LOW FLYING AIRCRAFTS!!!!!!!

Hi guys, I thought I may just give my two cents on all this as a civil helicopter pilot.
I've never been on a horse, i merely cam on here to ask advice about about some horse stuff thats been inherited.... However this thread just caught my eye....

Anyway, low flying aircraft.... No civil aircraft can legally fly lower than 500ft and 600 metres horizontally from the tallest structure UNLESS taking off or landing..... Or without permission from the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority)
To be honest, the CAA won't do much unless these rules are broken.
But what this does mean technically, if you imagine lots of fields with no structure/man/vehicle/vessel's and a distance of 600 metres or more from any of the above, a helicopter can go and legally hover 2 feet off the ground, just not make contact with it, as all landings require land owners permission.... But he went be breaking any law....

All do respect to the poster who said aircraft are flying at 50ft.... All I can say is this is very inaccurate. Any aeroplane will be at 50 feet before he/she has even cleared the lentgh of the runway, imagine it like this, your house is about 32-37 feet...... (an average house)

It's proven, not even pilots can make accurate measurements of aircraft height above ground level, after test's the average was 200 feet difference in opinions. (this is done when estimating cloud base) so people usually imagine aircraft are alot lot closer than they actually are, hence a lot lower.
There are commercialy working helicopters who have to work low to the ground to survey Gas pipes and Electric pylons all over the country everyday so we can all have power.... we're never there very long anyway
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Thats civil 'G' registered aircraft.....
Military aircraft is a different story, they pretty much do as they like, will, and will get away with it..... You can contact the MOD over and over but they will have the overall say, same goes for the CAA, MOD and CAA will over rule Council, Police, Government anybody when it comes to aircraft so the only people you can go to are the CAA for Civil Aircraft and MOD of Military aircraft.

We must remember and regardless of whats right or wrong about it, we are at war with another country and in pretty bad shape with alot of others.... There is ALOT of pilot training going on, RAF and Army Air Corp so you may expect a few more buzzing around.
Our main fighter plane is in the middle of being replaced, as said above, the EuroFighter Typhoon is being put to the test at Conigsby and other airfields, perhaps for all our safety.... Please take a minute to check out how many times the RAF have scrambled fast jets in the last 12 months... Russians are reguarly testing our defence times.... This means these guys will be flying flat out, low level anytime of the night... and armed!

The suggestion for high-vis jackets/vests is GREAT! I personally have avoided llanding at a private site upon seeing a couple of horses and riders very close by, this was down to there jackets, I climbed away, did a quick orbit and then decended back into the site once they were clear... so they do work and we do care!
And just quickly I would say if your going to go out and by one now for the very reason that pilots can see you that little bit better, by an orange one! not yellow, my tip... ALL pilots are always looking and use to looking for a bright orange windsock! they will see you VERY quickly! promise
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But please do bare in mind, some helicopters and aircaft are there to work to make your general life a little bit better (and youwont realise how much they do) and remember our boy's and girls in the forces are working extremely hard right now and deserve a break.....

Safe riding!

p.s not a rant just thought it may help some folks out....
 
A few minor points in the above statement are not correct.... but thank you spidey for your input and welcome to the forums!
"Military aircraft is a different story, they pretty much do as they like, will, and will get away with it."

Not so!!!! They are regulated! If a military aircraft was to 'buzz' anyone heads would roll!!!!

"the CAA, MOD and CAA will over rule Council, Police, Government anybody when it comes to aircraft "

see the case of Dennis v Ministry of Defence [2003] EWHC 793 (QB);[2003] Env L.R.34

and a few other points.... but its nice to see you at least try to balance the argument! Thank you!
 
Sorry but the military pilots do get away with what they like.... two C-130's crossed our local airfield departure point at 300 feet a couple of weeks ago! We're still 4-5 miles away from there MATZ and 10 miles from the ATZ so they has no legal right to be that low, especially over an active airfield tha was very busy....

I only know they were that low because I had just taken off and I was at 400 feet and they were below me.....

