I'll bother this time.  I left a very longgggg message on the machine for the park dept. director about maybe getting the cops to patrol this more again.  I have thought of the camera.  Really nothing close enough to the circle to mount it on- just weeds.  If these fools found it they'd just take it.  The city put up a warning sign last spring.  They ran it over and eventually took it.  If they catch these fools I'll sue them personally for damages regardless of what the city does.  I think I have enough invested to do so.  Spike strips are enticing but the city would frown greatly on that and the jerks might turn around and spike the field themselves and make it dangerous for us.  Sitting in the weeds with a pellet gun.... Now there's an idea...I'm thinking these must be new jacka$$&.  The one whose truck rolled and burnt to ashes last fall surely wouldn't be back for more.

Dave

[Fredvon4]

Locally
We had this issue a few years back...camping over night.. BIG assed guns...and  the pure/ritgeous threat of loss of life solved it

OLD guys with a mission CAN rule the night!...no death involved- but we did make it abundantly clear if you screw up OUR area again...it WILL be the LAST time

I doubt ANY of us old farts would have actually shot the ass h-le(s)...but HE/They did not get that memo....grin

[Steve Helmick]

God Bless Texas! My Texas connection was murdered in 1836. Story was that it was rustlers that done the evil deed. Great great great uncle Pascal Hunter, had a ranch between Dallas and Fort Worth. Probably a used car lot there now.  Steve

[Dave_Trible]

I talked to the farmer across the road from the circle.  He saw two truckloads of kids Monday afternoon farming the circle.  When they saw him they took off driving on the top of the levee.  He said they used to report stuff out there but when they did they would find $1000s of damage to their diesel pump and other equipment out there so they sort of let it go.

Dave

[John Leidle]

   Hi Dave.
   My field is next door to the High School that the dropouts are sent to in order not to disrupt the actual students in the real high school. In other words the misfits attend it. So you may imagine whaat they do to my field during the school year.  I concidered setting roofing nails in varioues locations but I am sure the inocent people with their dogs would pick up the nails so I just put up .
    I'm starting to get my .76 to come in   thanks again for your help,  John L.

[Phil Krankowski]

I knew this story sounded familiar.  Are you still maintaining your extra circle near the road side ditch?

Phil

[Terrence Durrill]

      Please note......on the Crop Circles.......the aliens operate their spacecraft at night..usually between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m.  ....  .they can hover dead still, move instantly to speeds of  thousands of miles per hour and make 90 degree change of course at extreme speeds.  The only force known to interfere with their activities are certain frequencies of radar.  The small greys are especially wiley little bastards.  Good luck and good hunting.          

[Dave_Trible]

I knew this story sounded familiar.  Are you still maintaining your extra circle near the road side ditch?

Phil

No I haven't.  I might try it again.  Bad thing is the road I made to get back to the circle is now a known pathway for all the party people traveling over the levee to do whatever on the other side.  The circle isn't a secret really anymore.  Still maybe another target might help.  The weeds over there are waist high.

Dave

[Dave_Trible]

   Hi Dave.
   My field is next door to the High School that the dropouts are sent to in order not to disrupt the actual students in the real high school. In other words the misfits attend it. So you may imagine whaat they do to my field during the school year.  I concidered setting roofing nails in varioues locations but I am sure the inocent people with their dogs would pick up the nails so I just put up .
    I'm starting to get my .76 to come in   thanks again for your help,  John L.

Yes I've gotten used to a certain amount of patch work and for the most part they've never figured out the outer 15 ft. donut is the most critical area.  However they tear up where I stand a lot and you never realize how critical the feel of the turf under you is while flying.  You never get your feet set quite right for maneuvers and stumble around while walking around.  Maybe someday we can put a pad out there and find a way they won't tear that up.  I don't really think any of these kids even know what the circle is for.  Not a clue.  Just something to tear up that doesn't belong to them.  The farmer said he thought these are kids of 'entitlement'.  Fairly new and expensive vehicles.  Glad your .76 is working-  I think it's the best and won't be looking to change.  One just needs to understand that it's not entirely like other engines and likes to be run differently.  I think others who may have tried it and didn't like it were trying to use it in ways the motor isn't happy.  Sort of like a wife- a happy wife is a happy home......

