Post Hole Diggin’

[GeoHorn]

I’ve got new neighbors (corporate trying to develop a health “resort”) out of land after they didn’t do their homework. (They are the third owners of land which is land-locked behind my crossing pair of aircraft runways. Each prior owner conveniently fails to mention and apparently investors these days aren’t clever enough to think about access until they buy the land they think is a “gold mine”…. then they discover their access problem of having to cross FAA recognized aircraft runways.)

Anyway, I thought I’d help them by reminding them daily why their contractors don’t like crossing runways without guard-shacks manned 24-hrs with a crossing-guard.…. by adding some official “Stop-signs” at each crossing.



Yesterday I hitched-up the PHD with my 6” auger to use 4x4 treated posts …and was surprised to stick the auger about 15” down and break 3 shear-bolts. The claimed 4,000 lb lift-capacity of the 3-pt couldn’t extract it and using a crow-bar thru the u-joint to back the auger wouldn’t budge it.
I ended up driving the tractor back-and-forth a foot several times before it finally ”snapped” loose and lifted it out of the hole. The carbide “tooth” was snapped off on one side and bent on the other.

So I came back to the shed and used the shop press to straighten the bend out and welded both teeth into position rather than rely on another set of failed carriage bolts to hold them on.

(I had moved about 10’ over to try a different spot after the first set of shear-bolts…and after several attempts the result in the new spot was the snapped teeth and stuck again.)

Trying to think of how to beat the rock that must be beneath the surface.

 

[Tughill Tom]

Looking like it's "BOOM Time"

 

[Mark_BX25D]

What are "look aircraft"?


Important signage is not the place for conversational English. Ambiguity or confusion of any kind might get someone killed. Keep it tight and to the point.

Aircraft have the right of way.

That's it.

Or was that supposed to be, "Look. Aircraft have the right of way."

In that case, punctuation matters. A LOT.

Better yet, put the word, "Look" on its own line. Better yet, just do without it.

I used to have a job that had me running around a major airport on the tarmac in a 24' box truck. There were signs at intersections, and they all said the same thing. Aircraft have the right of way.

We figured out that we needed to look.

 

[ctfjr]

When I put the dogs' fence up in the woods (100 4"x4"x8' pressure treated posts) I managed to find enough rocks / roots to convince me to buy shear bolts by the 100
It is a bitch when the auger gets 'screwed into' something. I always tried the rocking method first but never more than a few inches in each direction. The fall back method was a 3' pipe wrench + 5' pipe that slipped over it.
Fortunately I never had to move more than a couple of feet.

Good luck!

 

[Russell King]

Trying to think of how to beat the rock that must be beneath the surface.

Buy yourself a Texas Toothpick and get some upper body exercise (or hire someone who enjoys manual labor.)

A bobcat with a hydraulic auger that is reversible will get you unstuck but may not be able to get you a hole.

The hill country is no place for fence post holes.

Steel pipe might be able to be driven in but I have never done that in your area so no idea if it works

 

[GeoHorn]

What are "look aircraft"?


Important signage is not the place for conversational English. Ambiguity or confusion of any kind might get someone killed. Keep it tight and to the point.

Aircraft have the right of way.

That's it.

Or was that supposed to be, "Look. Aircraft have the right of way."

In that case, punctuation matters. A LOT.

Better yet, put the word, "Look" on its own line. Better yet, just do without it.

I used to have a job that had me running around a major airport on the tarmac in a 24' box truck. There were signs at intersections, and they all said the same thing. Aircraft have the right of way.

We figured out that we needed to look.

That pic was a graphic sent to me for approval by the sign company. There is actually a large HYPHEN between LOOK - Aircraft Have Right of Way. The sign sits on the main entrance road at an intersection which appears to be at another road…but which is ACTUALLY the runway.
(And there are three other access-points where vehicles might possibly enter the runway…such as the one depicted mid-field.

The intent is to get drivers to STOP at the intersection and LOOK for aircraft before crossing the runway.

 

[GeoHorn]

Well… today I managed to finish installing 5 Stop Signs, three of them on 4x4 treated posts, one on a steel pipe and one on the center of an access security-gate. Whew!

The rocky ground bent the cutting-teeth 90-degrees-down so as to make them useless but I got the job finished before dark. (zoom in and see those teeth bent flat- lol)
I used the “smoke wrench” to straighten the teeth back and quenched them. (Clearly a PHD is made for soil and not rock.)

