FOOTBALL FLYING
 

This is becoming an annual event - low flying in November!!!

A friend of mine has just related a tale of a (very) low flying paraglider at a football match in Winsford on Sunday 16 November 2014.

Apparently this 'pilot' flew at just above rooftop height and 'buzzed' the football pitch distracting the players and allowing a team to score!!!

Remember - I didn't witness the incident, which happened at about 10:45.

Apart from the obvious safety issues and apparent breach of the ANO, this kind of flying does nothing to promote recreational aviation in any way whatsoever.

Please remember that Winsford is at the South end of the corridor and many light aircraft and micro lights fly over at under 1,000 ft.
FF

funfly

Absolutely.

However this paraglider was apparently 'buzzing' the football field at what my colleague described as 'just above rooftop height'.

So circa 100 - 200ft agl at the very most.

Must admit that we do notice some paragliders overhead a 'bit on the low side' here. Often give them the benefit of the doubt and suggest they might be landing at Ashcroft (which is only a couple of miles outside of the Winsford Town border).
No excuse for buzzing a football field though, agree with you - pretty dangerous.

Was it the home team that got the goal?:ok: If so I reckon Forfar Athletic could use a hand, time to fire up the Maule

Amusingly, it was - leading to complaints that the home side had hired the paraglider :}

On a serious note, this kind of flying cannot be condoned.

I wonder if Alan Pardew has considered stopping by Eshott for some paragliding lessons:D

It looks as if Winsford beat Congleton 1 : 0.

thrilling innit?

I'd have though someone would have videoed it on their phone and put it up on you Tube. Where the CAA Enforcement Branch can view it at their leisure. :eek:

SSD

Yes, you'd have thought so however there's no sign on YouTube and I understand that my mate was more interested in ducking and watching what happened than videoing the action.

SpanneritWorks,
If your friend has reported things accurately then I agree with you that it is the sort of behaviour that does no favours to recreational aviation.
But what are you going to do about this specific incident, other than ranting about it on an internet forum?

Heston

Absolutely nothing.

It just seems incredible that someone would use a paraglider in this manner - alarming spectators and apparently endangering himself and others in a stunt which, on the face of it, breaches several Rules of the Air and for which nothing whatsoever will be done about it.

Discipline in aerial activities appears to be going downhill - in the past year I've witnessed low flying aircraft, been 'cut up' in the circuit, been subject to 'ungentlemanly' behaviour on the ground whilst taxying and now this example of seemingly idiotic behaviour.

In all the years I've been flying, this has been the worst in terms of breaches of airmanship (TEM) from a number of perspectives.

Around 12 people die every year in general aviation accidents in the UK. Sometimes, unfortunately, you can see why!

I think a heck of a lot more 'interesting' flying went on in the days before phone cameras and You Tube. In fact, I know it did!

SSD

Yes, you're right - flying low down Meres in Cheshire, beating up seals in the Dee Estuary ...

and flying low and killing oneself in an Taylor Titch!

Those were the days ...

Spanner - don't forget Southport Beach, Anglezarke Moor, and numerous impromptu beat ups and 'displays' at strips, airfields, and other locations. Few would do that now.

They were great days! ;)

I think the Titch tragedy (Rooftop?) was CG related, and actually I don't think the accident rate was worsened by all that 'interesting' flying. I don't remember any crashes caused by it*. In fact the ultra low flying experience probably made for better pilots with a more awareness of wind effect, apparent speed variations, and lack of horizon at very low levels.

* I don't count the Luton Major tragedy, as that was daft flying, not interesting flying; aerobatting a non-aerobatic aeroplane.

Yes they were great days! :)

I was looking at a photo of you stood next to the Chippie only a couple of days ago!!!

Just a shame some of our friends are no longer with us :sad:

Maybe it's the training (or lack of it) which makes the difference these days - not just flying training but bar room tales and 'I learned about flying from that'.

Words of wisdom from those who know (and have survived).

Going to a flying school, having a lesson and going home again might enable you to fly an aeroplane, but it doesn't make an airman out of you!

Spanner, you have the advantage of me. I think you know who I am, but I don't know who you are. Perhaps you could give me a clue?

Actually, in my almost 35 years of 'grass roots' hands-on VFR fun flying, including aeros, dodgy strips, and lots of other stuff, I'm amazed how few friends we lost over the years. I think 'attitude' has a lot to do with it; interesting flying in interesting responsive aeroplanes, but not cavalier 'kick the tyres light the fires' stuff. And a realisation that an aeroplane can kill you very quickly and in very many ways, and flying's a constant learning curve; you push the envelope gradually; but you sure as hell push it!

I think we were lucky in our initial training, as well. Some great guys like Charlie R and Tom D, and later Martin R. Real airmen, in the real sense of the word!

Was it just a 'paraglider' or a powered paraglider (PPG)?
As they're unregulated, the cowboys who fly them seem to think they're exempt from the ANO.
We had one near Farnborough whose 'strip' was on the downwind leg for runway 24 (Wanborough) and he got most annoyed one evening after having a close encounter with a Lear 45 at 1,700 ft. He even operated (without permission) during the airshow when RA(T) was in force.

Spanner, don't know you but assume to are local to me i.e. at the bottom end of the corridor.

I have to admit that a few years ago I did fly a microlight under a road bridge :=

I notice that our friend at Ashcroft is still having his dispute with Lancashire Aero Club although the LAC website seems to have disappeared.

My flying nowadays is more concerned with large scale models, not to be trusted actually sitting in a flying machine nowadays.

When I was flying microlights in the early 2000's I was astonished by the slack attitude of some of the other microlight and powered parachute flyers I came across - one reason that I changed to type A in the GA world.

Of course I assume that things are a lot better nowadays, maybe even some of them carry radio's!

FF

Nothing much has changed!