Taxi across a road.

Shepherd

Shepherd

Final Approach
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Nov 24, 2012
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Hopewell Jct, NY
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Shepherd
I can't tell you how many years since I bumped into something "new" to me. I did an online search and didn't find an answer, so I put it out to you.
In the state of New York, is it legal to taxi an aircraft from a privately owned field straight across a public road in order to park it on your property?

Back story: My daughter and her family live in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of farm country, in the middle of New York State. Years ago, I got the farmer and his kids who owns the field across the road from my daughter's house, hooked on RC planes. Whenever my wife and I drive up I'll bring a couple of planes and both families get together and fly. Years ago he built a golf course quality 500' by 500' "runway" for the models. Two years ago I commented that I would love to fly up, but the nearest public use airport is 25 miles away and in terrible shape. Last year the model field grew to 2000' by 1000' feet. So now I fly up, give everyone a ride in the plane and then we fly models. The problem is that people driving past see the plane and think it's public playground. I've had people try to pry the doors off so little Heburt can sit in it. To protect the plane, I have to taxi it across to my daughter's place and hide it in the barn. The local Barney Fife is NOT happy, and has threatened me with the public pillory, but other than creating a public nuisance can't tell me what law I'm breaking. BTW we are 4 miles from the nearest neighbor and 12 miles outside town with a mountain between us and the town When I fly in no one even knows I'm there unless you drive past and see the plane, and the 4 or 5 cars an hour that go past are not really an issue.
 
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Till Barney finds something to charge you with, he can keep being upset, because the FAA isn't going to be of help to him, and most places what you are doing s legal.
 
I live in the middle of nowhere NY and I can't imagine the police (in our case NY State Police) caring about this for a second.

I guess if you are really worried about it. Shut it off, get out of the plane and push it across the road then fire it up again.

Out here there are more Amish buggies, farm equipment the odd stray cow and deer to worry about in the road than a quick plane crossing.
 
Does Officer Fife get upset when a a golf cart or a lawn tractor crosses the road?

How did Officer Fife even figure out you were doing this so that he knew to get mad about it?
 
Crossing the road (or even driving down it) probably isn't going to attract too much attention. People drive all sorts of machinery on rural roads. Now using the road itself for a runway might attract some untoward attention.

People drive planes over and on our roads all the time here, but it is an airpark :)


Maybe you should just put up some "Airplane Crossing" signs ...
 
In general, I'd think that you have the right to cross the road. Most of what I've seen of NY's aviation code is verbatim copies of the FARs, except as it specifically affects certain NY airports.

In the interest of keeping the peace, or the old addage "You can beat the wrap, but you can't beat the ride," is it feasible to use a gas power tow to move the a/c across the road rather than taxiing it? Failing that to simply push it?
 
I guess Barney just wants you to replace your tail number with:

smv-triangle-small.jpg


:)
 
Does New York have some sort of motor vehicle safety inspection where you have to have a decal somewhere, like the windshield?

My only experience was years ago in Texas. If you land a plane on a public road, or use a public road to taxi you can be cited for operating a motor vehicle on a public roadway without having a current vehicle safety inspection decal. If the decal on a car has expired, it is sort of like having a plane that is out of annual.

Like I said, this was probably 19, 20 years ago, and in Texas. But I have seen many ag planes using farm roads as runways.
 
DJTorrente said:
In the interest of keeping the peace, or the old addage "You can beat the wrap, but you can't beat the ride," is it feasible to use a gas power tow to move the a/c across the road rather than taxiing it? Failing that to simply push it?
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It would be ironic if that would actually pacify Barney since it would likely be a slower crossing and hence a greater hazard to vehicular traffic on the road.
 
That's a perplexing one. A quick search of the NY vehicle code indicates DOT compliance is all that is required for operation of a motor vehicle on public roadways. That could be problematic though. For daytime operations, I think just brake lights, mirrors and a bumper is what's needed. The bumper would be the most problematic.

Probably be easier to pull it across. I'm surprised Barney has nothing better to worry about.
 
Barney, it turns out, isn't even a police officer. He is an appointed, county (? not sure. it may only be local) "Safety Officer", whatever that is. Apparently he has nothing better to do than wait for me to land, and then swoop in to inspect the scene of the crime from his "Official Safety Vehicle".
Ahh, local small town appointees. Keeping America safe from just about everything.
If nothing else the potential for humor just keeps growing.
 
Ah. A tard with a card. George Zimmerman wannabe it sounds like. My guess is the best he can do is whine to the real Barney, who's probably tired of his whiney ass to begin with.
 
When he shows up, greet him and tell him how glad you are to see him to block the road and keep everyone safe while you move your plane.
 