 

[ctfjr]

Sign looks good but bottom line - like a motorcycle, doesn't matter who was right in a collision with a car. Motorcycle (airplane) loses.

 

[GeoHorn]

Sign looks good but bottom line - like a motorcycle, doesn't matter who was right in a collision with a car. Motorcycle (airplane) loses.

Yeah… I‘m familiar with the Roanoke Tx airport. That perimeter road was marked for all vehicles to stop before crossing the runway threshold. Also, at the Entrance of the Airport are large signs that Caution motorists to Yield to Aircraft. (The ”STOP” painted on the pavement was certainly INadequate for folks not familiar with the airport operations. They really should have traditional Traffic Stop signs there.)

 

[sheepfarmer]

This thought is not very helpful after the fact, but I would worry that an aircraft would slide sideways and hit a post, so I would put something in just sturdy enough to stay put in a high wind. Seems like a 4 by 4 would do a lot of damage.

 

[GeoHorn]

This thought is not very helpful after the fact, but I would worry that an aircraft would slide sideways and hit a post, so I would put something in just sturdy enough to stay put in a high wind. Seems like a 4 by 4 would do a lot of damage.

Excellent thought, but It’s on a 160’ wide right-of-way and the post pictured is the only one actually On the right-of-way and is only 5’ from the fenceline and trees. if the plane loses directional control that badly it’s going to hit fence and trees anyway. The other 4 signs are posted on the approach-road completely off the right-of-way.

We considered mounting it on PVC pipe so it’d be frangible …but then realized the fence and trees would be the problem not the sign post. Construction equip’t may be needing to cross the runway and a pvc pipe would be less likely to survive…(not likely to intimidate a truck driver.)

 

[lynnmor]

Construction equip’t may be needing to cross the runway

Isn't the runway private property? Why would anyone need to cross private property? I understand that land locked property can push the issue and gain access, but isn't that subject to negotiations?

 

[D2Cat]

You could always drill some 1" holes in the 4x4 to allow easier breakage if collided with, just like the highway dept does.

 

[GeoHorn]

Isn't the runway private property? Why would anyone need to cross private property? I understand that land locked property can push the issue and gain access, but isn't that subject to negotiations?

There are two runways. Together they are shaped like a backward “L”. My house is inside the angle, about the middle of the bottom (3500’) runway. I only “own” the bottom runway. This was once one large ranch which I purchased part of. The rest has been sold by the heirs which includes the other runway.….The upright portion of the “L” (4500’) I have a superior “aircraft runway easement” over….which is their problem… aircraft operations are a conflict-hazard to their access. (Since the two runways converge/meet at the main entrance to the original ranch … the runways pose an access problem for them. They are landlocked except if they cross that long runway. The other sides of their acreage are blocked by a river and a lake.)

You could always drill some 1" holes in the 4x4 to allow easier breakage if collided with, just like the highway dept does.

That’s a good idea. (But, no need, the signs are not in a position to pose a hazard to the aircraft. They are not “on” the runway, they are off to the sides of the right-of-way upon which the runway sits. They are well clear of the runway. Thx.)

 

[Henro]

Just a curiosity question, but after the health resort is constructed, do you have to deal with traffic crossing your runway right of way, and simply rely on a stop sign and "look for aircraft" notice to protect you when landing or taking off?

 

[GeoHorn]

Just a curiosity question, but after the health resort is constructed, do you have to deal with traffic crossing your runway right of way, and simply rely on a stop sign and "look for aircraft" notice to protect you when landing or taking off?

Good question. I have proposed a land-trade. They give me some buffer and lake-access from their “resort” and comply with “dark sky” rules….and I will relinquish that other rwy. (They are not happy with the prospects of aircraft operating over their ”reclusive rural get-away resort” at all-hours and their guests won’t like having to give-way to aircraft when THEY are paying $7K* for a weekend “get-away”.

If vehicle traffic becomes an issue I expect an injunction to protect my prior easements with full-time crossing-guard will not be difficult. They either knew…or should have known …before their purchase of the previously existing aircraft right-of-way. Two previous owners of that property abandoned their development ideas over this issue.

* Dark sky is already in their plans and This is what this company charges at their other outback health resorts. My aircraft landing lights over their resort will add interest to their astronomy classes.