OK own up! Was it you?

[pbrookes]

Who was it flying the Cessna 150 in low circles over a large village south west of EGBB for over half an hour this afternoon? :D

My neighbour, who is usually tolerant, started whinging about "Isn't he one of your sort? You know? Flyer of small things?" Why does he keep flying over here? Is he lost?"

"No, surely not" I replied. "You can almost see the International airport from above here!"

"It about time they banned those things! It just another accident waiting to happen!" came his reply.

Unfortunately he is a local councillor! Another nail in the coffin for a local airfield!

Come on chaps, be a little more considerate!!

[flyems]

Many variations of this story, but the topic made me think of it straight away...!

Heard on a slow day on the RT: "I'm f:mad:g BORED"...

Tower: "Who said that??? Own up right now!!!"

Same voice: "I said f:mad:g bored, not f:mad:g stupid".....

[Final 3 Greens]

Probably some poor b@stard being orbited by ATC to let in planeloads of holidaymaking NIMBYs like your neighbour :}

Otherwise, deck the t@sser when he knocks on your door to sell the photos.

[Vino Collapso]

More than likely an aerial photography job. Sure fire way to annoy the natives below.

[Fuji Abound]

I wonder next time I am orbiting waiting for my clearance through Stansted I should point out to the ATCO that there is some tw** jumping up and down on the patch of grass below with some sort of medallion around his neck - I wonder if it might facilitate my transit.

:) :)

In fact here is another idea to give the Councillor something to do. I suggest you give him the tower number of the large international airport you mentioned. Tell him he needs to get on to them to complain about all the light aircraft being held over his house waiting for transit clearances. He should of course point out to them that he is the local Councillor and demand they do something about it.

Only kidding - you make a fair point.

[tonker]

Ask him what "one of your sort" means.

We can all lump others into "sorts" and then demand they are banned because an accident might happen. Him and his car for instance, or his lawn mower. Buy a sheep and let me sleep on a sunday morning, before he tries to cut off his toes or electrocute himself!

The problem with GA is that it in this country it still has a vestige of eletism attached to it. I was walking through a marina a few months back and a perfectly harmless bloke was walking all his gear back to his car. The moronic couple infront of me looked back and sneared and commented who does he think he is, and they don't like his sort!

Their problem is that he hasn't surrendered to mediocrity, spending his life watching soaps etc.

Tell your neighbour the C150 wasn't doing anything illegal and can stay there as long as he doesn't brake rule 5 etc

[Keygrip]

A slight aside, and just for those reading but not joining the argument/discussion - if you do get a hold at some point, then consider that you don't need to orbit in tight circles (necessarily) - you could run a few racetrack patters (maybe in different directions), spread the noise out.

You almost certainly don't need to be at cruise power (slow safe cruise?).

Consider (if you can) asking (if inside controlled airspace) for "a higher level due noise abatement" - it may give the controller the prod to remember the noise factor, too.

[Hyperborean]

Plus ça change. Almost 40 years ago a pal of mine took an irate phone call in the tower at Manchester. The obviously aerated caller demanded, "Do you know where I live?" Pal replied that he didn't and got the response, "I think you do you know." Finally having calmed the caller down it transpired that he had lived near to the 24 outer marker and had got fed up with the noise of departing aircraft so had moved house. All went well for couple of days until departures changed from 06 to 24. The new house was just by the 06 outer marker!

[theyounglaird]

What are you on about?

[tonker]

Absolutely no idea, just going around in circles!

[Fuji Abound]

pbrookes

Dont suppose you have the co-ordinates to hand of the incident old chap.

Might be worth a bit of aerial investigation of the scene of the crime.

Perhaps if a few of us get together we could provide a wee demonstration of how low level contra rotating stacking works.

[HeliCraig]

Fuji,

Would love to help you, and bring some Heli noise to your stack, but unfortunately I am too busy looking for property I can buy right next to established airports in order to establish my right to moan about aviation....


C.

[AMEandPPL]

low circles over a large village south west of EGBB for over half an hour this afternoon?

Maybe the "over half an hour" is a bit relevant here. If I fly friends or relatives over their homes or other places of interest I usually limit it to no more than 3 orbits at any one time, and no lower than 800 ft agl.
More than that, and neighbours' interest starts to be aroused !

[Pilot DAR]

Wasn't me. My C150 was parked all weekend. I had perfect water conditions and an amphibian to fly.

Oh, and I'm not on the same continent. That's my alibi, and I'm sticking to it!

