BREAKING RULE 5 WERE WE???????
Guest
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BREAKING RULE 5 WERE WE???????
I am a PPL and work in Milton Keynes.
Today during my lunch, I popped out to enjoy the glorious weather we are having. On walking out of my building my attention was immediately drawn to the sound of a L/A overhead (possibly Cessna 172)circling between 400-500 feet AGL pretty much over the Centre of Milton Keynes! To my astonishment, I observed this Aircraft for a further 10 mins doing anti-clockwise circuits over the same location. On returning to my desk, about 10 minutes later a colleague approached me saying that there was a Plane outside circling over the city. On looking out of the window, there was the same Plane again, in the same location, this time doing clock-wise circuits.
Furthermore, I am quite confident, that had I been underneath this Plane, I would have easily been able to read the registration.
Whilst I appreciate that there may well be a valid reason for this, such as filming or maybe something for the Ordanance Survey,I I am truly appalled that a Pilot would continue to fly in such a manner for such a long period of time. I think I was given sound instruction by my training school, and Rule 5 was drilled into me at every occasion.
Furthermore, lets be fair to those on the ground, if people want to circle over their homes etc.... may I respectfully suggest the following;
1. Fly at a sensible height, allowing for that worse case scenario.
2. Just do one, may be two circuits at the most and bugger off, because folks on the ground get kind of edgy with low flying aircraft above them. At my flight training school, our CFI/ Instructors would well and truly B*ll**k anyone who had been reported by members of the public for low flying, and quite rightly too.
In the final analysis, I am sure many of you will agree that this sort of flying really doesn't help the reputation of us PPL's or indeed General Aviation in the main. Also knowing Milton Keynes very well, and knowing exactly where this aircraft was positioned today, it would have been curtains in the event of Engine Failure or a loss of control, because there's not many fields left in good old MK thesedays!.
Just making a point.
Kind regards and happy flying to all.
C.N.
[This message has been edited by Captain Numpty (edited 30 May 2001).]
[This message has been edited by Captain Numpty (edited 30 May 2001).]
Today during my lunch, I popped out to enjoy the glorious weather we are having. On walking out of my building my attention was immediately drawn to the sound of a L/A overhead (possibly Cessna 172)circling between 400-500 feet AGL pretty much over the Centre of Milton Keynes! To my astonishment, I observed this Aircraft for a further 10 mins doing anti-clockwise circuits over the same location. On returning to my desk, about 10 minutes later a colleague approached me saying that there was a Plane outside circling over the city. On looking out of the window, there was the same Plane again, in the same location, this time doing clock-wise circuits.
Furthermore, I am quite confident, that had I been underneath this Plane, I would have easily been able to read the registration.
Whilst I appreciate that there may well be a valid reason for this, such as filming or maybe something for the Ordanance Survey,I I am truly appalled that a Pilot would continue to fly in such a manner for such a long period of time. I think I was given sound instruction by my training school, and Rule 5 was drilled into me at every occasion.
Furthermore, lets be fair to those on the ground, if people want to circle over their homes etc.... may I respectfully suggest the following;
1. Fly at a sensible height, allowing for that worse case scenario.
2. Just do one, may be two circuits at the most and bugger off, because folks on the ground get kind of edgy with low flying aircraft above them. At my flight training school, our CFI/ Instructors would well and truly B*ll**k anyone who had been reported by members of the public for low flying, and quite rightly too.
In the final analysis, I am sure many of you will agree that this sort of flying really doesn't help the reputation of us PPL's or indeed General Aviation in the main. Also knowing Milton Keynes very well, and knowing exactly where this aircraft was positioned today, it would have been curtains in the event of Engine Failure or a loss of control, because there's not many fields left in good old MK thesedays!.
Just making a point.
Kind regards and happy flying to all.
C.N.
[This message has been edited by Captain Numpty (edited 30 May 2001).]
[This message has been edited by Captain Numpty (edited 30 May 2001).]
Guest
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One characteristic of the People's Republic of Milton Keynes is the vast empty spaces around the city which are not really 'congested areas'. Indeed it would be quite possible to glide clear of the centre of PRMK with an engine failure and make a suitable landing area. It's quite difficult to see where the '1500 ft' rule part of Rule 5 would apply over such a peculiar city IF the 500 ft part WAS being obeyed.
But perhaps they were just checking to make sure the concrete cows hadn't been struck down with concrete foot-and-mouth......
But perhaps they were just checking to make sure the concrete cows hadn't been struck down with concrete foot-and-mouth......
Guest
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Then good luck to your BEagle, coz I certainly would NOT like to try an attempt an forced landing over head the City @ 500 feet or indeed for that matter @ 1500!
Like the bit about the PRMK though!
Cheers for the comments so far, especially those denying all knowledge of being there LOL!!!
C.N.
[This message has been edited by Captain Numpty (edited 30 May 2001).]
[This message has been edited by Captain Numpty (edited 30 May 2001).]
Like the bit about the PRMK though!
Cheers for the comments so far, especially those denying all knowledge of being there LOL!!!
C.N.
[This message has been edited by Captain Numpty (edited 30 May 2001).]
[This message has been edited by Captain Numpty (edited 30 May 2001).]
Guest
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I didnt realise this was a rule...(I have zero hours as yet) - I was at school one day, and some pair of mad men in a couple of Cessna's or similar...(Looked like 172's) Started circling around, doing some pretty irratic turns, climbs, and descents... Circled for about an hour...Scary at times...But a fun little private airshow 
... There are plentiful playing fields around, but it is a built up area...Wonder if they got their bottoms slapped lol
Regards
Mike
... There are plentiful playing fields around, but it is a built up area...Wonder if they got their bottoms slapped lolRegards
Mike
Guest
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Captain Numpty, I agree with you wholeheartedly. The other weekend, I watched a PA28 circling at about 500 feet over south east Milton Keynes. The aircraft made several passes at such a low altitude that I actually telephoned ATC at Cranfield to ask the pilot to desist. For the rest of the week, every afternoon, a cessna 150 performed the same stunt (same pilot perhaps?). I fly from an airfield that until recently was under threat of closure from the antis, this type of behaviour is not only highly dangerous (imagine an engine failure at such a low height), but only goes to give ammunition to the anti aviation minority who would like to see all airfields closed. BEagle, you are speaking out of your backside. Many of the wide open spaces in Milton Keynes are parks, the CAA actually state that a park cannot be considered a safe landing area when considering the 1500 ft/glide clear rule. A recent case highlighted that the CAA consider a a settlement of 6 houses to be a built up area, so if MK does not count as a built up area, where does? It is amateurish behaviour like this that gives us all a bad name.
Guest
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Yes - I know that the CAA says that. However, PRMK is one of the few cities in the UK with very large open spaces spread around its central area. Hence it would possibly be safe (but quite illegal) to fly at 501 ft over the area as a safe forced landing would probably result in the event of engine failure. I am most definitely NOT advocating such low flying - it's just that the unusually large areas of open space in PRMK might give others the idea that the 500 ft rule alone was sufficient.
The activity which has been described sounds suspiciously like being the behaviour of one of those wretched people who drones around taking unwanted photos of houses much to the annoyance of the occupants.....and you're right - it is stupid behaviour and will give light aviation a bad name.
[This message has been edited by BEagle (edited 31 May 2001).]
The activity which has been described sounds suspiciously like being the behaviour of one of those wretched people who drones around taking unwanted photos of houses much to the annoyance of the occupants.....and you're right - it is stupid behaviour and will give light aviation a bad name.
[This message has been edited by BEagle (edited 31 May 2001).]
