Flying Site Assistance
A Success Story
I want to share the following from Dick Pettit about a dedicated effort that resulted in a positive result.
The Burlington-Alamance Radio Kontrol Society (BARKS) in North Carolina obtained and developed county landfill property into a very nice flying site known as CopperHead Field. The following comes from reports of two meetings with county commissioners detailing the acquisition of the landfill and the lease agreement. The club newsletter, BARKS News, featured measures the club needed to take to keep the site.
In our initial proposal to the commissioners, we were required to submit information about the club and our intended use of the site. We needed to provide club information, proof of insurance, club bylaws, and financial responsibility. We proposed to fly during daylight hours only, daily, weekends, and holidays. A Statement of Public Approval was needed, so a hearing was scheduled and results posted.
Listing the improvements we wanted to make on the property, we submitted to the commissioners the following:
- We would need a runway, pit area, and parking lot.
- Red fill dirt and topsoil was to be added to the area. We estimated 40-60 dump truck loads of dirt would be needed.
- A licensed contractor would provide all materials and labor; costs would be paid by BARKS.
- We would need to level the new topsoil for a proper base for the proposed runway and pit area.
- Grass seed and fertilizer would be applied by BARKS for the runway and pit area.
- Buildings would be added at a later date. Foundations could be either a full concrete pad or perimeter footings above ground, costs to be paid by BARKS.
- The existing roadway inside the landfill will be suitable without further modification or additions.
- A portable toilet would be installed and maintained by a licensed professional.
- A barrier between the pit area and parking lot would need to be installed, possibly using above-ground uprights with rope or chain. If allowed, shrubbery could be planted.
Typical traffic anticipated in the area would include 10-15 passenger vehicles per weekday, possibly 20-30 passenger vehicles per weekend day. During several scheduled events each year, increased traffic would be a definite possibility, including passenger cars with small trailers. Larger vehicles, such as trucks or tractor-trailers, would need access on a limited basis, such as fill-dirt delivery or maintenance of the portable toilet facilities.
We assured the committee of our attention to potential noise. A standard method of measurement of the sound produced by the model airplanes would be used. We noted that sound level is measured at 25 feet from each model; at greater distances the sound-pressure level would be substantially lower and, in most cases, would be too low to measure.
We addressed the issue of security by announcing that access to the site would be through the existing locked gate located on Alfred Road, using a combination lock installed on the gate. The lock combination would be given to paid BARKS members and others such as maintenance personnel as necessary. Control of access would be maintained by BARKS club officers. Policing the area is to be an ongoing responsibility of all BARKS members.
Our petition to lease the property was approved in June 2003. During the next eight months, we prepared the field by cleaning the property, hauling in topsoil, grading, seeding, building a shed and safety fence, hauling in rock, and installing a portable toilet. CopperHead continues to be a learning experience. The need to get rules in place to assure we operate within appropriate guidelines is obvious. One objective is to protect BARKS' relationship with the county and be good neighbors in the community.
The locked gate is necessary. Unfortunately, the public does not usually display good manners or good judgment at landfills—even if they have been closed for 20 years. If they find the gate open, they will deposit trash or otherwise vandalize the property. That has been the county's problem in the past; it is now our problem.
The county has imposed some restrictions that seem a little extreme at first, such as the matter of not making a practice of roaming over the entire landfill. If you must go exploring, make sure you have an airplane to bring back.
The environment is unusually sensitive due to the lack of controls at the landfill more than 20 years ago. State and federal laws impose strict regulations on the county. The county cannot have us aggravating those circumstances. Hopefully, our presence will help soften those conditions.
We have a situation where we seem to have much latitude with our neighbors. Most of them expected worse than us when they moved into the area. We owe it to them to do the best we can to be good neighbors. Having a guest sitting at the gate blowing his horn would be one example of not being a good neighbor.
The overall problem is that we find ourselves in the position where we are very vulnerable to intentionally malicious acts of individuals. Hopefully, no one will intentionally try to ruin our efforts and deprive us of all we have worked to achieve. Probably the only defense we have for dealing with this situation is to put in place a plan to deal with such an offender before it happens.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
