Clubs on public land charging club fees to fly

[serpentracer]

so the Hawks flying site is fantastic. everyone was so laid back. not what I expected. no one was super uppity about the rules and just had fun being there. no one asked to see my membership, or AMA card etc. even though they have never seen me there. one guy showed up with a 120" turbo bushmaster. thing is amazing. he had me hold it for him and he only gave it 1/4 throttle and it literally hurt my legs. the picture doesn't do it justice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxOR0mPysR8

[Evan D]

There’s no federal land around me but lots of off limit state property. Believe me I’ve been kicked out of it many times.

[serpentracer]

oh and I went flying in a park today. call the FAA!!!

[serpentracer]

You know what I don’t like? I ride dirt bikes, trail bikes that are street legal. But I can’t ride on any of the public land around here. It’s all marked public land or state owned, no trespassing.

YES YOU CAN. there is Federal land all around you. you can literally camp, ride dirtbikes, ride SXSs, shoot guns etc. my family does it all over in Kentucky close to Knoxville in the national forests around there. if you see a sign at an intersection of a road that's brown with white numbers and begins with FD-XXXX that's a national forest road(usually gravel) through federal land. look up all the rules. its free to use the land that road is on. we learned about all of it through camping sites.
for example, https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-b...ou-go/shooting
riding dirtbikes, https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-b...ehicle-touring

oh look at this, flying unmanned aircraft...https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire/aviation/uas

[kallend]

You know what I don’t like? I ride dirt bikes, trail bikes that are street legal. But I can’t ride on any of the public land around here. It’s all marked public land or state owned, no trespassing.

I skydive but I can't jump into the local park that my taxes pay for. It's a disgrace. What is this country coming to? </sarcasm>

[Evan D]

You know what I don’t like? I ride dirt bikes, trail bikes that are street legal. But I can’t ride on any of the public land around here. It’s all marked public land or state owned, no trespassing.

[Evan D]

I understand.

[serpentracer]

Ok so you went to fly and you weren’t a member. Got it. Dude there are rules in life that you’ll need to abide by, get used to it.

it just strikes me as ironic they get to put a club on land I pay for and charge me to come there. I can literally stand outside their field and fly in the park field behind them for free.

[Evan D]

Ok so you went to fly and you weren’t a member. Got it. Dude there are rules in life that you’ll need to abide by, get used to it.

[serpentracer]

Do you think said public flying field can require AMA membership? Not to mention TRUST and FAA registration. Will said park apply to be a FRIA or if not require a beacon?

You think in the AMA bylaws??? Sounds like you’re just making things up… still.

We take it serious because the FAA, our county people and others do. Plus people do donuts on our field, trash the place and steal stuff. If your not going there to fly, and no one is there why are you going?

because no one else had a free saturday? I went to the boat lake and to hawks flying field yesterday and no one was at either site. I'm a member of the boat lake but I wanted to fly a plane at this new (to me) site but it has a chain so you can't even park in the entrance if you wanted to. it's such a nice weekend. oh well. I sent my membership order in but it's going to be a while to get a key.

https://www.hawksrc.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZsW7BVqvj0

[Evan D]

Do you think said public flying field can require AMA membership? Not to mention TRUST and FAA registration. Will said park apply to be a FRIA or if not require a beacon?

You think in the AMA bylaws??? Sounds like you’re just making things up… still.

We take it serious because the FAA, our county people and others do. Plus people do donuts on our field, trash the place and steal stuff. If your not going there to fly, and no one is there why are you going?

[serpentracer]

Pretty sure the AMA doesn’t say that… The AMA doesn’t really have control of club fields, just the one in Muncie.

I believe I read in the AMA bylaws it says to be a AMA flying site the club has to allow guests and non members that's why it's listed under their field information. I'm not looking to fly for free at a club to bypass their yearly dues. I'd just like access to come in when no one else is there instead of a chained off entrance. I'm also a member of a Boat club and the park ranger showed up yesterday because I forgot to call them. not sure why they take this stuff so serious.

[serpentracer]

Paying taxes does not entitle anyone to unlimited access to taxpayer funded facilities.

I can't, for example, demand unlimited access to all USAF or USN bases just because my taxes go to pay for national defense. Or have a picnic in the White House Rose Garden.

The entire argument is silly and simply showwcases the entitlement attitude of many Americans.

we are talking about public parks. PUBLIC is the magic word. these guys are flying at a public park that has a flying field. he says in the video anyone can pull up there and fly. this is how they should be on tax payer funded parks in my opinion. there's no entitlement going on here since my paycheck funds the park.

also, keep in mind your AMA membership dues help support the flying fields with things such as disaster relief, grants as well as helping keep the cost of the club's insurance down. so technically i'm paying the club 2 ways to fly there as a guest and 3 times as a member...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRe385lgf_I&t

here's a rc track close to me. funded by tax payers and open to everyone. the way it should be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2evZo3pQWYg

[Grossman56]

Paying taxes does not entitle anyone to unlimited access to taxpayer funded facilities.

I can't, for example, demand unlimited access to all USAF or USN bases just because my taxes go to pay for national defense. Or have a picnic in the White House Rose Garden.

The entire argument is silly and simply showwcases the entitlement attitude of many Americans.

Yep, I agree, I for instance, have to comply to FAA rules now and yet I can't fly from our local airport. I have to stay within the 400 foot ceiling and yet many is the time we've had our field 'buzzed' by full size aircraft in which case we either land if possible or get the hell out of his way.
I don't care if someone comes and flies at our field who is not a member, maybe it'll encourage them to join up, it's the ones that like to shoot up our buildings and let their dogs crap all over that get me P.O'd

Grossman56

[RRHandy]

Good post. So about public forums and being able to post anything you darn want to...

Yep, no matter what others think TOO.

[Evan D]

Good post. So about public forums and being able to post anything you darn want to...

[kallend]

Paying taxes does not entitle anyone to unlimited access to taxpayer funded facilities.

I can't, for example, demand unlimited access to all USAF or USN bases just because my taxes go to pay for national defense. Or have a picnic in the White House Rose Garden.

The entire argument is silly and simply showwcases the entitlement attitude of many Americans.

[Grossman56]

Ours is on BLM land. Our club charges $20 a year (?!) and we have a couple of fly In's per year to raise funds. We have a club house and permanent bathrooms as well as work benches, picnic tables, charging station and sun covers for the work benches. Every year the tarps that cover the tables must be replaced and the runway maintained (minimally) It all costs $$$ and though we don't stop people from flying at the field, which I guess legally we can't, we pay for the use of the land and are expected to remove the buildings and runway in the event that the club folds. Then where would all those who fly for free be ?? It would be so nice to have acreage to fence off and charge for admission, anyone want to come up with a few hundred thousand bucks??
Clubs need money to function, plain and simple.


Grossman56

[Evan D]

I don’t know but obviously I should be able to fly there during the ball game, right? I pay taxes too.

Would these same people expect to picnic on 1st base during a baseball game on a public park?

[Evan D]

Pretty sure the AMA doesn’t say that… The AMA doesn’t really have control of club fields, just the one in Muncie.