[Randy Cuberly]

 Sitting in the weeds with a pellet gun.... Now there's an idea...I'm thinking these must be new jacka$$&.  The one whose truck rolled and burnt to ashes last fall surely wouldn't be back for more.

Dave

PELLET GUN?...Naw...22-250...deadly and NO Ballistic evidence.  Just lots of little shrapnel and a Big Hole!!!

Randy Cuberly

[Motorman]

Sorry for your trouble. The first thing you really need for a place like that is fencing.


MM

[Air Ministry .]

Motion Sensor and a big bag of PINK dye on a Catapult ! ,

or maybe just a catapult & a snare .



They just think its a oil dereck .

Sign ' Free Flight Trips for Trespassers ' ,

[Clint Ormosen]

This kind of fence is fairly cheap and deters cars very well. (The pole and cable, not the split rail in the background)

[Dave_Trible]

This kind of fence is fairly cheap and deters cars very well. (The pole and cable, not the split rail in the background)

Clint I like that and think it may be the best for us.  Unfortunately unless the city would pay for it I'd have to cover it all myself.  I roughly figured it out when we first cleared the land and it seems like the cheapest without cable was near $2500.  I've got way too much invested now including a lawn tractor and trailer to groom the place.  The city allowed us the use of the area because they had no money to develop it.  Another factor might be that when they DO mow the area its with a large tractor/ field mower.  They may balk because they couldn't get their equipment inside.   May go chat with them about it.

Dave

[Phil Krankowski]

Field fence with t-posts might be adequate.  About $1 per ft if you do the work yourself, fencing and posts.  Use long posts so there is a gap under the fence to clean up with a whip trimmer.  A piece of chain between some wooden posts at the driveway too. 

Having security in place will deter people from messing around.  The question is will it deter these people. 

Another option is to talk to tree service people about getting pole to make a fence like pictured.  Then it is largely digging.  Tree services often have more "junk" wood than can be dealt with.  The downside is untreated wood will rot in a few years.  The upside is the cost may be very low or "free"   I know I can get soft maple for nothing by asking.  The city may be on board with this too.

Heck, a couple quality posts with a chain and lining your road with log pole may be an adequate barrier.  Use stuff too large to simply drive over in a slightly modified truck.  Use the ditch to your advantage.

Phil

[Bob Reeves]

Man that really sucks.. If you have a tractor you could borrow or rent a 3 point auger. Very possible the farmer across the street has one. A bunch of used telephone poles and a chain saw would take care of the posts. Place them around the circle wide enough for a rider mower but not wide enough for a car. Use the dirt you get out of the holes to fill in the divots.

A gofundme page with letting everyone in the CL community know about it might bring in enough to buy the telephone poles. I would donate a few bucks to help you out.

[Randy Cuberly]

Man that really sucks.. If you have a tractor you could borrow or rent a 3 point auger. Very possible the farmer across the street has one. A bunch of used telephone poles and a chain saw would take care of the posts. Place them around the circle wide enough for a rider mower but not wide enough for a car. Use the dirt you get out of the holes to fill in the divots.

A gofundme page with letting everyone in the CL community know about it might bring in enough to buy the telephone poles. I would donate a few bucks to help you out.

Not a bad idea!  I too would throw in a little cash to help you guys!

Randy Cuberly

[Dave_Trible]

Great suggestions and thanks guys!  I guess the first thing is to see how open the park director is to planting anything permanent out there.  Waiting to hear back on my call to him.  Likely will just need to go pay a visit.  I sort of think Kevin (son in law) said he had or had access to a gas post hole digger.  We'd do the work if they'd let us and we could obtain the supplies.  I calculate 106 posts!  85' R , set 5' apart.

Dave

[Fredvon4]

I was relating this to my wife (who was mucho POed at us old guys militant escapade)

She reminded me of another problem a few years later.

We in this county, approved a large ($1.2M)bond package to build a very nice sports complex on 25 donated acres out of town about three miles..twin soccer fields, twin ball diamonds, concession stand, toilets, jungle gym, and lots of parking and lighting...

The soccer moms got tired of the local high school boys with their giant diesel trucks tearing up the acreage and doing donuts on the ball diamonds and soccer fields...The Sheriff got the message and designated one deputy to patrol it frequently at night

When the deputy caught the ruffians...they were prosecuted and fined the cost of all repairs and court costs...a big bunch of $$$$$ and our small town paper did a fair job of reporting

Funny how two of the butt heads were son's of prominent citizens...bet that dinner conversation was tense!

