DJI Phantom 4 Pro & 2 huge military planes close fly by

[CactusJackSlade]

10 years ago I was flying in Mexico at a beach area near the San Felipe Marina. I was shooting the Hobie Midwinters West Sailing Regatta.. a Mexican Navy helicopter came whipping over the levy wall about 40 feet above the deck (he was BELOW me!)... Back then we did still shots only really... we only sometimes recorded the video downlink... this happened to be one of those times.

15 second mark:

 

[iflyhelis]

Good job seeing them and descending. Where is this -- I'm thinking socal and if so you may have been in one of the restricted special use airspace zones that occupy a huge portion of southern and central California.

Take a look here and find the spot you were flying.

U.S. Air Space Map | Know Before You Fly

Also, in case you do not already have it download the B4UFLY app for iOS and Android.

Again, good eyes and appropriate response -- I bet they never saw you...


Brian

Look at the video again, the C-130 on the right veered left & the C-130 on the left veered right, they both saw him. He did the right thing, go towards the ground. They were not very high up.

 

[Timtro]

KingDad1985, -

You're not the only one who likes to fly "in the middle of nowhere", as the video demonstrated. Whether the military guys were "hot dogging" or not, YOU are required to avoid THEM, which is what you did.

Even if you're flying hobby it's still a good idea to become familiar air navigation maps. I found a military drone VR route near me that shows 200 ft AGL.

daveisim I stand corrected about the Victor route - confused with VR route. I know better.

 

[leegreen13]

I am studying for the sUAS Remote Pilot in Control exam (14 CFR). So I'd like to know if I am seeing this wrong.

From the chart you have shown, you were inside the solid magnet line. This is Class C, a controlled air space. Also there is a circled R, being restricted air space.
1) Even a RPIC is required to get written approval here.
2) Without the RPIC, I and understand the must apply to the 5 mile rule. Can't fly within 5 miles of any airport, without permission.

Am I wrong here???

 

[daveisim]

I don't think anyone mentioned that dark line is a military training route. The V12 is actually V012 (the leading zero is left off)...

What dark line? If you are referring to the vfr map in post#18 then I'll disagree. Or are we talking about a different map? V12 is not a military training route. The blue line of V12 is a Victor Airway, Class E, 1200AGL & up, 8NM miles wide.

I don't understand why you say there is a missing zero in V12? When I fly east and file a flight plan, I file V2, not not V02 or V002.

There are a few MTR's, as you mention, just south of Apple Valley : VR1265, VR1257, VR1217-1218, and to the right of it is VR1214-1215-1264

 

[daveisim]

From the chart you have shown, you were inside the solid magnet line. This is Class C, a controlled air space. Also there is a circled R, being restricted air space

Post #18 chart? The magenta you see is fading, not solid. Indicates the transition of Class E from 1200 to 700AGL inside the boundary. Also a Class C airspace would show the altitude like a fraction:

4500
-------
1500

The circled R is a private airport. Restricted areas are marked like R-1234 and designated with comb like lines . Of note, the same size circle with a X over it is an abandoned airport.

 

[KingDad1985]

I thought that looked like the Barstow area. You were near the Vulcan Gravel mine company right there. That company goes way back to WWII, mining high sulfur iron ore from the Vulcan mine pit about 85mi due east of there, near Mitchell Caverns. That Vulcan mine pit would be totally awesome to fly someday, it's absolutely on my bucket list. It's very deep, maybe about a 400' deep hole in the ground, 600' long, 200' wide, it's huge! They hauled the iron ore to the Kelso train station (population 2000 during WWII) and it was transported to Fontana where Kaiser Steel processed it to make Sherman tanks.

I went back and flew over that grey hill. Looks really cool. I'll post in a little

 

[KingDad1985]

I thought that looked like the Barstow area. You were near the Vulcan Gravel mine company right there. That company goes way back to WWII, mining high sulfur iron ore from the Vulcan mine pit about 85mi due east of there, near Mitchell Caverns. That Vulcan mine pit would be totally awesome to fly someday, it's absolutely on my bucket list. It's very deep, maybe about a 400' deep hole in the ground, 600' long, 200' wide, it's huge! They hauled the iron ore to the Kelso train station (population 2000 during WWII) and it was transported to Fontana where Kaiser Steel processed it to make Sherman tanks.

 

[Raptorman0909]

Look at the video again, the C-130 on the right veered left & the C-130 on the left veered right, they both saw him. He did the right thing, go towards the ground. They were not very high up.

