Walking across the runway on an uncontrolled airport

[FlyWalt]

Good afternoon all,

Is there some new reg or rule that has been written that says, "Thou shall not walk across the runway of an uncontrolled airport" in the past 41 years since I started flying?

[GeeBee]

I've done worse on a runway.

 

[N201MKTurbo]

Who gave you grief for it?

At least you weren't out drag racing on the runway...

[ilovecornfields]

14 minutes ago, GeeBee said:

I've done worse on a runway.

 

Is this going to involve the sheep again?

[Ragsf15e]

There’s a fun place I go for breakfast sometimes (1S9) where you park on one side, walk down the taxiway, cross the approach end and walk to the golf course for food.  Airport even supplies a golf cart if desired. 9 out of 10 times, the airport manager will cross over from his house on his Segway to say hi.  On the way back I always notice the official looking FAA sign saying something like “No entry, active runway, unauthorized entry punishable by fines of $1,000…”. 
 

Im sure there’s some rule that you’re not supposed to, but I’ve never seen or heard of a problem (35 years of GA).

& @N201MKTurbo a buddy and I did do a “very expeditious” FOD check on a USAF aux field runway once, but we were in the same car, so no drag racing!

[FlyWalt]

21 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

Who gave you grief for it?

At least you weren't out drag racing on the runway...

One of the FBO rampies made a minor ruckus. It was 95 degree heat and my car was on the other side so I kept going.

[McMooney]

50 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

Who gave you grief for it?

At least you weren't out drag racing on the runway...

who would EVER do that 8)

[smwash02]

1 hour ago, N201MKTurbo said:

At least you weren't out drag racing on the runway.

haha "Don't screw up the stripes and I don't care" is what I overheard said to someone by the FBO owner.

[N201MKTurbo]

Yea, leaving burn out marks on the numbers is really low class...

[LANCECASPER]

1 hour ago, FlyWalt said:

One of the FBO rampies made a minor ruckus. It was 95 degree heat and my car was on the other side so I kept going.

If you didn't cause anyone to go around what's the big deal?

[PeteMc]

1 hour ago, FlyWalt said:

One of the FBO rampies made a minor ruckus.

Just yell back that you're checking your landing spot, it might be a record!

On a technical note, though I can't find the specific rule or precedent, apparently unless you have express permission from the owner/manager of the airport, it is a Federal Offense to walk on a runway.  Maybe someone else can find it documented.)

 

 

Edited June 29, 2022 by PeteMc

[EricJ]

2 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

Who gave you grief for it?

At least you weren't out drag racing on the runway...

Several months ago I went to a private field that I hadn't been to for a while and that had had some new pavement work done on the runway.    There was some sort of small structure on the pavement on the far end of the runway when we landed and I couldn't quite figure out what it was.    Later when I went to take off the wind had changed and I taxied down there to use the new part of the pavement.   The "structure" was plastic barriers (like K barriers) placed to define the burnout boxes for a 1/8 mile track that used the new pavement on that end of the runway.   Apparently they have events there once in a while and just leave the barriers when they're done. 

 

[GeeBee]

3 hours ago, ilovecornfields said:

Is this going to involve the sheep again?

Definitely female, most assuredly human

[Tommooney]

At perris skydive airport L65, all the parachuters walk across runway after landing. Some days they're trying for 100+ person rings. A lot of people almost everyday. Its kind like arriving in the middle of a Tom Cruise movie. The young skydivers have a lot of adrenaline energy. I was surprised they fuel the twin turboprop skyvans while running.....no tower and little communication.

There is a restaurant, swimming pool, camping.  

The GA parking is across in dirt, not really welcoming to non skydivers aircraft but tolerated. It may be the most entertaining $100 burger in SoCal. Been going many years.

Good luck.

[Pinecone]

WRT drag racing, York, PA airport was a drag strip on weekends.  If you wanted to land,  you flew a pattern to low approach, and they would move the tree and timing gear, and you could land, and they would put it back.  It was the first XC airport I landed at.  When I saw it, I saw the starting marks and figured it wasn't the airport.

I got yelled at for walking across the displaced threshold at Dillingham Field on the north shore of Oahu.  I had rented a Tiger and took my cousin for a ride.  We landed and parked and walked across to check out the glider operations.  A guy came down the hill in his car and claimed to be a cop and that he could arrest us for crossing a runway.  When we walked back, we walked around the end.

[David Lloyd]

Flew out of a small airport 40 years.  Transient parking was on the opposite side of the runway from the office, sidewalk, fuel pump, hangars, mx shop, parking lot and gate.  No way for visitors to access anything unless they walked across the runway.

[eman1200]

I would never. Especially not to stop and take a pic.

[David Lloyd]

You were that guy!

[Shadrach]

There are some airfields were walking across the runway to access aircraft is an almost hourly occurrence.  There isn’t really any other practical option. To my knowledge, no one has ever been hit.
 

[RLCarter]

As far as I know there is no FAR saying you can’t cross a runway by any means at a non-towered field, BUT the airport itself may have a rule against it. At my home drome you can’t cross the runway which is a real PITA if you need on the other side, it’s a minimum 5 minute drive longer it traffic is backed up

[0TreeLemur]

Isn't the rule "look both ways"?

 

[A64Pilot]

21 minutes ago, 0TreeLemur said:

Isn't the rule "look both ways"?

 

You would be surprised since the invention of the “smart” phone.

It’s not a rare occurrence in Marina’s for someone to just walk off the end of the dock staring at the phone, I bet the same person would walk in front of a landing airplane.

You never know with people, not saying he was looking at his phone, suicide maybe?

https://www.planeandpilotmag.com/news/2020/12/16/exclusive-austin-pd-closes-case-on-man-killed-on-runway-by-landing-southwest-flight/

 

[chriscalandro]

I skydive at perris. Walk across the runway every time. 
 

done it at probably hundreds of airports. 

[StevenL757]

On 6/29/2022 at 3:55 PM, GeeBee said:

I've done worse on a runway.

It's legal until ProStans finds out, right?  ;-)

[GeeBee]

10 hours ago, StevenL757 said:

It's legal until ProStans finds out, right?  ;-)

They would probably cheer me on.