Public scrutiny and shame is all but dead in this country IF NOBODY is EVER HELD accountable!

[john e. holliday]

Well Dave I haven't been to the circle for a while.  Granddaughter thinks she owns my Suburban  Now it has heating problems.   Drove to the circle with the wife's car to see if it needed mowing and it looked like you had just mowed it.   I can help if I know when the work is to be done.   But do you think the brainless twits would stop at a utility pole sticking out of the ground about 3 foot with the other end 4 foot down?   Maybe the city/county could get us old railroad ties to sink into the ground.   As stated we only need enough space to drive the mower through or one spot wide enough with chain and lock.  I have a gas trimmer for trimming around the posts.  Problem is how many posts and distance from center of circle.   The other question is how thick of a center pad do we need?  

I have a kit I will put up if you would like to have a raffle to raise funds.   City/county just might go with matching funds.   Of course I heard when the radio club moved their site at Shawnee Mission Park the county gave no monetary support,  just the land.

Just read Fredvont's post,  he has an idea.

[Dave_Trible]

John I believe Kev is going to start working it this weekend- may rain tomorrow...I'm working but may drive out on lunch to check him out.  You might go keep him company.  It took awhile but I found the center stone under about 3" of dirt.  Very little grass left in the infield.  His scrapper will peel off what's left.   I may go hastle the park director tomorrow.

[Steve Helmick]

The perfect solution: A running chainsaw and a hockey mask!  Steve

[Curare]

Dickheads; a worldwide phenomenon.

We ended up having to shift our last RC field becuase of dickheads on dirt bikes, ripping up the field, and even showering flyers in dirt WHILE they were flying.

[Motorman]

If you had some big telephone poles to lay down around the area that would stop most trucks. Allot less work than cutting pole pieces and digging holes.

MM

[Dave_Trible]

Dickheads; a worldwide phenomenon.

We ended up having to shift our last RC field becuase of dickheads on dirt bikes, ripping up the field, and even showering flyers in dirt WHILE they were flying.


[/quote That's terrible.  But at least they'd show their faces and maybe could be challenged.  Your name for them is apt!

Dave

[Dave_Trible]

If you had some big telephone poles to lay down around the area that would stop most trucks. Allot less work than cutting pole pieces and digging holes.

MM

Yes it would stop that problem.  Just don't have any.  We couldn't move them anyway.  Big boulders also could work.  The city brought a pile of th to the other end of the park on the spring for purposes unknown.  Another problem possibly with these ideas is if you look at the photos it's very rustic out there and yards from the Kansas River.  In fact the field itself is pure sandy loam river bottom and was obviously underwater perhaps centuries ago until something restricted the river.  That's why it tears up so easily. The potential of snakes under the poles or rocks might be great- although all I've seen so far was a blue racer that charged the mower and lost when I mowed the decoy field.  But cottonmouth, copperheads and even rattlers aren't outside the realm of possibility.  I think we need something we can keep clean cut and pretty open.

[Chris Keller]

Spike strips and bear mace. Problem solved.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Phil Krankowski]

How deep is the roadside ditch?  Is the drive on a culvert?  If the ditch is deep realistically you might "get away" with securing the drive apron with a pull off space and not the whole field.  Securing the whole field could come after the drive is secured IF there is limited access due to terrain.

Phil

[Air Ministry .]

Here unladen trucks use bleedy great cubes of concrette as ballast , sometimes . A trawl of truck / junk / scrap yards migh find something usefull .
Concrette pillars with telephone poles through above ground could be usefull .

Throwing Ballast under boulders should make no snake cavities , if theres free boulders .A bit of thought ' which way up ' would minimise overhang anyway .

[Dave_Trible]

How deep is the roadside ditch?  Is the drive on a culvert?  If the ditch is deep realistically you might "get away" with securing the drive apron with a pull off space and not the whole field.  Securing the whole field could come after the drive is secured IF there is limited access due to terrain.

Phil

There is absolutely no ditch.  The whole area for 1 x2 miles is as flat as a pool table.  The only deviation is the river levee which rises around eight feet running the length of the river valley on the west.  The drive in is down a gravel road cut through 10' tall corn.  Imagine a flying circle out in the middle of a big open desert which nothing blocking from any side and you have a pretty good picture- big sky wide open for drive in entry from anywhere.  

