Helicopters Flying low

[MrDankYT]

I live in the country side of Sweden and the laws state that you're only allowed to fly 10Meters high, but if outside 5km zone then you can fly 50 meters high.

Right over my house a lot of helicopters pass, military ones, in Sweden they're called Helicopter 16, which is actually a black hawk UH-60, sounds weird but in Sweden we take guns that already have names and give them basic names like, pistol 88 or automatic carbine 4.

The helicopters fly maybe 20 meters above my house and my house is 10 meters tall, since it's not illegal for me to fly exactly where they pass what would happen if one day im flying and a helicopter crashes into it?

Not looking to intentionally do it of course just curious.

 

[Deleted member 120647]

Are those helicopters being flown in a legal manner?

 

[dirkclod]

Welcome to the forum MrDank.
Well it wouldn't be good for them to collide but if you know they do that why fly there.
Find another spot where it isn't congested .

 

[Rick26h]

Being legal to fly or not is not the question, by our law you must fly 100 ft. below any aircraft, so if I have a Police chopper suddenly appear out of no where at 60 feet or so, I land immediately. I have flown in black hawks flying the Nap of the Earth, it's fast, stressing, and not much time to avoid a drone if you see one in your path. My way of dealing with low helos at home is that if I hear one coming, I'm landing where I can immediately until the threat passes. Human life is more important than flying within the law, land it.

 

[CPO Coastie]

I have the same problem here (Charles Town, West Virginia / USA). We have a State Department training facility not too far from us, and Fridays they do a wrap-up which includes live-fire exercises, escape and evasion, AND low level helicopters flying in and out of the grounds. Sometimes at just over tree top level. So my solution - I don't fly on Fridays, and if I do - I keep a sharp ear out. I can hear those Blackhawks far out enough to get my Phantom on the ground!
Another problem - The Air National Guard in Martinsburg will conduct low-level flight training using C-5 Galaxys. They are between 500-1000 feet, but they are SO HUGE they look like I can reach out and touch one. Especially when they fly right over our house!
Situational awareness - and respect the height restrictions will keep a drone to plane collision from happening!
Fly safe!

 

[Rick26h]

You have an excellent location, I miss all that action, love those C-5's, my base I used to be on was a C-5 base. Sometimes I wonder if the PD birds near me have sensors to know when I'm flying, it always seems that they appear out of no where and fly right over my house when I am up practicing. I'm the fire departments Chief UAS pilot, I had the police commander approach me once and tell me I was flying criminally because I was flying in class C airspace. Little did he know that I was licensed, knew the laws, informed the tower that I was doing flight operations in this one area, plus had an FAA waiver to fly in this airspace. It didn't matter to him, he ordered me to put my UAV in my vehicle or he'd arrest me. Needless to say, I obeyed his commands, his chopper pilot was telling him this stuff because they wanted to do a flyby, I would of grounded my bird anyway if they appeared.

 

[DigitalSkyPilot]

I fly in a remote area of Michigan. The air traffic app doesn't work on military aircraft. I understand that but as usual with typical government regulation we are allowed to fly 400 ft. They come over the trees at a high speed at 100 to 200 ft. I can see the rivots holding them together. Of course I avoid but it's absolute crazy to have such a situation. And of course the drone pilot is guilty if there is a close encounter. The military said they are going to start allowing aircraft to fly at a lower altitude for training purposes. The last military aircraft flying low was a fighter jet from Wales practicing over our beach. We are over a hundred miles or more from a military airstrip . Makes me think about if I was fishing without a license I'd be fined or jailed, but if I cross the border illegally I can get a drivers license, social security, and a education. The government regulation is insane. I respect flight regulations but they put us at risk for causing an accident. There is no way you can come down fast enough.

 

[BigAl07]

I live in the country side of Sweden and the laws state that you're only allowed to fly 10Meters high, but if outside 5km zone then you can fly 50 meters high.

Right over my house a lot of helicopters pass, military ones, in Sweden they're called Helicopter 16, which is actually a black hawk UH-60, sounds weird but in Sweden we take guns that already have names and give them basic names like, pistol 88 or automatic carbine 4.

