Originally Posted by
rotorspin
Here's one for you....
I arrive one day at a summer fete in the UK. An R44 is doing "trips" 3 pax at a time, 20 minute circuits. The landing area is tight and shrouded by trees. There are hundreds of children and adult spectators and to fly to the landing site requires overflying a fairground (again fully populated with funseekers)
On his break I ask the pilot what his qualifications are. "I'm a PPL(H) and the wife is the one in the high vis doing the loading/offloading. Its my helicopter. Everything is donated to charity, I pay for everything to do with the flying and the charity gets all the money for the flight"
Where does this stand legally? I take it the fact he makes a loss on the day (if he does) means that he is within the law? He wore 3 gold bands on his shirt - so not many would question his experience or ability. However in the case of airmanship, this pilot clearly isn't as experienced as a CPL and if he got into difficulties there could be many lives at risk?
After reading AIC79/2005, regarding Charity flights,
ABSOLUTELY ILLEGAL
http://www.ais.org.uk/aes/pubs/aip/pdf/aic/4W114.PDF
One of the point is :
Maximum 3 flights per pilot, per day
Then in regard to the landing site, (Appendix 1 to Annex 3), this wasn't acceptable either.
Another rule is that:
Prospective passengers must be made aware that flights do not fully comply with commercial air transport regulations.
And one needs permission from the CAA.