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Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Air Models / May 2006How long is the grass at your field?
Doing a quick poll to see at what length everyone cuts their grass, especially for clubs that have members who regularly fly giant-scale planes. Why? One of the GS members of the club I belong to has access to the mower and has this belief that the grass has to be cut to less than an inch in length/height or his plane will tip over or bend the gear or any othe sort of disaster (never mind that it may be bad flying....) Before I confront him on getting the mower raised or not doing the cutting, I need hard facts. PLEASE~~~~ no discussion of whether longer or shorter is better, jsut what the length of the grass is and whether or not there are GS planes being flown. Thanks in advance! > Doing a quick poll to see at what length everyone cuts their grass, > especially for clubs that have members who regularly fly giant-scale [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Thanks in advance! The field i fly at has a lovely paved runway. However, i am a lousy pilot and find it much easier to take off in grass alongside the runway, especially with a tail dragger. The grass alongside the runway is about 3" , never shorter. I have no problems taking off as long as i remember to hold an up elevator until i gain speed. > Doing a quick poll to see at what length everyone cuts their grass, > especially for clubs that have members who regularly fly giant-scale [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Thanks in advance! I _think_ it's around 2 to 3 inches where I fly -- and the only time my .15 sized taildragger noses over is when _I_ screw up. But if the only way he can keep his pride is to insist that the grass has to be short you'll never convince him.  SignatureTim Wescott Wescott Design Services http://www.wescottdesign.com Posting from Google? See http://cfaj.freeshell.org/google/ "Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" came out in April. See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html > what the length of the grass is and whether or not there are GS planes > being flown. Our one & only runway, grass bordering a hay field, is usually cut somewhere between 1-2". Much higher and it doesn't show the mole tunnels and holes, which can lead to rather unpleasant landings.. Our riding mower always pulls a roller. <G> >Doing a quick poll to see at what length everyone cuts their grass, >especially for clubs that have members who regularly fly giant-scale [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > >Thanks in advance! About 1 1/2" at our field , maybe a little less. We mow as low as the mower can go , otherwise many people have trouble with their aircraft "tripping" on it....especially the small electrics or anything with small wheels and wheel pants. Ken Day >About 1 1/2" at our field , maybe a little less. We mow as low as the >mower can go , otherwise many people have trouble with their aircraft >"tripping" on it....especially the small electrics or anything with >small wheels and wheel pants. There is a field near Syracuse that was like a putting green. I bounced a lot on my landings with a little GP 40 Extra. :o( The grass at our field varies from week to week. It's probably in the 3" range. We have way too many bumps and holidays to cut it at the lowest setting on the mower, I think. Marty Just curious, why is 1 inch to short ? As long as someone is mowing regularly I would be happy. I would guess our grass is between 1 and 2 inches. Charlie > Doing a quick poll to see at what length everyone cuts their grass, > especially for clubs that have members who regularly fly giant-scale [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Thanks in advance! > Doing a quick poll to see at what length everyone cuts their grass, > especially for clubs that have members who regularly fly giant-scale [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > what the length of the grass is and whether or not there are GS planes > being flown. About 2"- mowed twice a week spring and fall. We have everything from small electrics to GS that fly with minimal issues. > Doing a quick poll to see at what length everyone cuts their grass, > especially for clubs that have members who regularly fly giant-scale [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Thanks in advance! Our current field has reasonable grass coverage (excluding any standing water from our autumn rains - Australia). I've flown through grass so thick it limited the take off speed of my humble 40 trainer but we usually keep it mown to what most would consider "reasonable". During summer we did some tests and had sections cut much shorter than normal, we found this much better in general but it's a little harsh on the ground. Our new field (3 runways all 200+ yards long) has just been seeded. Hopefully we'll get an excellent runway prior to being forced from our old field (fwy coming through). No idea how we'll cut this yet other than initially it will be kept long and frequently rolled. SignatureThe Raven http://www.80scartoons.co.uk/batfinkquote.mp3 ** Now I will bring chaos to the world! > Doing a quick poll to see at what length everyone cuts their grass, > especially for clubs that have members who regularly fly giant-scale [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > what the length of the grass is and whether or not there are GS planes > being flown. Oops, missed that last bit when I posted my initial response. Probably 2 inches maximum. Few large scale but no "giant" scale aircraft. SignatureThe Raven http://www.80scartoons.co.uk/batfinkquote.mp3 ** Now I will bring chaos to the world! We keep our grass at about 1.5" - 2" although we've flown off it while cutting the dandelion stems with our props. The only reason we try to keep it that short is because most in the club are flying .40 to 1.20 size planes. We always recommend to new members that hey don't use wheel pants and have tires at least 3" tall. We have members who fly giant scale and they will fly no matter the height of the grass. Those planes have enough power and large enough whhels to push through just about anything. --Mark > We keep our grass at about 1.5" - 2" although we've flown off it while > cutting the dandelion stems with our props. The only reason we try to [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > height of the grass. Those planes have enough power and large enough > whhels to push through just about anything. That's what I thought - if they are that big, surely they'd have an easier time on long grass than a little 40 size model (or 10 size which I've taken off on our crappy strip). If he's willing to mow the field, why question him? It's not like it's bad for the grass or anything. > If he's willing to mow the field, why question him? It's not like it's > bad for the grass or anything. Best answer yet! d:->)) WRONG! 