Pilot DAR

[snapper1]

Now I'm jealous - about the weather in Canada.:*

[viva77]

Can I just lay to rest the ATC slagging on this thread? I am not aware of any pilot being instructed to hold for any amount of time, let alone 1/2 hour, to await a zone crossing of Birmingham controlled airspace. Either you can come in or you can't - simple. (In the circuit may be different however).

My guess is a photographer, and we do get lots of complaints about them, and my advice is always the same - if you think they are breaking the law complain to the appropriate authorities - the police. (I do advise complainants what the laws are).

[Fuji Abound]

appropriate authorities - the police

Which law(s) did you have in mind?

[viva77]

Low flying is generally the complaint, although noise is the reason, if that makes sense?

[Final 3 Greens]

Viva

No ATC slagging from me, just NIMBY irony.

Remember only an ATCer can choose to be offended by such banter and this would be a bit wussy.

[Fuji Abound]

Low flying is generally the complaint, although noise is the reason, if that makes sense?

Yes, that is what I expected, however

if low flying be the complaint,
and noise the reason,
I am not sure plods the answer.

Hello, hello, hello now what this all about,
there is some fella over there what says you were flying to low over his runner beans.

Honest guv, it werent me, on the Chatham my altimiter says I wose at 750 feet.

Dont come all that, you know full well his runner beans are at 400 feet,
you're nicked.

I think its the CAA you want :ok:.

Mind you their record leaves much to be desired. :) :)

[viva77]

Fuji
Oh for a smiley that winks! :ok:

[Final 3 Greens]

if low flying be the complaint,
and noise the reason,
I am not sure plods the answer.


They'd probably turn up in a noisy low flying helicopter :}

[JohnRayner]

That was almost haiku.

[Fuji Abound]

Trailing on the wind,
The smoke from Mount Fuji
Melts into the sky.
So too my thoughts –
Unknown their resting-place.

[Utrinque Apparatus]

After orbiting small villages for 30 minutes or so, I always find that the people on the ground give a cheery wave, even to the point of picking up long sticks and firing small firework salutes (I can just see the flashes) in my general direction in case I can't see them properly from 1501 feet.....

We have a frequent, similar, irritating, droning aircraft over our village quite often giving impromptu 'flying' displays, no doubt to impress pax, girlfriend (boyfriend ?) on the ground or himself............ I can hardly hear myself practicing on my bagpipes.

Next time, a shoulder launched Mach 3.5 Shorts Starstreak missile awaits.......:E

[neilmac]

Not that he/she ever would but the plane this week squawking 7000 NMC that flew thru Lyneham Zone/ Brize Zone/Oxford ATZ and disappeared from radar north of Luton. One may have been careless but all 3 !
Least they had a close look at the 3 hercs that flew by.
It is tongue in cheek asking them to own up, but pretty poor airmanship!

NM

[modelman]

I get get a lot of GA traffic (including me) over my house and a straw poll of my neighbours revealed that they never really notice them.But the real irritants are the paramotors (you know,those man carrying kites with an egg whisk on the back).They take forever to pass over at low alt,their 2 strokes making a right old din and due to their limited range are there all day.I hope the less knowledgeable of the locals don't lump GA in with these clowns.( no problem with their mode of flight just their inconsideration).
MM

[pbrookes]

Let's just say that I managed to read the registration without binoculars, and now know that the aircraft is registered in Cambridgeshire! :=

[Ken Wells]

remind your friend, he does not own the sky above his little castle.

[mikehammer]

There aren't a large number of aerial photo firms in this country, and I won't profess to know them all, but I do only know one which uses a C150. This company does not undertake speculative work ie flying round for long periods of time machine gun photographing large areas to sell pics door to door. Usually they are 5 minutes on "target", 10 mins max. They only undertake commision work, one property like a farm, school, quarry etc, they photo it and move on to the next one usually half an hour away.

Are you sure it wasn't a C172, there is a firm in the Peterborough area who have a small fleet of diesel engined 172 aircraft? They do mainly spec work, with a few commissions. The diesel is quite quiet however, although people do get upset when seeing it for long periods. Mostly they operate, in my experience at around 1000 feet agl, their cameras are quite good and they can get the type of shot they need at this level.

Failing that could it be just some privateer getting a few local pics in a hired 150?

I really can't see the problem for the complainant, half an hour isn't long, and they're gone now. I don't accept the points about it being an accident waiting to happen, sure there are risks but let's be rational.