Narrative:

While descending to land on a close left base at paso robles airport I almost hit 2 small radio controled airplanes. I was in the landing confign at 70 KTS and about 700 ft AGL. I immediately turned left and promptly stalled the left wing which resulted in a very nose low attitude and a further roll to the left. I recovered at 300 ft AGL, did a turn back to base leg and landed. I went out and tried to talk to these people and they were totally unreceptive to the idea that they shouldn't be there. I was upset but they were rude and worse. They said I was 'buzzing' them (I was on left base). They were cursing at me, called me names, etc. They indicated that pilots should have to look for their cars next to the runway (runway 31) and that should serve as a notice of their presence and pilots fly past that area to avoid them. They are operating these models under the pattern for runway 19 and runway 13, abeam the first 1/3 of runway 19. This also places them in the 'protected' airspace for the VOR/DME approach to runway 19. To correct this situation -- get them off of the airport!! This is the second occurrence that I have had of flying within 500 ft of these things, and other pilots have observed them to be flying as high as 1000 ft AGL -- right in the pattern. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he has discussed situation with the airport manager. But there is a problem with city fathers who are trying to convert the airport to industrial use. They have just reduced the airport manager's salary and made him a virtual airport maintenance person. The job of airport manager is given to the public works director who is not a pilot and knows nothing of procedures or regulations. Reporter has written to the local FSDO and to regional regarding the situation. FAA has written to the city and given them until april xx to respond. Many pilots are disturbed about the situation, but there is no established pilots association. Analyst recommended the hot line in addition to already made efforts. Reporter was especially disturbed by the modelers' attitude that they have a right to the airport and pilots should watch out for them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RV4 PLT TAKES EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID MODEL AIRPLANE AT 700 FT IN TFC PATTERN.

Narrative: WHILE DSNDING TO LAND ON A CLOSE L BASE AT PASO ROBLES ARPT I ALMOST HIT 2 SMALL RADIO CTLED AIRPLANES. I WAS IN THE LNDG CONFIGN AT 70 KTS AND ABOUT 700 FT AGL. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED L AND PROMPTLY STALLED THE L WING WHICH RESULTED IN A VERY NOSE LOW ATTITUDE AND A FURTHER ROLL TO THE L. I RECOVERED AT 300 FT AGL, DID A TURN BACK TO BASE LEG AND LANDED. I WENT OUT AND TRIED TO TALK TO THESE PEOPLE AND THEY WERE TOTALLY UNRECEPTIVE TO THE IDEA THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE THERE. I WAS UPSET BUT THEY WERE RUDE AND WORSE. THEY SAID I WAS 'BUZZING' THEM (I WAS ON L BASE). THEY WERE CURSING AT ME, CALLED ME NAMES, ETC. THEY INDICATED THAT PLTS SHOULD HAVE TO LOOK FOR THEIR CARS NEXT TO THE RWY (RWY 31) AND THAT SHOULD SERVE AS A NOTICE OF THEIR PRESENCE AND PLTS FLY PAST THAT AREA TO AVOID THEM. THEY ARE OPERATING THESE MODELS UNDER THE PATTERN FOR RWY 19 AND RWY 13, ABEAM THE FIRST 1/3 OF RWY 19. THIS ALSO PLACES THEM IN THE 'PROTECTED' AIRSPACE FOR THE VOR/DME APCH TO RWY 19. TO CORRECT THIS SIT -- GET THEM OFF OF THE ARPT!! THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE THAT I HAVE HAD OF FLYING WITHIN 500 FT OF THESE THINGS, AND OTHER PLTS HAVE OBSERVED THEM TO BE FLYING AS HIGH AS 1000 FT AGL -- RIGHT IN THE PATTERN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE HAS DISCUSSED SIT WITH THE ARPT MGR. BUT THERE IS A PROB WITH CITY FATHERS WHO ARE TRYING TO CONVERT THE ARPT TO INDUSTRIAL USE. THEY HAVE JUST REDUCED THE ARPT MGR'S SALARY AND MADE HIM A VIRTUAL ARPT MAINT PERSON. THE JOB OF ARPT MGR IS GIVEN TO THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR WHO IS NOT A PLT AND KNOWS NOTHING OF PROCS OR REGS. RPTR HAS WRITTEN TO THE LCL FSDO AND TO REGIONAL REGARDING THE SIT. FAA HAS WRITTEN TO THE CITY AND GIVEN THEM UNTIL APRIL XX TO RESPOND. MANY PLTS ARE DISTURBED ABOUT THE SIT, BUT THERE IS NO ESTABLISHED PLTS ASSOCIATION. ANALYST RECOMMENDED THE HOT LINE IN ADDITION TO ALREADY MADE EFFORTS. RPTR WAS ESPECIALLY DISTURBED BY THE MODELERS' ATTITUDE THAT THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO THE ARPT AND PLTS SHOULD WATCH OUT FOR THEM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.