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Ideas for "gifts" to owners of private strips
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2004 1:13 am
by Kyle Wolfe
We've enjoyed dropping in on a few of the local private grass strips. I'm thinking that it might be nice to have a small gift or something to hand the owner after landing. You know, something to just say "Thanks" for letting me use your strip, and for all the hard work and expense you go to for upkeep on the strip. Would be nice to have something aviation related.
I know that offerring to help mow, etc. is probably the best thing I can do.
I've looked through Sporty's and all the usual outlets, but am coming up dry for good ideas. Thought I'd ask what unique ideas you guys have had or used.
Kyle
GIFT FER ME :lol:
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2004 8:28 am
by flyguy
ONE OF THEM THER JONNY DEER TRAKTERS WITH A CAB AN AIR CONDITION AN A 15 FOOT BATWING MOWIN MACHINE ONNA BACK WILL DO REELY NICE! OR YOU CAN OFFER TU COME DOWN AN MOW A COUPLE OF TIMES DURIN THE SUMMER, SPECIAL WHEN IT IS A HUNNERT AN TEN OUT THERE!
Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2004 1:32 am
by zero.one.victor
A good high-speed low pass ( or as we call it,a "deer check") is usually appreciated by the airstrip owner,in my experience,but unfortunately that appreciation is NOT usually shared by his neighbors! ("Who was that sonofabitch.......?")
Eric
Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2004 5:43 pm
by Dave Clark
You talkin about Stuart Eric?
Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2004 11:30 pm
by Kyle Wolfe
Well thank god I bought a B so I can do a high speed pass!
Kyle
53B N1932C
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2004 1:44 am
by zero.one.victor
Dave Clark wrote:You talkin about Stuart Eric?
Among other places,Dave. Speaking of that,one just about got me on takeoff there at Stuart last summer--I still tremble thinking about it. There was a bunch of deer way down at the east end of the strip,no problem. Taking off east,another one came running out of the brush & across the runway right at me just as I was ALMOST to flying speed. I reefed back on the yoke & staggered off the ground,then looked down outa the pilot's window as the deer crossed under the airplane. Couldn't have cleared it by more than a foot or two. Had to do a little upholstery cleaning when I got back to PT.
Yee Haw!
Eric
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2004 2:56 pm
by Dave Clark
Eric
When the grass is green the deer will eat! I don't know if they're stupid, fearless or both. Manuel picked off one on landing a few years ago with his Mooney. No damage but a bloody mess. Hey it was even more fun before the runway was redone. Then we had a 60 foot runway with ditches on each side that grew grass long enough for them to hide in.
180hp=lower risk
Glad you made it
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2004 9:05 pm
by GAHorn
Lefty Gardner did me a real proper "deer check" a couple years ago in his P-38 "White Lightning". I was out mowing and heard the distinctive "ripping canvass" sound of twin Allisons, looked up and not 50 feet above me was an upside-down P-38 and an old fart grinnin' from ear-to-ear!
A more beautiful slow-roll I never saw. I loved it!
(I hope it gets restored.)
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 12:55 am
by Dave Clark
That would be VERY hard to beat for sure
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 2:09 am
by GAHorn
Tie-down ropes and chocks are always welcome when folks leave them at my strip.
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 12:37 pm
by JDH
Kyle, one thing you may want to do is take a nice picture of their field, from the air or your plane just sitting there and pretty on their field or just a very good shot of you and Beckey next to your plane, wiht a nice caption and mail it back to them with your coordinates for them to come and visit you at Owatonna.
I like to pin pictures of my friends' planes on my hangar walls.
JD
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 2:18 pm
by N1478D
Maybe a nice bottle of Merlot every once in a while with that picture?
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2004 10:30 pm
by 3958v
On the subject of deer we had a good one at the local airport the other week. One of our locals hit a deer while landing his Seneca. No damage to the Seneca amazingly but the deer was killed and did not make it off the runway. So after putting his plane back in the hangar pilot took his car out to the runway to drag the deer off and managed to hit another with his car. Needless to say the locals are becoming real warry of night opperations. Bill K
Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2004 3:45 pm
by zero.one.victor
We've got a lot of wetlands,real & political both,on and near our airport,so you might figure we'd have a real problem with birds. Luckily,we've got quite a few resident coyotes,they seem to keep the birds thinned out pretty good. I suspect they keep the deer population down too, I've only seen a couple deer on the field in the 8 or 9 years I've been based here. One was a dandy buck,I wouldn't mind seeing him again under different circumstances......
Eric
Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2004 9:40 pm
by GAHorn
I've mentioned this before in another thread, but I've killed several deer here on my ranch strip with airplanes. Fortunately I've never hurt the planes (usually hit them with a wheel.) Only what seems like a small bump put's 'em outa commission.
I've only hit them at night after a "buzz job" intended to run them off. I feel it actually just stirred them up.
The only real beneficial effort I've found has been to momentarily turn the landing lites off and back on. I believe they run in front of the airplane because that's the area lit up they can see. (Who among us wants to run full speed into the dark?) Momentarily turning the lites off, and back on finds they've changed direction when they realize the lit area is undependable/temporary or allows them to regain their vision towards the dark areas, where they immediately head off. You've got to be prepared, however, and have your finger near/on the switch.