Question for microlight pilots

[Evanelpus]

Is there a minimum height restriction for flying over a built up area?

I'm not sure if this also applies to the likes of Cessnas/Pipers et al but we have this loony in a microlight that takes great delight in 'buzzing' his girlfriends house just down the road everytime he's in the area.

Anyway, just interested.

[Genghis the Engineer]

It used to be "not at-all", nowadays it's basically rule 5, the same as everybody else. That is 1000ft above the highest point and always able to glide clear. + 500 ft separation except when taking off or landing.

Of course, what comprises a built up area has never been adequately determined.


If he's being a prat and a nuisance, take his registration, look him up on G-INFO, write him a letter telling him that he's done it enough times, and if he does it again, you're reporting him to the CAA. It should concentrate the mind, and you may well save him from eventually having a totally unnecessary accident as well.

G

[Fake Sealion]

Wot GTE says ...and I add that my bet is that he is probably flying at 500' on his altimeter with the airfield QFE/QHN set - thinking he is 500 AGL. Its surprising how the terrain can change a few hundred feet in a short distance.

or......he doesn't give a s*** -probably the latter:ok:

[Evanelpus]

Thanks for the prompt responses

[2 sheds]

Of course, what comprises a built up area has never been adequately determined.

How's this, then?
ANO, Art 255 -"‘Congested area’ in relation to a city, town or settlement, means any area which is substantially used for residential, industrial, commercial or recreational purposes."

2 s

[IanPZ]

Doh, there was my chance to prove I'd been learning my microlight air law, and you all got to it first....all i can say now is

"Wot he said"

:-)

[gasax]

So is an open field between some houses leading to a popular wood 'substantially used for recreational purposes'?

How much is substantially? 10%, 51% or some other number? Does it account by percentage of the area (if so then what defines the area), number of properties per unit area, number of properties with conjoining boundaries?

We 'know' what they intend but any half decent QC will make mincemeat of this.

[bingoboy]

"'buzzing' the girlfriends house" , one's one or anyone elses is something that flyers of all types of machine have indulged in for eons.
Once isn't too clever but more than once is just daft and potentially dangerous.
GTE has the best remedy.

[The500man]

You can't really show off to your girlfriend at 500 feet, unless of course you're a prince flying a military helicopter into her back garden...

Some girls like a rear entry! :)

[xrayalpha]

How's this, then?
ANO, Art 255 -"‘Congested area’ in relation to a city, town or settlement, means any area which is substantially used for residential, industrial, commercial or recreational purposes."

Of course, it doesn't say you can't fly over a CITY!

And you couldn't fly over a settlement's microlight airfield since microlights - with one small training and one small hire exception - can only be used for recreational activities!

So a microlight airfield is "an area substantially used for recreational purposes" ie. a congested area!

Fortunately, it is all changed now!

(and as for the in-between times, where you could fly over a congested area only on take off and landing at a licensed airfield - did that mean you could t/o and land outside the hours it was licensed, or only within licensed hours?

Got to love the quality of lawyers and draughtspeople who work for the CAA and the government ;-)