Low flying bi plane - Incoming !

a31burgervan · Mar 14, 2017

Out yesterday surveying a field using a Litchi Mission plan. The altitude was set at 100m constant with the quad taking a series of pics - total flight time was 15 minutes

There were a few planes around lowest being 5500 feet alt and 3 miles away. (Got an app)

All going well then a yellow and black by plane came over the hill about 70 meters off the ground - and approx 100meters to the left of the drone. The quads path was in line with the plane so a quick pause if mission and let it go past - must admit it was a bit of a "pucker" moment

Anyone have any idea on minimum flight heights for U.K. Planes ?

Deleted member 62848 · Mar 14, 2017

a31burgervan said:
Out yesterday surveying a field using a Litchi Mission plan. The altitude was set at 100m constant with the quad taking a series of pics - total flight time was 15 minutes

There were a few planes around lowest being 5500 feet alt and 3 miles away. (Got an app)

All going well then a yellow and black by plane came over the hill about 70 meters off the ground - and approx 100meters to the left of the drone. The quads path was in line with the plane so a quick pause if mission and let it go past - must admit it was a bit of a "pucker" moment

Anyone have any idea on minimum flight heights for U.K. Planes ?

No but in NZ same deal had app called flight tracker,,so called live feed of ac in area,,no,,watch plane go past,,wasnt there on so called live feed tracker,,,very cautious what i download or upload now

Deleted member 62848 · Mar 14, 2017

a31burgervan said:
Out yesterday surveying a field using a Litchi Mission plan. The altitude was set at 100m constant with the quad taking a series of pics - total flight time was 15 minutes

There were a few planes around lowest being 5500 feet alt and 3 miles away. (Got an app)

All going well then a yellow and black by plane came over the hill about 70 meters off the ground - and approx 100meters to the left of the drone. The quads path was in line with the plane so a quick pause if mission and let it go past - must admit it was a bit of a "pucker" moment

Anyone have any idea on minimum flight heights for U.K. Planes ?

4got nz cant go above 400ft

but heaps do ,,i got planes and rescue choppers that fly just above 400 so gota keep me eyes open

,

Alex Baxter · Mar 14, 2017

Drones up to 400 feet, aircraft over 500 feet is the universal rule, but pilots, like drone operators won't stick to the rules on occasion.

Meta4 · Mar 14, 2017

a31burgervan said:
There were a few planes around lowest being 5500 feet alt and 3 miles away. (Got an app)

Your app shows planes carrying transponders reporting to air traffic control.
You'll notice it's all big planes like passenger jets but not many small general aviation aircraft flying VFR.
It does not show all aircraft and definitely does not show much at all of the low-flying aircraft you are interested in.

Meta4 · Mar 14, 2017

Alex Baxter said:
Drones up to 400 feet, aircraft over 500 feet is the universal rule, but pilots, like drone operators won't stick to the rules on occasion.

It's not a universal rule at all.
That's a popular misconception on drone forums but there are many situations where aircraft can fly lower than 500 feet and comply with their minimum safe altitude rules.
An Airspace Lesson for Drone Pilots - Learn About Airspace

BigAl07 · Mar 14, 2017

As Meta4 stated you'll not see a good portion of the "low & slow" planes on these aps. This is especially true in more rural areas and also in mountainous areas where radar is very limited due to terrain. 90% of the time when I'm flying manned aircraft here local I'm out of radar contact (VFR) and only come back on the "screen" when I'm within 10miles of the airport or above 1500'AGL.

Our current "System" of radars etc is not designed to pick up/track aircraft 500' off the ground so for many of us we are literally flying in the darkness in terms of flight following and how "Flight Tracker Aps" work.

We, as a responsible community need to get our facts straight and help teach others what really is allowed and what is mis-information.

a31burgervan · Mar 14, 2017

Thanks for the info gents, I didn't think the bi plane pilot was doing wrong just wondered what the quidlines were

Alex Baxter · Mar 14, 2017

Meta4 said:
It's not a universal rule at all.
That's a popular misconception on drone forums but there are many situations where aircraft can fly lower than 500 feet and comply with their minimum safe altitude rules.
An Airspace Lesson for Drone Pilots - Learn About Airspace

OK, a general rule then....

happydays · Mar 21, 2017

There's an airfield near me that offers 'jollies' to people to fly in a plane for their birthday etc. As I live on a very picturesque part of the coast, we quite often get flights by locals over the town and they regularly fly very low so the 'birthday boy' can get a good look at their house. A few weeks one was so low that I could read his registration number. I had to abandon a flight in a local park as a result. I reckon he was below 200' in a two seater Icarus microlight.

I messaged the airfield and told them of the incident and advised that there were often RC pilots flying in a park on the plane's flight path and asked him to ask his pilots to keep above 500'. I told him that if I saw a plane as low as this again over a congested urban area I wouldn't bother contacting him, I'd be straight on to the CAA. Heard nothing back.

a31burgervan · Mar 21, 2017

happydays said:
There's an airfield near me that offers 'jollies' to people to fly in a plane for their birthday etc. As I live on a very picturesque part of the coast, we quite often get flights by locals over the town and they regularly fly very low so the 'birthday boy' can get a good look at their house. A few weeks one was so low that I could read his registration number. I had to abandon a flight in a local park as a result. I reckon he was below 200' in a two seater Icarus microlight.

I messaged the airfield and told them of the incident and advised that there were often RC pilots flying in a park on the plane's flight path and asked him to ask his pilots to keep above 500'. I told him that if I saw a plane as low as this again over a congested urban area I wouldn't bother contacting him, I'd be straight on to the CAA. Heard nothing back.

Don't worry I used to have a registered helipad and received the monthly CAA crash reports -
80% were microlites so he probably won't. E a problem for long lol