Low flying plane, near miss

[SteveMann]

Personally I'm tired of my house being buzzed by aircraft @ full throttle in the early hours of the morning - waking my butt up @ 6 am (the 30 mins I lose is just terrible!) AVGAS planes (non jets) don't have mufflers....and it's my opinion none of them should ever fly under 3,000 ft AGL except when landing/taking off.

I don't think the laser rangefinder works that far, but avoid the cockpit because that would be a federal violation. I really, really doubt that the airplanes over your house are below 500 ft. And I can't think of a single production GA aircraft model that doesn't have a muffler. Also, many, if not most pilots fly over 3000 ft AGL, but for short hops it's not unusual for them to be between 1000 ft and 3000 ft. AGL. Are you going to pay for the extra fuel burn to climb to 3000 ft only to begin descending again?

 

[justin00]

seems like asking for trouble flying at 380 feet, 5 miles from an airport (regardless if you can or not)... but thats just me.

 

[Meta4]

I would suggest anyone who thinks they'll encounter lower-than-regulation aircraft (or for those that already have, even) should have a laser range finder on them/with them. That'll make it easier to determine exactly how high these things are when they fly overhead.

That might show how far the plane is from the observer but determining height agl is going to be a whole other problem.

 

[Happyflyer]

.....The U.S. government is the most highly-dysfunctional organization in the history of humankind..... [/b]

Well, you sure got that one correct!

 

[isky172]

Personally I'm tired of my house being buzzed by aircraft @ full throttle in the early hours of the morning - waking my butt up @ 6 am (the 30 mins I lose is just terrible!) AVGAS planes (non jets) don't have mufflers....and it's my opinion none of them should ever fly under 3,000 ft AGL except when landing/taking off.

I don't think the laser rangefinder works that far, but avoid the cockpit because that would be a federal violation. I really, really doubt that the airplanes over your house are below 500 ft. And I can't think of a single production GA aircraft model that doesn't have a muffler. Also, many, if not most pilots fly over 3000 ft AGL, but for short hops it's not unusual for them to be between 1000 ft and 3000 ft. AGL. Are you going to pay for the extra fuel burn to climb to 3000 ft only to begin descending again?

Steve,

Really? You're first sentence tells me everything I need to know. It really doesn't matter what you "think" when it comes to laser range finders. You can cross your fingers and "really really hope it's true", but in the end I recommend you go buy one and try it out. You'll find them at any golf pro shop or hunting supply store. And regarding your comments about MY experience with aircraft flying low over MY house, I suggest you "really really" have ZERO knowledge about what "I" experience from day to day.

As a resident of said house, I'm certain of what I see and measure (empirically/scientifically). As a user of laser range finders, I'm certain of what I see and measure (empirically/scientifically). As a GA private pilot, I'm well aware of what I'm talking about.

Are you starting to get what I'm putting down?

 

[Wheat]

Steve - I was just over 5 miles from the airport. It was very clear the aircraft was there to observe (and probably photograph) the Costco. He was not put there by ATC for waiting. He dove down towards the store and then pulled up after he flew over it and then circled closely to it about 4 or 5 times. I agree my drone was never in danger where it was. I would also agree that the even if I was in that area, a collision would be unlikely, but possible. I don't think him or I would want to be in that same airspace only a few hundred feet apart. If I would have flown in the same area as him, I would be within my rights, but I would be called the irresponsible one. I could have continued to fly in my area but I came straight down. I just wish I didn't have my camera pointing down toward the ground when the plane was flying by. It would have made some interesting evidence with the video from the quad.

 

[SteveMann]

As a resident of said house, I'm certain of what I see and measure (empirically/scientifically). As a user of laser range finders, I'm certain of what I see and measure (empirically/scientifically). As a GA private pilot, I'm well aware of what I'm talking about.

Are you starting to get what I'm putting down?

Nope - I have no clue.

Have you used your laser rangefinder to determine the aircraft's altitude? Most eyewitnesses are "certain" that they are being buzzed, but when analyzed, they are almost always way off on their estimates. If you are regularly buzzed at 6AM, then wake up early and get a photo of the offender. Pass this information to the FAA to investigate. If the FAA thinks there is a safety issue then they will take action.

This reminds me of the people who move to a home next to an airport then complain about the airplane noise.

 

[Wheat]

I got an update from the FAA. The tower had him on radar the whole time and they did not believe he was below 1000 feet. The FAA reviewed the tapes and the radar shows he did go down to about 700' above the ground level a few times when he dove down. They are going to give him a warning.

 

[bighi]

Sometimes I wonder what the JAA here in Europe allows since I'm constantly seeing aircraft cruising around all the time deep below 400 feet AGL. At least 7 miles from the nearest airport. It wasn't until I started flying phantoms with telemetry that I realised just how low these guys were flying. Why? Beats me. Sure, they are flying around the Alps sight seeing, but still below 400ft AGL. Forget even 500.