[Dave_Trible]

I found this photo of Doc on the tractor mowing the circle last fall.  The tree line you see is actually about 3/4 mile away.  A railroad track runs along the base of those trees.  You can see BOTH ends of a mile long train at the same time from the circle.  That area is actually it's own small incorporated town.

[Dave_Trible]

...

[Dan Berry]

There is absolutely no ditch.  The whole area for 1 x2 miles is as flat as a pool table.  The only deviation is the river levee which rises around eight feet running the length of the river valley on the west.  The drive in is down a gravel road cut through 10' tall corn.  Imagine a flying circle out in the middle of a big open desert which nothing blocking from any side and you have a pretty good picture- big sky wide open for drive in entry from anywhere.  

I know some FF guys who would love to see that field.

[Brian Gardner]

Man that sux. I think most clubs/groups have experienced that from time to time.

[Dave_Trible]

Yes!  FF would love it in the early spring or late fall after harvest.  Right now it's tall corn and soy beans.  A down airplane would be very hard to find.  I may fly my Korda Wakefield and an old timer some late this fall. 

Dave

[Dave_Trible]

Man that sux. I think most clubs/groups have experienced that from time to time.

Yes many have had problems and it's always out of control teenagers or someone with a grudge.  I know I would have never done anything like this-I would be far too afraid of what my Dad would have done to me.  Been better off going to jail!  No respect-no fear,  these kids.

Dave

[Dan Berry]

Yes!  FF would love it in the early spring or late fall after harvest.  Right now it's tall corn and soy beans.  A down airplane would be very hard to find.  I may fly my Korda Wakefield and an old timer some late this fall. 

Dave

We have trackers. Crops aren't all that bad. 1 x 2 miles clear would be real nice.

[Phil Krankowski]

Ya got your work cut out for you. 

Phil

[john e. holliday]

This is one big area of open space along the Kaw river.   Yes there is a levee that people drive over to go mushroom hunting or to go fishing.   I had some stop and talk to me about my models and the flying.  Those people use the same drive we use, but continue on up over the levee or park at the base of it.  In fact one gentleman stated he did run a couple of nit wits off one evening as he was driving in to go fishing.  The old utility poles set up 4 foot apart around the 80 foot line of the circle would be great if deep enough that they won't give when ran into and tall enough you can't drive over them.   But like the old asphalt the city tears up when getting ready to repave the streets is used for something else.   Haven't found out yet for what.   But I see stacks of the old railroad ties that have just been replaced laying by the tracks.   How many would it take to do the circle?   I also wonder what they do with the old utility poles that are replaced.

Now how thick does the center pad have to be to with stand what these brainless twits would try to do to it.  Also the diameter.  Is 5 foot dia. big enough?   Is it safe to have it extend a couple of inches above the ground to allow for settling?

[Bob Reeves]

Do a Google search for used telephone poles, talk to the utility companies in your area, get the maintenance guy and tell him the story. Been a few years ago but I once had the maintenance guy have a crew come out and install a telephone pole for a CB antenna and didn't cost me a cent. Never hurts to ask.

[Dave_Trible]

Took three stops around town but I tracked down the Park Director.  He said he'd been out to the field the day I called him.  There isn't much he can do to get the cops out there to patrol more but he is open to us putting up barriers- he even suggested the boulders as cheaper than posts.  I also asked about us putting in a concrete center pad- again not opposed but said he needed to talked to the city attorney about it all.  I may have to sign some agreements.  He suggested I go ahead and seek the finances and get back with him.....

Dave

[Eric Viglione]

That stinks Dave, sorry it's happening again.

I wish I had a magic bullet for you... I dunno... maybe you could put up a sign that says the field is under surveillance... you don't have to actually install a camera, just the sign could be a deterrent... and it is technically under surveillance, every time you go and take a pic or the cops drive by... nobody said it was 24hrs...heh heh.

See study from Cornell... it seems they do work:

http://evidencebasedliving.human.cornell.edu/2014/10/03/does-video-surveillance-deter-crime/

http://www.stopsignsandmore.com/images/Product/medium/1353.gif

EricV