Oh, I doubt they saw the drone -- they were probably 3/4 mile away at the point when they changed direction and there's little chance they saw the drone against the background of the earth. I can see my drone out to about half a mile and a bit more on occasion but then I know where to look. If I take my eyes off it it's very difficult to reacquire even though you know where to look. Additionally, although the drone was moving it was moving towards then away from the direction of flight if the C-130's so there was very little lateral velocity component -- it's easier to see something moving side to side than to and fro.


Brian

 

[KingDad1985]

Oh, I doubt they saw the drone -- they were probably 3/4 mile away at the point when they changed direction and there's little chance they saw the drone against the background of the earth. I can see my drone out to about half a mile and a bit more on occasion but then I know where to look. If I take my eyes off it it's very difficult to reacquire even though you know where to look. Additionally, although the drone was moving it was moving towards then away from the direction of flight if the C-130's so there was very little lateral velocity component -- it's easier to see something moving side to side than to and fro.


Brian

It definitely looked like they seen me. The video is one thing but in person it was a whole different story

 

[Raptorman0909]

It definitely looked like they seen me. The video is one thing but in person it was a whole different story

Well, I see very little chance they saw the drone with there eyes, but it is possible the radar picked it up.


Brian

 

[KingDad1985]

It definitely looked like they seen me. The video is one thing but in person it was a whole different story

The video makes it look alot farther than it looked in person. It's like the side mirrors on a car. "Objects are closer than there appear"

 

[Joe Glenn]

Were you in an MOA? ( Military Operations Area) On my solo cross country in a Cessna 152 in 1987 I was flying through an MOA and two F-16 coming from the opposite direction passed just off my left wing. I did not even see them until there were right on me. I'm sure they had me on Radar plus the plane I was flying was painted bright Orange!

 

[Raptorman0909]

The video makes it look alot farther than it looked in person. It's like the side mirrors on a car. "Objects are closer than there appear"

I've analysed the video a bit closer ... here's what I get...

1. Planes first visible at 2:48.

2. At 3:07 the lead plane is, by my calculation, about 250 feet above the hilltop it's passing over. C-130 wingspan is 133 feet and the height is just under two wingspans.

3. At 3:10 lead plane begins to bank a bit left.

4. At 3:18 the shadow passes drone. Shadow of bushes on the ground nearly 90 degrees to flight path.

5. Assuming an airspeed of about 250 fps (170mph) that would mean the lead plane began to turn about 2000 feet from the drone. But, since it would have taken a second or two for the pilot to react and for the plane to react it's a good bet the pilot would have had to see the drone at about half a mile against the earth. Again, not likely!


Brian

 

[ianwood]

This is close to restricted military airspace but not in it. Edwards is right near there. It's not uncommon to see and hear military aircraft on maneuvers. When we were filming there, we had a fighter jet buzz our set more than once. Apparently, they like to do that. And we could hear high altitude military planes a lot. I don't think any of these military planes are doing anything unauthorized. Everything out there is probably being closely tracked.

 

[JerEl]

On Google Earth I see there is an extremely large solar generating plant out there in the desert. Where does all that electricity go? Maybe the mining company? In any case that would make some great aerial videos flying around that site. I haven't seen one that large before.

In fact there are a lot of interesting sites out there in the desert where one would think there was nothing but miles of cacti and bones from the humans and animals that ran out of water.

 

[Raptorman0909]

On Google Earth I see there is an extremely large solar generating plant out there in the desert. Where does all that electricity go? Maybe the mining company? In any case that would make some great aerial videos flying around that site. I haven't seen one that large before.

In fact there are a lot of interesting sites out there in the desert where one would think there was nothing but miles of cacti and bones from the humans and animals that ran out of water.

Yeah, there's a number of solar plants I'd like to film though you don't want to actually overfly the site for several reasons. First, I don't want to risk pissing them off and having them call the popo. Second, the solar sites that use a solar tower with heliostats have areas that flying through would burn up your drone in a heartbeat.

There's a place south of Primm NV that I want to shoot as they have three fields of heliostats and towers.


Brian

 

[KingDad1985]

Yeah, there's a number of solar plants I'd like to film though you don't want to actually overfly the site for several reasons. First, I don't want to risk pissing them off and having them call the popo. Second, the solar sites that use a solar tower with heliostats have areas that flying through would burn up your drone in a heartbeat.

There's a place south of Primm NV that I want to shoot as they have three fields of heliostats and towers.


Brian

Yes I've flown near that one. I have video somewhere I'll try to find it

 

[Raptorman0909]

Yes I've flown near that one. I have video somewhere I'll try to find it

Please do, always good to have a better lay of the land before going to places. I do give Google Earth a work out doing that...


Brian

 

[KingDad1985]

I'll look through my pc right now and find it. Give me a few as I have so many to go through unlabeled haha