corn, cotton, soy beans? Doesn't the plane screw up the crops? What farmer allows you to do THAT???
Those were all off field landings in gliders. I did aproximately 46-48 of them in the 80s and 90s. All unplanned before takeoff.
Depends how far along the crop is. If you destroy crop, you typically owe the farmer the value.
I was never asked to pay a cent. Learned a couple of things about farms and farming along the way;
-Farm fields are typically worked by people other than the actual land owners. From VT, PA, NJ, NY to TX, MT, and CA, I never met the actual owner of any farm field I landed in,
ever.
- Farm fields are large relative to the landing track of a glider (or airplane). To the farmer, I just didn't hurt anything of significant value.
- Farmers are really helpful people. Most crop damage was done by the farmer and his friends driving thru the fields to find out what happened and to help me get out.
- Farmers are really helpful people. Even though it only takes my 5' wife and I 10 mins to disassemble a sailplane and put it in it's trailer, it's best to give everyone who shows up a job.
- Some fields are planted primarily for insurance - think unirrigated TX cotton fields. There's nothing to damage, it's just sham activity.
- The Amish are always on the most fertile land, in the most fertile valleys and have the most prosperous looking farms - good places to land. When they come out to see what happened, no damage is done and they will arrive on foot, possibly with horses and carts.
- All pastures suck, they are a crap shoot. Cows in pastures are curious, very curious. Cattle in pastures are curious and horny, very horny.
I guess that seems fair. So what costs more? Landing fee in JFK or farmer Bucks field of soy beans?
All landing fees are more $$$ than any farmers field.
Probably JFK for a small plane, you won't do that much damage as you stop really quickly once you go in.
Indeed you do! But it's always cheaper and less painful to stop slowly if you can. The plane and facial reconstruction are both pricier than corn.
Plus isn't it mostly the fuselage that does the majority of the damage? I've heard the wings tend to just bend the crops over during all but the initial touchdown (unless at really high speeds).
Hitting crops with your wings will do more $$$ damage to your wings than any crops. Avoid geese.