The helicopters fly maybe 20 meters above my house and my house is 10 meters tall, since it's not illegal for me to fly exactly where they pass what would happen if one day im flying and a helicopter crashes into it?

Not looking to intentionally do it of course just curious.

First off... WELCOME to the forum

It's ironic you ask about the UH-60 because that's exactly what was impacted by a Phantom 4 last year. Thank goodness it was a "structurally well protected" aircraft or the outcome might have been a lot work. Imagine if it had been a smaller less robust system, like a Robinson R22

Here's the NTSB report about it:

Page not found

www.ntsb.gov

Last I heard the repairs cost us (US tax payers) roughly $250K but that's a lot less than a loss of life.

 

[BigAl07]

Being legal to fly or not is not the question, by our law you must fly 100 ft. below any aircraft, so if I have a Police chopper suddenly appear out of no where at 60 feet or so, I land immediately. I have flown in black hawks flying the Nap of the Earth, it's fast, stressing, and not much time to avoid a drone if you see one in your path. My way of dealing with low helos at home is that if I hear one coming, I'm landing where I can immediately until the threat passes. Human life is more important than flying within the law, land it.

Very well said. My only question is can you cite the 100' below regulation? I'm not saying it's wrong I just haven't seen that regulation and I'd like to be able to cite it going forward if needed.

Allen

 

[MrDankYT]

Thanks for your replies and I of course understand that I would land my aircraft as soon as I hear one. My question which was "What would happen" wasn't answered, my guess is that you would be blamed for not lowering the aircraft when hearing that another aircraft was present. No need to reply to this anymore if it's just to tell me something since I won't read it. Thanks.

 

[Andy9]

It is very unfair. Aircrafts and helicopters in particular can fly very low. Much lower than they are allowed and doesn't matter. But if you fly a drone you are guilty in advance for whatever may happen. In such environment described above the only action you can do is ESC - shut the motors. But you'll have to buy a lot of drones then. And what is the point? Don't fly in such areas!

 

[Andy9]

Thanks for your replies and I of course understand that I would land my aircraft as soon as I hear one. My question which was "What would happen" wasn't answered, my guess is that you would be blamed for not lowering the aircraft when hearing that another aircraft was present. No need to reply to this anymore if it's just to tell me something since I won't read it. Thanks.

If nothing happens and you fly by the law, then nothing. Otherwise it is bad for you.
As it been said that immediately land if you hear an aircraft coming. That is OK but no need to exactly land. You can lower the drone to a let's say less than 10m and no one can blame you if something happens. An airplane or heli flying so low can hit everything what is higher than 10m and almost every tree is that high.

 

[Recoveryone]

It is very unfair. Aircrafts and helicopters in particular can fly very low. Much lower than they are allowed and doesn't matter. But if you fly a drone you are guilty in advance for whatever may happen. In such environment described above the only action you can do is ESC - shut the motors. But you'll have to buy a lot of drones then. And what is the point? Don't fly in such areas!

I'm sure the airspace rules in other countries may differ than here in the US, so it is hard to give solid advice other than common sense. In the US, Airspace rules date back as far as flight itself, and those rules are not changed just because some newer technology has come out. Many flight zones have been establish for decades and still reference analog technology (sectional charts). Manned aircraft will always be given the right of way of airspace no matter the altitude, as drone operators we are sharing their space not the other way around. In the US military/Government flight zones are marked on charts and part of our testing it states that military flight routes and zones cover from ground to ceiling limit, so if you live in an area that has military flight routes or training zone you will have to bare in mind that you are operating in their airspace.

 

[BigAl07]

...... No need to reply to this anymore if it's just to tell me something since I won't read it. Thanks.

Quite the attitude there sir . . . . We generally try to play a little bit nicer here especially when WE are here ASKING for advice/info. My 2 cents there. . . .

