We all know of hangar rash. I've even caused some once (and owned up to it).

If any non-flyer approaches me and asks about the MiniMax I always go into a kind of salesman mode, flight data, range, speed, costs, licences and such stuff.

Every person so far has been persuaded to get into the cockpit and for a better idea of what it would be like to fly I pick up the tail to flying attitude. Did this once for a non-flying friend - doesn't even fly in airliners. I picked up and moved the elevator so that the stick would move. He spooked! He said for an instant he thought the plane had a mind of its own and was about to kidnap him.

Last Saturday I was at a deserted (it always is) Oxton microlight strip. A young bloke approached from the footpath with his spaniel. Usual stuff: pointed out that the wings are fabric-covered and won't bear weight, how to get in, what to hold etc. He got in.

And then the ******g dog jumped onto the wing and tried to get in with him!

I can tell you, the wing covering is stronger than you might think but there is now a one-eighth inch oval hole in the aileron covering.

Are you proposing a new way to punch test fabric. The all new Dogie Style punch test. LOL

Woof!!!!!!

We get a lot of dog walkers at our strip. They're a bloody nuisance. They keep walking along our runway (which isn't a public right of way) but which crosses between two public rights of way (public footpaths). We've put signs up but they walk straight past them and onto the runway as though they own it.

One of these days there's going to be a collision between a landing microlight and a dog, and both parties will not come out of it well. Unfortunately, even if that happens I doubt if it will stop them, unless we post up pictures of the dog's remains in glorious deadly colour. That might put them off a bit if they see what can happen to their pooches.

The other thing we get a lot of at the moment is horse riders using the runway as a gallop. During the summer when the ground is hard it's not too much of a problem, but when the ground is soft they leave 4" wide and 4" deep holes in the grass. Just the right size for my Minimax tailwheel to drop into and tear the back end off my plane.  

Being a bit territorial by nature and upbringing, I think I'd put up a motion activated deer cam somewhere out of sight to find out whom the galloping rider is and ask them nicely to repair the damage. I'd doubt they are trailering them in, so a short drive around the neighbor hood should find the horse in the picture, then show the the pictures of the damage and explain nicely the risk it poses to light aircraft.  Most people are reasonable even if they are ignorant.

We had a gamekeeper at our strip who insisted on driving his Landrover up the strip, based on the fact that he was the Gamekeeper! On top of that, he had a bloody great Bull Mastiff and let me tell you that when that dog did a dump on the runway, it meant a full underside wash of the aircraft!