They may, as you say be regulated, but there regulated by them selfs.... They don't have to follow the same Aviation Laws as Civil aircraft, and next to what we can do, trust me they get away with alot more.... A few of my friends fly for the RAF and say exactly the same thing.... they know nobody will argue with them because its the simple trick that 'pilot in command' has the overall say of what and how that aircraft operates.... and it's damn hard to try and discredit a pilot in a court room when probably nobody in there has even sat in an aircraft.....

Yes maybe the odd case gets through to the courts, but very very rarely! The CAA will jump on any pilot as soon as they can fine them with the fine going in the CAA's pocket, but Out of thousands of complaints the tiniest percentage actually go any further.

"and a few other points.... but its nice to see you at least try to balance the argument! Thank you!"
I'm intrigued, what do you think I have wrong in my statement?

P.S, are you a pilot? I see your in Lincs, are you near Coningsby?
 
Forgive me Spidey, but as you are a relative newcomer to this site, I won't be discussing in any detail what I do, suffice it to say, I know enough. By all means I can suggest you take your post and post it on PPRUNE, in the military section and then you might even see me there!
 
It was just a question, Not in anyway dig, I have read your first post on this thread so I need not go on about. I just wanted to know what you felt was wrong with my post after you posted "and a few points".....

I am also on pprune but this was a post on here for the people talking about low flying aircraft.... not pprune, i'm sure most on pprune know about low flying aircraft..... how exaxtly would that benefit any horse riders?

Anyway i'm not here to argue with anyone, it was my two cents which you felt was wrong but then failed to come back and tell me why... instead you try and push me onto another forum??.....

I'll leave it at that.

Safe riding.
 
Posting on PPRUNE about horse riding and low flying aircraft is actually very common and I should think airing ones views to military pilots would be of great benefit to the horse community. You are perfectly entitled to your two cents and indeed they are welcomed. I mean no offence but if you are prepared to repeat what you allege to be an illegal activity by your RAF pilot friends on an open forum, your credibility will be questioned!
"A few of my friends fly for the RAF and say exactly the same thing.... they know nobody will argue with them because its the simple trick that 'pilot in command' has the overall say of what and how that aircraft operates.... and it's damn hard to try and discredit a pilot in a court room when probably nobody in there has even sat in an aircraft....."

Once in the courts domain, the MOD will not have sole charge and many experts will be brought in. True, most judges will not know about the technicalities of flying fast jets/civilian planes, nor do they know about medical procedures as they are judges, not doctors or pilots... They use something called the Bolam test and would ask experts appearing for both defense and prosecution, to give their expert views.
Do not let my post put you off. I appreciate you feel hard done by as I can not openly correct some of your post which I have reason to believe is inaccurate. This is not to offend you or to be deliberately vague, just that a public forum for horses is not the place... PPRUNE is.
Best wishes
 
Can I give another side of the coin. My husband is in the RAF and flies for pleasure. I have been out hacking in our village on my great big coloured horse, fully decked out in hi viz, and he has come over in his plane, looking for me to waggle his wings and say hi. He couldn't spot me, even though he knew roughly where I would be. I have also been up flying with him, and believe it or not, pilots aren't just sitting there looking out of the windows the whole time! They have radio traffic to monitor, they are looking out for other aircraft, navigating, looking at their maps, checking instruments, etc. They are very busy, and even if you are wearing hi viz they may not spot you. Don't just presume they are being arrogant and ignorant!

Also 50ft is not a realistic height for an aircraft to be flying at unless taking off or landing. My husband is cleared by the CAA to do display aerobatics down to 500ft (I think, might be even lower) and most pilots would not want to dick around at that height, there is not enough height to recover if something were to go wrong!

Live and let live I say, let the horses become accustomed to it and think of it as another spook-busting tool. We expect road users to be tolerant of us horse-riders out on hacks - well, how about us being tolerant of other people enjoying their hobbies too?!
 
as i said before i havent said anything about the RAF, the post is about low flying aircrafts if i wanted it to be about the RAF i would have put the letters R A F on it!
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lol but anyways no need to get funny
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! xx
 
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