500' rule question

[Three Blades]

I am sure that we have all seen pictures of helicopters on photo missions flying at what appears to be closer than 500' to racing power boats or at other water based events.
Is it possible to get dispensation from the CAA to fly within 500' in such cases in a SEH ?
I am not planning to do such a thing but just wondered what the rules were.

I have no axe to grind and am not about to report anybody in case this post sounds like I have an ulterior motive.

Thank
TB

[JimBall]

Yes. If AOC holder there'll no doubt be an aerial filming exemption somewhere in the manual. Otherwise, Exemptions granted by CAA based upon parameters such as closeness of people not connected with the event, wind, waves, etc. etc.

[Musket097]

500' From

The rule as I understand it at the moment is: 500 feet from any vehicle, vessel or structure. It is possibily going to be changed to 500' above ( so no flying below 500' at all unless landing or taking off.

You can ask the CAA for dispensation for special reasons.

[Three Blades]

JimBall,
Thanks for the straightforward answer

[Heliport]

It is possibily going to be changed to 500' above ( so no flying below 500' at all unless landing or taking off.

They've only just changed Rule 5 to make it slightly less incomprehensible than the old one. Are they thinking of changing it yet again?

I thought the 500' minimum height idea was rejected.
Are they rethinking that already?

[Grand Ops]

Exemptions.

ME thinks that you are looking for an exemption from rule 5(3)(b), which as previously stated, is obtainable from the CAA. Generally issued to operators who undertake regular sorties for the purposes of Aerial Photography, Photographic or Geophysical survey, flood surveillance and aerial crane work.

[JimBall]

Rule 5 is 500ft from any PERSON, vehicle, vessel or structure. Rule was modded April 05 and the paragraph numbering bears little relation to the old Rule 5.

500ft Rule is 5(2)(b).

[Flying Lawyer]

Grand Ops is correct.
The 500' rule is now Rule 5 (3)(b).

The amendments were incorporated into the Rules of the Air Regulations 2007 which came into force in March of this year.

SECTION 3
LOW FLYING RULE

Low flying prohibitions

Rule 5

(1) Subject to paragraph (2), an aircraft shall comply with the low flying prohibitions in paragraph (3) unless exempted by rule 6.

(2) If an aircraft is flying in circumstances such that more than one of the low flying prohibitions apply, it shall fly at the greatest height required by any of the applicable prohibitions.

(3) The low flying prohibitions are as follows—

(a) Failure of power unit

An aircraft shall not be flown below such height as would enable it to make an emergency landing without causing danger to persons or property on the surface in the event of a power unit failure.

(b) The 500 feet rule

Except with the written permission of the CAA, an aircraft shall not be flown closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle or structure.

(c) The 1,000 feet rule

Except with the written permission of the CAA, an aircraft flying over a congested area of a city town or settlement shall not fly below a height of 1,000 feet above the highest fixed obstacle within a horizontal radius of 600 metres of the aircraft.

(d) The land clear rule

An aircraft flying over a congested area of a city, town or settlement shall not fly below such height as would permit the aircraft to land clear of the congested area in the event of a power unit failure.

(e) Flying over open air assemblies

Except with the written permission of the CAA, an aircraft shall not fly over an organised open-air assembly of more than 1,000 persons below the higher of the following heights—

(i) 1,000 feet; or

(ii) such height as would permit the aircraft to land clear of the assembly in the event of a power unit failure.

(f) Landing and taking off near open air assemblies

An aircraft shall not land or take-off within 1,000 metres of an organised, open-air assembly of more than 1,000 persons except—

(i) at an aerodrome, in accordance with procedures notified by the CAA; or

(ii) at a landing site which is not an aerodrome, in accordance with procedures notified by the CAA and with the written permission of the organiser of the assembly.

Exemptions from the low flying prohibitions
Rule 6
The exemptions from the low flying prohibitions are as follows—

(a) Landing and taking off

(i) Any aircraft shall be exempt from the low flying prohibitions in so far as it is flying in accordance with normal aviation practice for the purpose of—

(aa) taking off from, landing at or practising approaches to landing at; or

(bb) checking navigational aids or procedures at,

a Government or licensed aerodrome.

(ii) Any aircraft shall be exempt from the 500 feet rule when landing and taking-off in accordance with normal aviation practice or air-taxiing.

(b) Captive balloons and kites

None of the low flying prohibitions shall apply to any captive balloon or kite.

(c) Special VFR flight and notified routes

(i) Subject to paragraph (ii), any aircraft shall be exempt from the 1,000 feet rule if—

(aa) it is flying on a special VFR flight; or

(bb) it is operating in accordance with the procedures notified for the route being flown.

(ii) Unless the written permission of the CAA has been obtained, landings may only be made by an aircraft flying under this exemption at a licensed or Government aerodrome.

(d) Balloons and helicopters over congested areas

(i) A balloon shall be exempt from the 1,000 feet rule if it is landing because it is becalmed.

(ii) Any helicopter flying over a congested area shall be exempt from the land clear rule.

(e) Police air operator's certificate

Any aircraft flying in accordance with the terms of a police air operator's certificate shall be exempt from the 500 feet rule, the 1,000 feet rule and the prohibitions on flying over open air assemblies and on landing and taking off near open air assemblies.