As far as "what would happen to you as a UAS operator" it's hard to say since you live in another country.... but in the US even if you are doing everything by the book and there is an sUAS to Manned aircraft incident, even if the Manned aircraft is supposedly breaking the rules.... sUAS will be at fault. I'm not assuming this as I know for a fact is has happened in the past (2010 IIRC). sUAS (RC Plane) was operating on a CLOSED runway with the Airport Operator standing by his side. A manned aircraft decided to do a high-speed flyby right down the runway center-line and flew THROUGH the R/C airplane (now called sUAS). Manned aircraft landed with some significant damage and the R/C plane (high dollar stunt plane) was completely destroyed.

The R/C plane operator was cited even though he did EVERYTHING by the book and the manned aircraft was flying in a reckless manner.

 

[Recoveryone]

Quite the attitude there sir . . . . We generally try to play a little bit nicer here especially when WE are here ASKING for advice/info. My 2 cents there. . . .

As far as "what would happen to you as a UAS operator" it's hard to say since you live in another country.... but in the US even if you are doing everything by the book and there is an sUAS to Manned aircraft incident, even if the Manned aircraft is supposedly breaking the rules.... sUAS will be at fault. I'm not assuming this as I know for a fact is has happened in the past (2010 IIRC). sUAS (RC Plane) was operating on a CLOSED runway with the Airport Operator standing by his side. A manned aircraft decided to do a high-speed flyby right down the runway center-line and flew THROUGH the R/C airplane (now called sUAS). Manned aircraft landed with some significant damage and the R/C plane (high dollar stunt plane) was completely destroyed.

The R/C plane operator was cited even though he did EVERYTHING by the book and the manned aircraft was flying in a reckless manner.

You cite an event that occurred in 2010, how many rules have been applied over that time period. Part 107 wasn't even establish back then as Part 61 was the standard I believe? Every word I stated was factual, based on todays standards. So if your feelings got a bite hurt, buckle up butter cup, drone operations in the US and many other places are coming under very close watch and not only by the FAA. Drones are becoming a polictical buzz word as this trade war with China heats up. The last thing we need as a drone community is people acting with no common sense. For myself, I am a big supporter of registration and mandatory testing for all that fly. Drones are classified as aircraft just like bicycles are classified as vehicles, we all should obey the rules.

 

[BigAl07]

You cite an event that occurred in 2010, how many rules have been applied over that time period. Part 107 wasn't even establish back then as Part 61 was the standard I believe? Every word I stated was factual, based on todays standards. So if your feelings got a bite hurt, buckle up butter cup, drone operations in the US and many other places are coming under very close watch and not only by the FAA. Drones are becoming a polictical buzz word as this trade war with China heats up. The last thing we need as a drone community is people acting with no common sense. For myself, I am a big supporter of registration and mandatory testing for all that fly. Drones are classified as aircraft just like bicycles are classified as vehicles, we all should obey the rules.

First off... I QUOTED the OP and it had nothing to do with you. You need to check a little closer before you go off like that.

Second... I am possibly one of the largest PROPONENTS of Safe, Legal, and Ethical sUAS Operations. I not only support registration, regulation, and COMMON sense I eat, sleep, and breathe it. In fact, truth be told, I think the current "testing" is just a pinch above a joke and should be much more difficult and include an actual Proficiently Flight to show you can even manipulate an sUAS safely and legally.

Lastly, coming in with decades (Not a typo) of sUAS experience as well as decades of manned flight experience I have no need for you to try and "school me" on regulations (61 or Part 107 TYVM). I am fairly confident that my sUAS credentials probably quite easily trump yours.

Sorry to the OP and others for the rant.

 

[dirkclod]

No need to be sorry BA as most here know where you stand and those that don't will learn soon enough.

Thanks for your replies and I of course understand that I would land my aircraft as soon as I hear one. My question which was "What would happen" wasn't answered, my guess is that you would be blamed for not lowering the aircraft when hearing that another aircraft was present. No need to reply to this anymore if it's just to tell me something since I won't read it. Thanks.

Well if your not interested in reading no more post I see no need for this to continue . Just consider it closed