1) setting the mower too low and bouncing the deck off of the ground, rocks and other items is not good for the equipment as is the dust being raised because the grass was cut too short and had died off, leaving nothing but a dustbowl 2) running the mower over areas that don't need to be cut that short adds additional run-time to the mower 3) he does it whenever he feels like, including AFTER the mower had been put away for the year and had been winterized 4) Willing to do work and work within the club's requirements rather than his own rules is good. but he wasn't. This year, he's going to be included in the mowing team but there will be set limits on what gets mowed and how long (on or off the runways) and how often it gets mowed. Running the mower outside of those guildeline will not be tolerated. ok so you pretty much had your answer before you asked, I would have to agree shorter isnt gona hurt a thing, if he wants to mow let him, feel fortunate you have someone that wants to mow. > WRONG! > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > and how often it gets mowed. Running the mower outside of those > guildeline will not be tolerated. >WRONG! > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >and how often it gets mowed. Running the mower outside of those >guildeline will not be tolerated. Sounds like a personal vendetta to me. NO, not a personal vendetta, but getting a handle on what other clubs set their mowers at, and then passing this informaqtion along to the field manager (done), and then the field manager tells giant-scale guy what settings will be used along with everyone else. After that, its' up to G-SG to follow directions. If he doesn't, he's not on the mowing crew. Just like me or anyone else. Volunteers are great but if they cause more damage than their dues will ever pay for, they're definitely not a help. > NO, not a personal vendetta, but getting a handle on what other clubs > set their mowers at, and then passing this informaqtion along to the [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Volunteers are great but if they cause more damage than their dues will > ever pay for, they're definitely not a help. I know after reading the thread what the average length of the grass is in my mind and I am curious what your report to the field manager was in regards to other clubs grass length ?? Be honest, what was the exact verbiage in your report to the field manager ?? If there was a widespread feeling in your club that the grass was being cut to short I would think that it would not require a poll of this newsgroup to remedy. Despite your denial of a personal vendetta the tone of your original post and the two follow ups certainly appear to indicate that there may be something else to this. Instead of worrying about the mower getting torn up when the deck bounces off the high spots why not organize a work party to level the runway some more, not only would this make a smoother runway it would help remedy the dust bowl situation created from the scalped spots. As far as running the mower after it has been "winterized" what is the big deal with that, observing from afar it actually appears that this task was done too soon if the grass needed to be mowed again, just ask him to "winterize" the mower again if he uses it. Winterization usually just means draining the fuel. Since he seems to be the club member most interested in keeping the field mowed short put him in charge of it full time, this will result in one of two things 1) he loses interest quickly and "your" problem is solved 2) he embraces it fully and everyone else gets out of mowing the grass forever. Don't fight about it create a win win solution. Its stuff like this that tear clubs apart. /agree, very well put/ >> NO, not a personal vendetta, but getting a handle on what other clubs >> set their mowers at, and then passing this informaqtion along to the [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > forever. Don't fight about it create a win win solution. Its stuff like > this that tear clubs apart. Charlie, the key problem is that the very helpful guy is a loose cannon. He decides when to mow the grass, and it's usually to a super short length that kills the grass, too much of the field gets cut and he bounces the deck off of the rocks that are off of the main runways, and takes the tractor out after its been winterized. Also, the timer clock keeps getting "mysteriously" disconnected. I've made the report to the field manager who has produced a formal checklist of what should be cut and not cut, when and how. This is being sent to everyone on the mowing crew. BTW, the runway has been worked over so that the runways are free of rocks and other items. It's when you go off of the runways at scalping height that you find the rocks (no small ones but buried boulders that can't be dug out.) If giant-scale guy keeps to the checklist, cuts the parts of the field that really need to be cut (runways, taxiway and pits) at the correct height at the right intervals; then we have no problems with him. If he doesn't, then the field manager has said that he's changing the lock combination and letting so-and-so know that he's no longer allowed to use the mower. This has been brewing for a number of years and previous Executives have done nothing about it. With all of the extra use that the mower has gone through, we're now looking at replacing the mower years in advance of when it should be. Mowers are not cheap -- this particular model is somewhere from 5-8000 dollars. Defintiely not a personal vendetta when you have most of the Executive in agreement that something has to be done. If he wants to keep mowing the grass, he has to do it the club's way. BTW, this is also a guy who's received numerous warnings in the past about bad flying, abusive language and threatening behaviour. He tones things down for a year or so, and then returns to his old habits. > BTW, this is also a guy >who's received numerous warnings in the past about bad flying, abusive >language and threatening behaviour. He tones things down for a year or >so, and then returns to his old habits. Sounds like he needs to be asked to leave the club. > Charlie, the key problem is that the very helpful guy is a loose > cannon. He decides when to mow the grass, and it's usually to a super [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > language and threatening behaviour. He tones things down for a year or > so, and then returns to his old habits. It seems to me that you can probably get another deck for the current machine without too much investment. I have a rock farm and I have done that for exactly the same reason around my place. It is cheaper than a new machine and easier on your club. It might help if you asked him to show up for the work party doing the deck change. Good luck, |
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