Notify FAA??
- Thread starter CatMan42
- Start date
Flight Radar24 requires the tracked airplane to be under Air Traffic Control. A lot of the time pilots cancel flight following 5 miles out at smaller uncontrolled fields and do a VFR approach. Still, if they go below 500 feet agl, that in itself is a violation of regulations. Don't ask how I know......
I was flying a Mooney one day and did a few low passes around and near the Boy Scout Camp where my son was camping that weekend. As I flew by, everyone waved except one scout leader off by himself
He seemed to be writing something....yep, my tail number. Turns out, he works for the FAA!! I was charged by the FAA for flying below 1000 feet above an open air assembly of people and careless and reckless flying. Lost my license for 30 days.
He seemed to be writing something....yep, my tail number. Turns out, he works for the FAA!! I was charged by the FAA for flying below 1000 feet above an open air assembly of people and careless and reckless flying. Lost my license for 30 days.
At least it was only 30 days. Could have been worse. What are the odds of that ONE guy being there LOL! Sounds like my kind of luck.
I know of NO approach plates that show anywhere near 400' 7-10 miles from an airport servicing any commercial airlines like Southwest. Nor would I take an altitude change from ATC of 400' over a populated area surrounding DFW/Love Field.
400 ft is getting near the abort minimums for visual verification of runway at the last moment in bad weather.
Most approaches are somewhere near 2500 ft @ 8 miles.
400 ft is getting near the abort minimums for visual verification of runway at the last moment in bad weather.
Most approaches are somewhere near 2500 ft @ 8 miles.
Just checking 
I'm actually waiting on a range finder to be delivered so I can either confirm or debunk the height.
I'm actually waiting on a range finder to be delivered so I can either confirm or debunk the height.
RodPad
Premium Pilot
It doesn't use a laser does it?Just checking
I'm actually waiting on a range finder to be delivered so I can either confirm or debunk the height.
LOL, no, it's primarily used for hunting and has a range of 30 to 600 yards. Give me just a little bit a credit!! I only use the laser off of the bird itself!! (just kidding)
RodPad
Premium Pilot
Har, har, A friend loaned me his it goes I think, 1 mile and 1/2 with a laser. He uses it with his 50 cal.
If you were low enough for him to see your tail number (presumably with unaided vision) , and you were low enough to see him writing on a piece of paper....... exactly how low were you? Does your unhappiness stem from getting reported?, or from the penalty you were assessed?
Take a photo with any structure in the frame. The FAA will take the tail number and the photo, determine actual height and he will likely get from $1000 to $2500 fine.LOL, no, it's primarily used for hunting and has a range of 30 to 600 yards. Give me just a little bit a credit!! I only use the laser off of the bird itself!! (just kidding)
I shoot emergency landings in a particular farm field and I recover at a hard deck limit of 1000 ft AGL. Evidently others do too as I had a Captain ask me if I knew about the pilot hitting the residential power lines at the end of the field..........so people do watch and report.
You should too if as low as you said. If the donkey quits at 400' or lower a 7:1 GS will only get you as far as the crash scene......
We abort at 1,000' AGL as well. Even then it's too low to do anything but hang on and grunt real hard if the bangs quit banging under the cowl lol.
I was over the lake, not over the camp. I was at 500 agl. He did not take pic and stated in the paperwork that in his opinion, I was too low to recover in the event of engine failure. The tail number on this particular plane were 12" tall. Easy to read from 500 feet. My unhappiness stemmed from both. I was at 500' agl over a lake and had several options in the event of engine failure. When I argued my case, this guy just laughed and said "Go ahead and fight it! Do you have enough money to fight the FAA?". At that point, I did not. They "negotiated" my charges down to the one month and dropped the careless and reckless.
Actually, I've been an AOPA member for 25 years and did have a legal plan. I chose not to go that route due to the $$ and time it would have taken. At the time, I was a private pilot but got my multi and commercial during this period.
Wow the app and the stories are real good news for me as I had a know it all so called pilot come to the front of my house and ***** my wife out just after I had been flying and had just went inside to put away my quad. She came in and told me about this fat guy from somewhere down my street who came complaining that "Dont you know how stupid you are for flying a drone? You are diverting air traffic. I am a pilot and dont you have any common sense?" I mean what a fricking jerk! I told her if anyone comes again talking to you like that to get me right away! I would have torn this guy to shreds for simply talking to my wife that way. But as we all know from the stories on this forum there is always some jerk who is completely out of his mind because you were flying your drone. I would have called the cops on him! And made sure that I got his name and address just in case.
I am a very safe UAV pilot and I always look and listen for nearby aircraft as none of us want to ever be the first to bring down a commercial aircraft or any aircraft for that matter. I live 9.4 miles away from FLL and there are days that air traffic would pass over my area based on wind direction that day. So I am always safety minded and will not fly if I think I could even be near any planes. So now with the app and some good info if this jerk comes a complaining again I have some good rebutal material for him. Thanks!
I am a very safe UAV pilot and I always look and listen for nearby aircraft as none of us want to ever be the first to bring down a commercial aircraft or any aircraft for that matter. I live 9.4 miles away from FLL and there are days that air traffic would pass over my area based on wind direction that day. So I am always safety minded and will not fly if I think I could even be near any planes. So now with the app and some good info if this jerk comes a complaining again I have some good rebutal material for him. Thanks!
Not to mention I have some real good lights that just about any aircraft could see! 20160301_185335.mp4
PS I have never flown over 400 ft and usually fly at 230 to 250ft
PS I have never flown over 400 ft and usually fly at 230 to 250ft
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Well the fat guy called the FAA hotline and complained about me. My wife was contacted by a guy from the FAA and now they want to come out and have a safety talk with me and give me some pamphlets. I spoke to the guy for about 20 mins today and after our conversation he was pretty cool because he can tell Im a safety minded person. And know a lot about the locations of nearby airports etc. Im 9.4 miles from FLL and the park where I usually fly is 17 miles away from the airport. In our converstaion I did tell him about low flying aircraft at the parks model airfeild. The place where we are designated to be able to fly safely. I have seen commercial air traffic there at 600-800 ft estimated. Low enough to make me very uncomfortable and wanting to call the air tower to see if they are aware of a model airfeild at that location. So this Tuesday I will get a visit and Ill let you guys know how the FAA behaves. From the conversation I think it should be a friendly visit. But with these things you never know. I usually dont take off and land from outside the front of my townhouse unless its to do a quick flight and test something out like my new lights or a new set of props. But since the incident I have refrained from any further residential area flying because I dont want any problems with my neighbor or the FAA for that matter. God forbid a prop failure or electrical failure on my Phantom and it go down and hit a car or something. So I dont fly at home anymore. But will keep an eye on any low flying planes at the model airfeild where I usually fly. Because if I cant fly there then what am I to do?
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