We got BUSTED!

[Clint Ormosen]

 Well, not really, but sort of. I have been using the local H.S. field to sport fly for about 10 years now. We don't go there alot, maybe twice a month during the spring and summer. Nobody ever said a word about it. Sometimes folks might even stop to watch for a few minuets.
 However, today someone complained! Just as we were finishing up,a city cop showed up and explained that they received a noise complaint. He was actually on our side and told the "complaintant" that what we were doing could not be considered a noise violation because it really wasn't that loud. (we did have mufflers). But the fact that we didn't have written permission to use the field was the reason we had to leave. His suggestion was to ask the school principal for the OK and then fly there just to annoy the little 'ol biddy across the street.
 The fine for a tresspassing violation is $150, which he wasn't even considering writing. Good thing since I mentioned the hordes of people that use the school field for dog walking, kite flying, jogging, ect.. and that they all could be cited for the same thing.

After he left us, I watched the officer drive over to a house across the street and talk to the owner. So now I know who ratted us out too.   

[Mike Scholtes]

Serves you right, you anti-social miscreant! How dare you disturb the peace of your neighbor! Well, that's how s/he sees it, anyway.

I had one of those in Palo Alto, a bitter old guy who loved to call the police on anybody and everybody who appeared to be enjoying themselves. Of course he called the cops when we flew in the schoolyard adjoining his house (and my house, but I guess that doesn't count). He called the cops on me once for making excessive noise riding my Flexy Flyer (sled on wheels kind of thing) going over the cracks in the sidewalk. I am quite the outlaw in Palo Alto's crime records from the 1960's.

From my perspective today, can't say I would care for an unmuffled CL model being flown 200 feet from my house. Anyhow, get some practice somehow and get up to Woodland next weekend!

[Paul Taylor]

Could try a electric super clown just to see if she rats you out again.

[Joe Messinger]

A friend of mine  (Bob) from NJ got back into c/l flying several years ago.  He got permission to fly his planes at a nearby ball field. Initially, he had problems with dizziness so his routine was to park his truck near the field, get out and walk around in some tight circles for a few minutes while looking up and holding out his right arm.  It helped eliminate most of the dizziness when he flew the plane.

One morning, a female jogger trotted by the ball field while Bob was warming up for some flying.   She stopped when she saw him, watched for a few seconds then ran away. In a few minutes, two police cars arrived and three officers cautiously approached Bob.  They were pretty sure they had some type of lunatic to deal with.  Bob had some explaining to do but after showing the officers his plane and equipment they all had a good laugh.  The officers even stayed long enough to watch Bob fly a few laps and do some stunts.

Bob said he never saw the lady jogger again.

Joe

[James Mills]

Several years back my brother in law and I were flying 1/2a's (hadn't got into the bigger stuff at that point) at a ball field in a local park and had a lady call the police on us for noise (the lawn mowers and loud music I guess were okay).  The police officer was very cool with it when he saw what we were doing and said we were not doing anything against illegal and that she would have to get over it.

James

[Steve Scott]

We lost our field a couple of years ago which we had used for over 10 years.  We were on the campus of a technical college but there were some homes on the other side of the fence about a block and a half away.  We always had good relations with the neighbors and they'd come out to watch us fly.  Then the family from "down under" moves in and immediately lodges complaints against us, against the school's auto repair shop, against the nearby full scale airport.  You name it, they complained.  They even complained we were flying our airplanes "over" their house.  This was a dedicated CL field and we had strict muffler compliance with 90db @ 9 feet.  You know the type - they purchase a home next to an airport then complain they don't like living next to an airport.

We had many meetings with the school officials, city council and the neighbors.  For a while, we settled on a compromise where we would only fly on Sundays and Wednesday evenings.  That lasted for a few years then the neighbor started complained every Monday and Thursday morning.  They even forced the school to erect an expensive fence to keep the trash from the school from "blowing" into their yard.

The school was very happy to have us there as we kept that portion of their campus nicely maintained and our presence cut down on vandalism.  Eventually the school got tired of dealing with the neighbor and we were told at the end of our annual agreement it would not be renewed.

The killer was that no one from our club resided in that city so we had very little leverage.  We found another site due to the relationship of AMA and EPA where there are literally no houses within sight.  We adjoin an active railroad marshalling yard some there is always some noise.

[Arlan McKee]

If I ever receive a ticket for a noise violation while flying with muffled engines I would call the police and complain every single time I heard anyone within earshot crank a weedeater or any other 2-cycle-powered-whatever. I would call and complain when at 11:00 at night I can still hear the ping of the bats and the screams of the crowd at the NUMEROUS dedicated ballfields around town, probably hosting a tournament of out-of-towners helping to spend my tax contribution and taking up all the parking spaces at the park from dawn until midnight. We have bounced around on several parcels of public land over the years until we wound up with a pretty good site at one of the larger parks. It has a couple of nice ballfields with nice concession and restroom facilities, which we can't use unless they are playing ball, and maybe 30 or 40 acres of open flat grass with a couple of lakes. We have a verbal agreement with the director of the park services that was contingent upon our agreement not to fly RC. Soccer is the root of all evil but RC park flyers run a close second. They will be the ones that ruin it for us. Right now the park service understands that Controline is done in a confined space. We don't fly over anyone. They kicked out the RC club and closed their dedicated field 16 or 17 years ago when one of their flyaways flew into a garage where a pregnant woman was standing.  One guy that owns a park flyer sees another guy flying one and then he thinks it's ok.

Don't get the impression that I am against organized sports(except soccer) or RC and certainly not weedeaters. I guess that I am for a true freedom that just does not exist in this country anymore. Alot of people cry freedom, but most would rather make a law that forces you to see it their way. I have as much right to use that public land as anyone wearing a ball uniform or walking a dog. I have as much right to crank my engine as you do to crank your weedeater. I will not be run off. A cop may give me a citation, that's his right, but a judge will have to tell me to stop, and maybe explain to me why my noise is different from anyone else's.

[Paul Smith]

The whole concept of "school property" is mind-boggling.

Seeing as the citizens, voters, and taxpayers furnish the money to buy the thing......

"Trespassing" ??

As the writer mentioned, in off-school hours, school yards are free-fire zones for any recreational use. 

[phil c]

Pennsylvania has passed an interesting law a few years ago.  School districts HAVE to accomodate any reasonable off-hours use of school property for recreational use.  They can put some restrictions on, like no RC flying in limited areas, no interference with school activities, insurance  requirements, etc, but basically they have to accomodate things like CL flying, RC cars, skate boards, frisbee golf, touch football, kites etc.

[Michael Boucher]

No trepassing signs are all over Long Island school yards.  Just keep paying your taxes.....

[john e. holliday]

The school lot I use once in awhile at the end of my street has put up signs that state: "Use by written permission only".
At the grade school where I do crossing duty I have already gotten oral permission from the principle.  Often I fly there only when no one else is there.  It seems that the little league coaches think they need the whole area for practice.  There is enough room for 4 ball diamonds.  Have fun,  DOC Holliday