Brightonhippy

Some pratt has just overflown my house twice in a robinson seemingly lower than the usual police helicopter
Coming over low once annoying doing it again taking the mick a bit.
Its not even a decent helicopter the harvard and the tiger moth that fly about are cool. Tiny little helicopters arnt cool a scouts cool anything smaller than thats a bit pointless.

B2N2

Torque Tonight

In addition to the very valid post above, if you look out the window you'll notice that the weather is crap. It is likely that the helicopter(s) were forced down low by weather. Why the (s) after helicopter? A little before you made your post I watched a pair of small helicopters in a very loose battle formation (Alouette 2s I think) heading east from your area at low level.

I suspect that what you saw was not some pratt in a Robinson overflying you twice for a laugh, but two professional pilots in Alouettes trying to pick their way through crappy weather to get to the air display at Eastbourne.

They only had nice things to say about you though.

Jan Olieslagers

Lovely, TT! And I beg B2N2's permission to use the picture he posted in similar situations.

LysanderV8

Well said TT. I went down to Shoreham to fly and on arrival the sea fog was rolling in and stayed.

So I cleaned the aircraft instead, so all was not lost.

The display pilots waiting to go from Shoreham were a bit frustrated and there was no chance of some of the others, like the Blades, getting in.

One of the perils of an airfield on the coast in nice sunny weather ...

Crash one

What is the point of trying to promote GA?

Brightonhippy

Nah it wasnt an aloutte or two it was one git doing a circuit in clear weather inland enough to avoid the fog.
One pass fair enough coming round for another circuit taking the piss.

Police helicopters annoying enough without joyriders joining in.

Heston

Brightonhippy = poor choice of handle, hippies are supposed to be laid back and relaxed (or too bombed out of their minds to notice things like helicopters). Anyway you ain't old enough to be one.

H

B2N2

carlmeek

I isn't easy to judge height of aircraft Passing overhead, even for pilots that sit at air strips regularly and observe.

In my experience, non pilots regularly accuse aircraft of being too low, even when they are operating clearly within the law. I would be very surprised if this one is any different.

I saw two paramotors operating at about 100ft over the seafront road at roedean the other day.... Not sure how they figured this was legal!

patowalker

... and some misinterpret the 500 ft rule, confusing proximity with height.

Crash one

Maybe he was just taking the piss

PURPLE PITOT

Wheres the "like" button?

carlmeek

All those helicopters and planes flying around, it's an accident waiting to happen.



And you can keep your fyl away from my chopper

Crash one

Does a road amount to a "structure"?

Prop swinger

I wasn't there, I don't know what carlmeek saw but if he didn't hear the engines there's a very real chance that they were paragliders soaring the cliffs & therefore exempt from low flying rules.

znww5

Either way, I think the phrase 'teg a file' springs to mind.

patowalker

No, but sometimes they have vehicles and persons on them.

I wasn't suggesting anybody on here misinterpreted the rules, but was referring to non-pilots who complain about low flying.

carlmeek

I know we are drifting from the original topic a bit.... But the paramotors were low enough to see a rather large desk fan strapped to their backs

goldeneaglepilot

Yep, take Rule 5 to its word (500' from any.....) and an aircraft could be any height and comply, I can't remember it saying you must be 500' agl.