I pondered this as one is quite near me.....they are heliports...more than likely hospitals.
I think it's ok to fly ...with caution ....I never found other info.
The go app always give me safe to fly ... The are not no fly areas
Traveling internationally - US to Australia - quick questions
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I think it's ok to fly ...with caution ....I never found other info.
The go app always give me safe to fly ... The are not no fly areas
OMG. After the ration of crap you gave me about flying where helicopters frequent, as if I would have even known that and here you are saying it's ok to fly with caution. What a selfish idiotic thing. Hypocrite and selfish.
BTW. I'm just dishing back. The real point here is to be a bit more respectful. No need to send insults. There are decisions made with any flight. We all have to make decisions on safety. Sometimes we make bad decisions and that is what I did.
No harm, no foul.
No harm, no foul.
Meta4
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If you are interested in sticking to the rules (Civil Aviation Safety Regulations Part 101), CASA don't distinguish between helicopters and other aircraft.
You may not operate within a radius of 5.5km of any aerodrome, airfield, airport, seaplanes taking off or landing, helicopter landing sites which may be located at hospitals, police stations or other locations that you may not be aware of. It is your responsibility to find out where they are and ignorance is no defense in the court of law.
I downloaded that Safe to Fly app and doesn't make sense. The green area shows to be a helipad area but it doesn't explain if that is ok to fly or not. The bay area and opera house are shown in green as well so it apparently does not recognize no fly areas. I don't find it that useful.
CASA (AUS FAA) says you shouldn't be flying within 5km radius of helipads. This pretty much covers the entire city. I'm not saying you should or shouldn't because that would just make me a hypocrite.
Just fly responsibly and be observant and stay within LOS. If you hear choppers, just drop to a safe altitude and/or land and go some where else.
Stay low key and listen to the authorities. And if the public feels uneasy about what you are doing, land and go somewhere else as you are most likely in the wrong when you are in populated areas.
The only thing I really want to fly now is North Head. I would love to get the cliffs over the ocean. But I doubt I will have the time to do it. So no worries, I won't be flying in the city at all. Even if I had time I would not fly in the city, except for that bay incident.. Which I figured was ok because I was over the water. But ah well... live and learn.
If you do get a chance to do North Head, be careful of the updraught from the cliff face - its strong and can get misty and from the waves below.
Ooo, good tip. I didn't think about that. IF I do that area I'll be sure to have some height on the drone before it goes over the cliff. Such a beautiful area I would love to go check it out. But my wife is coming tomorrow and we have just a few days to see some sights. Doubt she will want to head over to watch me fly the drone. Maybe.. but doubtful.
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Actually there is no law against flying within 5.5k of airports or helipads. It's a recommendation.
I agree I seem t contradict myself...and maybe yesterday got out of hand.
However, hospital helipads are not in use except in emergencies ..hence the with caution comment. I have a landing strip about 6.5 or more and no problems with no fly. Not until I downloaded Safe to fly, did I discover the green area...which near me...are all hospitals. While casa may or may to distinguish between the two ...safe to fly does!
You were flying in a high security risk area. The bridge is off limits.
CASA states: you may not fly over any populous area such as beaches,other people's backyards,heavily populated parks, or sports ovals where a game is I. Progress. If you are in controlled airspace - which covers most Australian cities...you must not fly higher than 400 feet. You must not fly closer than 30 metres to vehicles, boats, buildings or people.
The Botanical Gardens, is known Also as a park, it's a play area for all age groups and there are often weddings and other parties in progress.
Stand looking at the bridge and Opera House, behind you would be, around 1 km away, the Australian Royal Naval Docks....high security ? A little further on is a seaway landing strip for at least two float planes that take tourists around the bay, as do ...again, at least two Helicopters.
The ferry terminals, Opera House and around the bridge are regarded as high security risks because they are the centre of Sydney's tourist industry.
As mention yesterday, Australia "drone" laws are pretty easy going and rely on common sense.
One idiot crashed his quad into the bridge, result a total ban on flying near under or over it. That's how easy it is to have a restriction implemented... and a lost flying area.