(f) Flying displays etc

An aircraft taking part in a flying display, air race or contest shall be exempt from the 500 feet rule if it is within a horizontal distance of 1,000 metres of the gathering of persons assembled to witness the event.

(g) Glider hill-soaring

A glider shall be exempt from the 500 feet rule if it is hill-soaring.

(h) Picking up and dropping at an aerodrome

Any aircraft picking up or dropping tow ropes, banners or similar articles at an aerodrome shall be exempt from the 500 feet rule.

(i) Manoeuvring helicopters

(i) Subject to paragraph (ii), a helicopter shall be exempt from the 500 feet rule if it is conducting manoeuvres, in accordance with normal aviation practice, within the boundaries of a licensed or Government aerodrome or, with the written permission of the CAA, at other sites.

(ii) When flying in accordance with this exemption the helicopter must not be operated closer than 60 metres to any persons, vessels, vehicles or structures located outside the aerodrome or site.

(j) Dropping articles with CAA permission.

Any aircraft shall be exempt from the 500 feet rule if it is flying in accordance with—

(i) article 66(3)(f) of the Order (dropping of articles for the purposes of public health or as a measure against weather conditions etcetera, with the permission of the CAA); or

(ii) an aerial application certificate granted by the CAA under article 68(2) of the Order.

The 'new' rules (now incorporated in the 2007 Rules) are less incomprehensible than the original Low Flying rules, but still fall far short of the simplicity of the FAA equivalent.
Further, in stark contrast to the FAR, they fail to differentiate sufficiently between helicopter and fixed-wing ops.


FL

[lartsa]

SO does that mean you cant land infront of your hangar at a private site ?

or at an unlicenced airport you cant land near the hangers which are next to the refuelling station [structure ]??

[Gaseous]

You can at a private site. Read 6 (a) ii. Thats your exemption from the rest of it at a private site.
Edit: I just read 6 (i) again. I see what you mean. Clear as mud. but I still read 6 (i) ii as not applying when you are landing or taking off.
Any chance of a hint on this FL?

[paco]

The other problem with 6(i) is how do you tell all those spotters at the fence to go away when you need to do autos on the only spot available?

Phil

[bladewashout]

6 (a) (ii) exempts you when taking off and landing at a private site, but the 1000ft rule still applies, hence no landing at in a back garden opening up to countryside if the front of it faces into a town, unless 1000ft from the front.

If you start hovering around doing testing of engines, or if you decided to do your own helicopter championships in your back yard, then I think you would have a problem, unless you have a field 1000ft x 1000ft with no fences, animals or structures!

As far as I am aware, you are not even allowed to do circuits at private sites, even if you own it (people would only know if you did it a lot).
BW

[Rushes]

It's all about risk to the 3rd party....

[rudestuff]

Often wondered about this one - say for example you wanted to drop someone off at the beach or on the end of a pier or on a Tor on Dartmoor or in the middle of a large roundabout...(!)

If you DO land, you'll probably make the papers and incur the wrath of whoever owns the land although as long as you leave when asked and the area is unfenced then trespassing shouldn't be an option - and the fact that you're landing means you CAN fly closer than 500' to people or property.

If you DON'T land, and opt for a hovering exit, then obviously land owners permission and trespassing isn't an issue - but because you don't touch skids, you're not landing and therefore can't fly closer than 500' to the person you just dropped off!

The sooner theres a pad on the roof of every Debenhams, the better I say.

[Heliport]

Often wondered about this one - say for example you wanted to drop someone off at the beach or on the end of a pier

Someone (a pro pilot) landed on the end of Clacton pier a few years ago to pick up his wife who'd been shopping.
The CAA prosecuted him.
The CAA lost.

[VeeAny]

Bladewashout

I don't think the 1000' rule would be a problem in your example.

If you look at the wording, the 1000' rule is OVER.

The 500' rule is closer and you are exempt the 500' rule because you are landing.

So you can land there, buy you can't go OVER the town lower than 1000.

V.

[Sewing Machine Man]

(c) The 1,000 feet rule...... I think im right in saying that was 1,500ft. ?? I ask as we have a Cessna persistently low flying over our town. I could report it but feel a bit of an as**le to do so.

[Flying Lawyer]

Yes, it used to be 1500', but it has been 1000' for a couple of years.

Yes, you could report him. All sorts of people make all sorts of complaints about allegedly low flying aircraft. They also make all sorts of claims about height - usually wildly inaccurate because, as numerous experiments have shown, accurately estimating the height of an aircraft is virtually impossible, regardless of whether the observer is an experienced pilot or non-aviator.

Yes, you would be (what you said) if you did.
Although I'd leave out 'a bit of'.

FL

[Hughesy]

Motto

Remember...it's only illegal if you get caught!
In NZ we have a similar 500ft rule, but you can change that with some paperwork that allows you to operate lower then 500ft, still keeping clear of third partys though. Its been a while since I had to use it, so I cant remember all the in's and out's, but it was pretty simple to acheive.
Hughesy

[jonwilson]

Clacton Pier landing.

Sorry to drag up old news but does anybody know where I can find news written on the result of the Clacton Pier landing case?

I know the CAA lost but I cannot seem to find any news about that. Google reports through the independent the initial brief story but nothing further.

Thanks.

Jon.