Shepherd said:
Barney, it turns out, isn't even a police officer. He is an appointed, county (? not sure. it may only be local) "Safety Officer", whatever that is. Apparently he has nothing better to do than wait for me to land, and then swoop in to inspect the scene of the crime from his "Official Safety Vehicle".
Ahh, local small town appointees. Keeping America safe from just about everything.
If nothing else the potential for humor just keeps growing.
Click to expand...
Tell him to pound sand.
 
cgrab said:
When he shows up, greet him and tell him how glad you are to see him to block the road and keep everyone safe while you move your plane.
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OK, that's more diplomatic!
 
I suspect that the real bee up yea olde butt is due to the fact that you are landing somewhere other than a "real" airport with air traffic control and a tower. I mean, how can you talk to the tower to get permission to land and take off if there is no tower? The fuss about crossing the road is because that is the only time you are not on private property (with permission from the owner) and the only thing he/she/it can come up with to actually complain about.
 
Do a variation on the fishing with dynamite thing. Hand cuff him to the strut while sitting in the middle of the road and ask him if he wants to chat or help push.:D
 
Shepherd said:
... Years ago he built a golf course quality 500' by 500' "runway" for the models. Two years ago I commented that I would love to fly up, but the nearest public use airport is 25 miles away and in terrible shape. Last year the model field grew to 2000' by 1000' feet. So now I fly up, give everyone a ride in the plane and then we fly models. ...
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From here:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-1994-03-03/html/94-4872.htm

On July 24, 1991, the FAA published a final rule (Amendment No.
157-6, 56 FR 33994) that eliminated the impending requirement to
provide 90 days advance notice of construction, alteration, activation,
and deactivation of certain temporary airports and heliports. Amendment
No. 157-6 also revised the applicability section of part 157 to exclude
proposals involving the intermittent use of sites that are not
established airports. The ``intermittent use of a site'' means that the
site is used or intended to be used in VFR conditions for no more than
three days in any one week with no more than 10 operations a day.
Finally, Amendment No. 157-6 clarified that telephone notice for
certain emergency or unreasonable hardship situations should be
directed to the appropriate FAA Airports District/Field Office or
Regional Office. Amendment No. 157-6 and Amendment No. 157-4 (with the
revisions noted above) became effective on August 30, 1991.
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So your friend built an airport...or not...looks like he built an intermittent use site!
 
Ask Barney if he would keep an eye on it so the other idiots don't try to climb in. He'd be more useful that way.
 
Shut down and push across the road. Your not operating a vehicle if it is off and no body is at the controls. I know of a private strips in Ohio where they taxi across a public road.
 
Ask Barney if he prefers whether you slowly push the airplane across or taxi it across expediently?

Also, ask what law you're violating. If he cites something about vehicle licensing, ask how he handles farm tractors, mowers, and other powered implements which occasionally cross or travel on roads.
 
Am I the only one who saw the Title of this thread and half expected to see a " Why did the Chicken cross the road" joke with an Aviation twist?
 
Sac Arrow said:
Ah. A tard with a card. George Zimmerman wannabe it sounds like. My guess is the best he can do is whine to the real Barney, who's probably tired of his whiney ass to begin with.
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You can probably bet he spends a fair amount of time on internet forums discussing regulations, giving his interpretations, citing case law and telling everyone of all the important law enforcement people he hangs out with. :rolleyes:
 
Gee, in ND I used the county road as a landing strip and parked in the yard. Local Barney Fife didn't mind at all.
 
RotorAndWing said:
You can probably bet he spends a fair amount of time on internet forums discussing regulations, giving his interpretations, citing case law and telling everyone of all the important law enforcement people he hangs out with. :rolleyes:
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:rofl:

:rofl:

:rofl:

:rofl:

That right there may be post of the year!
 
Shepherd said:
Barney, it turns out, isn't even a police officer. He is an appointed, county (? not sure. it may only be local) "Safety Officer", whatever that is. Apparently he has nothing better to do than wait for me to land, and then swoop in to inspect the scene of the crime from his "Official Safety Vehicle".
Ahh, local small town appointees. Keeping America safe from just about everything.
If nothing else the potential for humor just keeps growing.
Click to expand...

Get a Go Pro or other camera and video the event with Barney...... You could make big money on Youtube.... :yes: :D
 
LDJones said:
Gee, in ND I used the county road as a landing strip and parked in the yard. Local Barney Fife didn't mind at all.
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I've done a few roads, and I had actually thought of doing that at my daughter's place, but the power line runs right on the edge of the road for the entire length, and the prevailing wind would be pushing me into the lines.
 
Shepherd said:
Barney, it turns out, isn't even a police officer. He is an appointed, county (? not sure. it may only be local) "Safety Officer", whatever that is. Apparently he has nothing better to do than wait for me to land, and then swoop in to inspect the scene of the crime from his "Official Safety Vehicle".
Ahh, local small town appointees. Keeping America safe from just about everything.
If nothing else the potential for humor just keeps growing.
Click to expand...

Just smile and wave at him and go about your business, nothing to see here.
 
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