I can be in the city any day if I choose and I could do what you did...if I chose. I have not and do not, simply because I do not want to be the one who creates a flying ban being enforced where now there is a fairly relaxed attitude.
The fact that seven security staff approached you must have raised the thought they were not expecting to confront an over enthusiastic tourist model aircraft flyer.
Huff and puff as much as you want, it's my opinion, that what you did contravenes CASA guidelines. Even if it was not the case, the security guards will have logged a report, because it's aircraft related it will be passed on to CASA and who knows what other departments. Add to that your description indicated your quad was a bit close to the helicopter...so if the pilots also makes a report, I can imagine a total no fly anything done to kites could be slapped on.
Flying with care and common sense, is not blindly reciting CAA, or whatever a countries AirPrint authorities are tagged, it's about not creating a situation and possible ramifications.
Why do you think you were the only person in the gardens with a quad?
Meta4, it was not about rules ...it was about common sense.
Reset this scenario with me going around the White House....how do you think it would go down?
The Area in and around the Botanical Gardens, through the Opera House, the ferry terminals and over to the museum of Modern Art, the Rocks and the Cruise Ship dock...are the centre of Sydney's tourist industry and regarded as a high security risk. The hole area is busy with tourists. If we want rules and regulations coming into it...check which bits of CASA come into play. Dodging helicopters?
The post about my local heliport was based on what I found about hospitals, so I also now claim ignorance of the regulation and interpreted in a casual way?
Near me there are no crowds of wandering tourists or tourist attractions to gather crowds of people and cannot be compared to an area regarded by the the government to be the centre of Sydney's multi million, high security risk, tourist industry.
It's not about rules and regulation...it's about consideration of the situation and common sense. Dodging helicopters or creating near miss alarms..does not qualifying my book....
As I said.....not real information ..and based on the fact that I dont get a no fly warning ...but being aware there is a heliport ...actually I am well clear of it...I wrote what I thought was applicable ...use caution?
As I wrote above, there is a difference between an hospital heliport and being in a location known for tourist flights on an hourly basis in season.
To be honest it was your comments about waiting for the helix to clear and then seeing a potential problem...left the quad hovering. My thoughts were ...if the pilot reports a near miss...just like the bridge incident, there will be a total no fly zone implemented to assure safety to the commercial tourist flight.
What followed was chaos!
The fact is that a few quad flyers do use the park....but stay at the back near Balmain and stay low in height and low profile. Stay away from be Opera house etc and nobody bugs them. They are guys who live near or work in the city and don't have a decent open space to do any flying.
One guy flies a Parrot BeBop, he has vids on YouTube, check and you will see what I mean?
Australia is fairly easy on quad flying ...of its done with common sense. What the local authorities don't like is being mugged..so offenders can get a hard time if it goes wrong.
Meta4
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Wolfweb .. are you sure you understand that we're discussing Australian regulations?
There is a law and it's .. Civil Aviation Safety Regulations Part 101
Meta4
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Q102 .. There's no need to keep on at this. You've made your point multiple times.
I'll say it again (and hope you take notice this time) .. Let it go
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Hello Meta4, I am sure I understand this is about Australian regulations. There is nothing about staying 5.5km from airports in CSR101. The answers to the question of can I or can't I fly within 5.5k of an aerodrome or helipad requires an understanding of the Airspace in which the UAV is operated when in proximity to an Aerodrome. Such factors as whether the UAV is being operated on the approach or departure path of an Aerodrome or creating a hazard or obstruction to aircraft using the Aerodrome needs to be considered. Noting that Helicopter Landing Areas (HLA) are also classed as Aerodromes in this situation is important, as the Approach and Departure paths at HLAs varies depending on the prevailing wind direction and as such, these paths can change during the day. It's in the “Flying with Control Brochure” which has approached the proximity-to-an-Aerodrome Question from a Risk based approach to ensure that the operation of UAVS by hobbyists do not present a hazard or obstruction to aircraft. Many sport and recreational operators of UAVs do not have an underpinning knowledge of Airspace and that is why the brochure says “You should not fly within 5.5 km of an airfield”. So, there is no law, per se, it's a recommendation, and a good one, but there is a law against causing an obstruction of course. I hope this clears it up for you.
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