Marked cross walk? Bit like our Zebra or Pelican crossings. (not a wind up we really do have those)
Be careful of helicopters even when below 400 feet
- Thread starter storrowdrive
- Start date
Bill I don't have the time to find it but if you'll dig around you'll find it written many times over in the FARs in the FAA. Also it's common sense that a small plastic toy aircraft will not have any right of way over a manned aircraft of any kind.
I bought an iOS app for monitoring air traffic. Unfortunately the LAPD copter doesn't show up consistently. You'd think they'd have transponders on all the time for ATC. Also a lot of private planes don't either. So at the end of the day it's up to me to be super vigilent.
As such, I make sure I'm well away from the cop heli. You wouldn't have to interfere with them--they could make up their own version of the facts and you'd have to explain yours to the judge after being cuffed or worse.
As such, I make sure I'm well away from the cop heli. You wouldn't have to interfere with them--they could make up their own version of the facts and you'd have to explain yours to the judge after being cuffed or worse.
N017RW
Premium Pilot
Makes sense, but many times I'm outside and an airliner is approaching, I'll turn on the app and it appears pretty much real-time.
As an aside, the app is called FlightRadar 24 and is very fun just to mess with. Tap on a flight and you get a plethora of info about the aircraft including a picture of that actual plane from an Internet photo database.
FAA helicopter routes are published with their own charts. They are Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dalles, Houston,Los Angeles, and New York. END OF LIST. All other routes are rouge and are illegal. Helicopter pilots.will argue but the law is not on their side. In most cases the FAA refuses to enforce laws created by congress (FARS). Be careful it is the Wild West out there. If we all agree to follow the (Guidelines). and stay below 400' who polices the manned aircraft? There is enough airspace for everyone. The manned aircraft need to get up where the law saws they are supposed to be. Write your.congressmen as the FAA will not do anything.
[file]Chopper|none[/file]
I was at 390 feet. Who wins in court after the mid air collision? Aren't they supposed to stay above 400? Almost looks like he was below me.
Helicopters have an exemption to the airplane 500 foot rule depending on the area they are flying in and the reasons. I've also seen police helicopters frequently flying at very low altitudes. Helicopters have that exemption because of the fact that hey can stop and hover in place unlike a conventional airplane. And do you seriously think your little Phantom would pose any threat to that full sized helicopter anyway? He could plow right through your Phantom without even flinching.
I raised this issue with TC not long ago. My reason for concern was that there is a local flight training school that uses the local river system for take offs & landings and also a private helipad very near by, that on occasion, has a pilot that scorches in extremely low over our property. My question/concern was that the current rules/regulations require you to operate within a certain distance of helipad for which our backyard does not qualify. The answer was a bit surprising, "If" you are using the drone for commercial purposes re: posting on facebook/youtube then there are some issues with flying in your own backyard inside the helipad DNF zone and you need to file a special flight operations certificate for even some practicing , but 'if' you are just using it for recreational purpose and flying within the parameters of the rules/regulations - then be vigilant, but don't worry about any low flying pilots.
Where I fly, the Coast Guard helicopters come thru at about 300 feet and sometimes even less. Depending on the wind, you only have a minute to deal with them and get down. When they are buzzing us from 300 feet or below, you don't hear them due to the squint angle of the sound. Even though they are not supposed to buzz our neighborhoods or wildlife areas at those altitudes, they do it all the time during their routine flights for training and hour requirements. If you have ever flown real fixed wing or rotor, hedge hopping and low level flight can be intensly fun...albeit irresponsible, illegal and noisy. Most pros in the aviation industry know how dangerous this can be....especially those pros that operate helicopters. The pros avoid it altogether whenever they can. Regardless, for many of the rookies, even those flying multi-million $$$ USCG helicopters, hedge hopping and flying illegally is just as tempting and fun as it is to operate our multi-rotors outside the established boundaries. It's good old human nature at work....the thrill of the "risk."
Scud Running. Yep many of us have done it at one time or another and it's a rush to say the least. Fortunately at some point rationale kicks in and you realize you're only 1 Uh Oh away from terra firma. There's a saying we hear often around the airport"
"There are brave pilots and there are old pilots... but there aren't any Old & Brave pilots."
Choppers fly low, than fixed wing fly higher, and then high powered fixed wing fly higher than those.
We flew how we needed to with our police birds. Unless there is a specific high traffic/noise abatement low level flight route, most choppers will fly relatively low.
As with smaller fixed wing, they will fly no lower than safe auto rotate distance unless landing, dropping off or picking up.
We have a certain specific night hover height when illuminated and when dealing with armed suspects. Other than that we fly basically like we need to.
We flew how we needed to with our police birds. Unless there is a specific high traffic/noise abatement low level flight route, most choppers will fly relatively low.
As with smaller fixed wing, they will fly no lower than safe auto rotate distance unless landing, dropping off or picking up.
We have a certain specific night hover height when illuminated and when dealing with armed suspects. Other than that we fly basically like we need to.
N017RW
Premium Pilot
ianwood
Taco Wrangler
LA has a lot of low flying helicopters. Had our drone up at 150ft on a closed set shoot. NOTAM was active. We were monitoring CTAF. We had a helicopter clear our airspace at 200ft AGL heading eastbound at a terrific speed. He wasn't doing orbits. They had just come from the beach where its common for them to fly low. And he came back and did it again half an hour later. Both times our drone was at 125ft. No comms from the helicopter whatsoever which is atypical for the LA area. We dropped like a stone each time to be safe.
Personally, I'd call that kind of flying irresponsible. No need to be tearing at such a speed at such a low altitude. Clearly they didn't check their NOTAMs and they weren't calling out actions on CTAF. Not to mention the disrespect for the neighborhood below.
Personally, I'd call that kind of flying irresponsible. No need to be tearing at such a speed at such a low altitude. Clearly they didn't check their NOTAMs and they weren't calling out actions on CTAF. Not to mention the disrespect for the neighborhood below.
I get that a lot here too. No RDO required but in very active multi flight school training area. They like to scud run the lake.
Crazy not to be at a minimum CTAF in LA area. Maybe he was on another freq.
Crazy not to be at a minimum CTAF in LA area. Maybe he was on another freq.
[file]Chopper|none[/file]
I was at 390 feet. Who wins in court after the mid air collision? Aren't they supposed to stay above 400? Almost looks like he was below me.
Regardless of the whole altitude stuff I just want to say that that's a cool photo.
Here, its not uncommon to see a Heli below 400. Rescue helis fly up and down the coast at a few hundred feet (Generally out from the beach a few hundred feet). Today I was out in the sugar cane fields flying and saw a chopper off in the distance behind my bird, but lower, I'd say 200 feet. I did not hear it at all as the wind was going that way. This is a cane growing area and its not uncommon to see them low. One reason is that they are searching for fire ants (introduced pest causing havoc around here) which they seem to do a few times a year. I also have a small airstrip about 5 miles away, and it is not uncommon to see light aircraft clearly a little lower than they should be around here.....
Never assume there will not be any AC below 400 and never assume that if there are, and your little bird kills anyone, that you wont be in a world of shite...
Never assume there will not be any AC below 400 and never assume that if there are, and your little bird kills anyone, that you wont be in a world of shite...
There's no question that we must yield, but these helicopters seem to fly low with impunity. Something's gotta change at some point.
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