Question: I recently struck 5 stakes placed along the taxiway edge and airpark tenant’s property line (so snow plows won’t damage his grass).

Covenants at the airpark state no shrubbery or trees should be planted less than 45 feet from the centerline of the taxiway. His were placed approximately 15 feet from the centerline. The covenants don’t say anything about stakes.

Who should pay for the damage to my Mooney? Me or the homeowner? The homeowner says it’s the pilot’s responsibility to see and avoid all obstacles as stated in the FARs. He basically shut down the taxiway and I couldn’t stop quick enough to avoid hitting them.

Thought you folks might have some ideas for me.

Thanks Dennis

P.S – AOPA directed me to your web site.

Answer: Unfortunately, it appears to me if you and your fellow resident can’t resolve this amicably between yourselves it will be necessary to consult an attorney to satisfy your situation.

I am not an attorney and certainly am not qualified to comment on the legal aspects of your disagreement. However, common sense makes it seems to me there probably is some negligence on both sides and you should find a way to get the issue resolved without having to resort to hiring attorneys or taking other legal steps.

With Spring just around the corner, maybe it’s time for you to take a good look at the condition of the runway and taxiways and other related facilities at your residential airpark.

Far too often maintenance and normal upkeep is put on the back burner during the winter months. That’s especially true in areas where the property gets buried in snow or other inclement weather. With that time situation, flying is often down and the net result is that problems with the runway and taxiway are missed.

Here’s a quick checklist to get your airpark into top shape for the upcoming increase in flying weather and related flying activities:

1. Read the full story

Homeland Security has been much more aggressive in the last year in its attempts to control more and more aspects of general aviation.

First there was the proposed rulings pertaining to aircraft over 12,500 pounds. Next the agency has been coming up with new requirements for pilots and airplane owners at airports with airline operations and finally the onerous agency actions related to those wanting to fly their own aircraft to and from Canada.

General Aviation News, AOPA and EAA recently have all published information about these issues and they all deserve prompt attention from pilots.

With all these attempts to “keep the country safe” by placing more and more restrictions on general aviation I fear it won’t be too much longer before the agency comes after residential airparks with attempts to limit actions and make flying more inconvenient. Read the full story

East Naples (Florida) resident, J. Miller wrote into the Naples Daily News wondering, “Why is private airpark allowed to operate?” The airpark in question is Wing South Airpark.

Tim Aten provides a very reasoned response to J. Miller’s, perhaps uninformed, questions. Better yet, the reader comments that follow speak out very much in favor the airpark specifically and aviation in general.

Click here to read the full story.

Three people were injured Saturday, Oct. 13, when an RV-8 and a car
collided at Old Boerne Stage Airfield near San Antonio, Texas, a Bexar County Sheriff’s Office
sergeant reported in a story posted by the San Antonio (Texas) Express-News. The accident occurred about 10:30 am.

The driver of the vehicle, a woman, 33, was crossing a runway when she
collided with a single-passenger plane that was preparing to take off,
Sgt. Tom Akeroyd said. The 54-year-old pilot and the woman were airlifted to University Hospital.

The woman’s 6-year-old son, a passenger in the vehicle, was also taken
to the hospital by a family member, officers said.

Akeroyd said the car’s driver lives in a house on the airfield grounds
and is the daughter of its owners, identified in property records as
Robert and Nancy Bruce.

An NTSB preliminary report posted on Oct 14 reads as follows:

"This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

"On October 13, 2007, about 1045 central daylight time, a single-engine Formhals RV-8 tailwheel-equipped experimental airplane, N628RV, was substantially damaged during a collision with an automobile during takeoff from the Boerne Stage Field Airport (5C1), near San Antonio, Texas. The private pilot and the occupants of the automobile were seriously injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.

"According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, who responded to the accident site, approximately 555-feet along the pilot’s takeoff roll from Runway 17, an automobile attempted to cross the runway. The pilot was unable to avoid the automobile which resulted in a collision. The airplane came to rest in an upright position. A post crash fire did not ensue. The pilot and automobile driver were air lifted to a local hospital.

