PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Naughty, naughty! Helicopter pilot's bridge stunt
Old 27th Jun 2003, 10:58
  #25 (permalink)  
John Eacott
 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Gold Coast, Australia
Age: 75
Posts: 4,379
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Question

To date, the poll result speaks volumes.

FWIW, we have two bridges here in Melbourne, the WestGate Bridge which has about 150 ft clearance, and the Bolte Bridge with about 60 ft clearance. My company dispensation for filming & photography allows flight under them, as does the same dispensation for a half dozen other local operators. Brett Newman got the guernsey for the first (legal) flight under the WestGate about 12 years ago, and it doesn't raise an eyebrow these days.

Much ado about nothing

However, the Sydney Harbour Bridge is now a no no, since the new harbourmaster decided a year or two ago that he would close the harbour to shipping the next time CASA authorised a flight under the bridge. Rather than remind him who controls airspace, they caved in and now refuse Harbour Bridge "underflights". Conversely, the much riskier practice of overflying the South Pylon of the Harbour Bridge with about 60 ft clearance is standard procedure for R409 flights
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