"Photographs provided to the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) revealed that the airplane’s wings and fuselage sustained structural damage."

There are a number of airparks or fly-in communities around the country that allow cars on the taxiways. In a very few instances there have been problems with the two vehicles being on the same piece of pavement at the same time. The result is a collision.

One airpark has developed a warning light system so operators of cars will know when an aircraft is on the taxiway.

We use our CTAF (5 clicks to turn on, 7 off) to activate a rotating red beacon warning people not to open the electric access gate when the light is flashing. On the airport side, there’s a large railroad crossing style red light that homeowners look at to see if it’s safe to pull out of their driveways (taxiways) onto the runway (common road). The process of educating – reminding service people (UPS, propane truck, etc.) and other visitors is constant.

Our most serious problem remains unauthorized landings by people who see the numbers on our runway and can’t resist. Of course, these people don’t know about the light system. This doesn’t happen too often, but there have been a couple of close calls with vehicles.

For any who may be interested, Ramsey Electronics markets an inexpensive pilot controlled lighting receiver and switch.

The homeowners’ association says they are developing a set of rules, with explanatory FAQ’s, regarding the safety and right-of-way policies. It’s intended for the property owners – both pilots and non-pilots.

If you’ve tried any warning methods or are thinking about something, add your comments.

What’s the safety record for residential airparks? That’s a frequent question I’m asked at forums and in other conversations.

“On August 30, 1996 at 8:25 pm (CDT) a Swift, while taxiing at night after landing, was struck by a 12-year-old boy who was riding a mini bike on the taxiway…

“The pilot of the Swift reported that he landed on runway 09 and rolled out to the east mid-field taxiway. The aircraft made a left onto the cross taxiway and then entered the north taxiway and proceeded westbound. The pilot reported that an Arrow was on final approach for landing to runway 09 so he turned off the Swift’s landing lights so as not to blind the pilot. The pilot reported that he left the Swift’s position lights on. The pilot reported that seconds after the Arrow had passed behind the Swift he felt a collision with something. He shut down the engine and gout out to investigate. He reported that he discovered a 12-year-old boy and an unlighted mini bike under the aircraft…

“A witness reported that the boy had been at a friend’s house on the west end of the field. The boy was returning home on his unlighted 3.5 hp mini bike. He was wearing a helmet with a full face, clear plastic visor.

“The mini bike collected with the airplane on the center of the taxiway. The mini bike traveled underneath the aircraft’s left wing root area. The boy did about two hours later.”The examination of the accident site indicated the airplane’s engine cowling was dented above the engine exhaust stack. There were impact marks proceeding along the belly of the aircraft near the left wing root.”

Additional information in the report indicated the airpark rules had no prohibition concerning the use of bikes or motor bikes on the taxiway at night. There was also no rule concerning the use of landing lights while taxiing at night.

LIVING WITH YOUR PLANE
Airpark Self-Certification Security Plan
Elements of an Airpark
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A residential airpark is a wonderful place to live, bring up a family and enjoy the convenience of living with your airplane, whether that is for business or pleasure.
But, even as it provides great peace of mind for most residents of the airparks, the facility is often misunderstood and confused by those unfamiliar with this type of living. Unfortunately, the end result of this lack of understanding can be suspicion, fear and attempts to invoke unnecessary controls.
Read the full story

Has your airpark suffered any accidents or incidents?
These situations can be minor ones – scraping a wing tip against a bush or fence. Or, it can be a major issue like a loss of engine on takeoff resulting in a crash and fatalities. Or, perhaps anything in between.
A Living With Your Plane subscriber suggests that the airpark on which he lives has had far too many mishaps.
He explains that FAA officials with whom he has spoken complain that accidents often don’t get reported from private airparks because there’s no one “official” to see and report a mishap.
Read the full story