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flying at an airport

Old 07-05-2010, 09:58 AM
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schweizer1551
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Default flying at an airport

There is a ruling that states that you are not to fly any remote Plane or or any other flying object within 3miles of ANY airport or private landing strip.Mostairports have a Radar installation..........Use your head and keep away from such places.
Old 07-05-2010, 10:10 AM
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RCKen
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Default RE: flying at an airport

Schweizer,
Actually, that's not exactly correct. Currently the use of model aircraft in the US is covered by the FAA Advisory Circular 91-57. Here is what it says about operating RC planes near an existing airport

C. Do not fly model aircraft higher than 400 feet above the surface. When flying aircraft within 3 miles of an airport, notify the airport operator,or when an air traffic facility is located at the airport, notify the control tower, or flight service station.
The full AC can be seen here: http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Gu...AC/ac91-57.pdf

The FAA is in the process of looking at new rules governing the use of RC planes, but as of right now there is nothing new in place yet. Until that happens we are still following the guidelines set forth in FAA AC 91-57.

There are many clubs in the US that actually fly at existing full scale airports, or within 3 miles of it, and they have no problems because they simply notify the tower when they are flying. In many cases it's a good setup for the clubs to fly at airports because they usually get better facilities that if they were not at the airport.

Ken
Old 07-06-2010, 06:57 PM
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hag
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Default RE: flying at an airport

As far as I know there is no "ruling" banning RC aircraft within 3 mi of any airport, but there may be local laws concerning specific fields. Many airports are owned by the cities or counties they serve, and make up their own rules as necessary. The feds don't usually get involved. As for most airports having radar, well, that's not true. Most airports in the US don't even have control towers, let alone radar. I'm the airport FBO owner here at Oroville Municipal in Oroville, CA and we not only allow RC and control line flying, we encourage it. A really great land/water flying site is operated by the Oroville Air Corps just about two miles away. No problems ever. About 20 miles north of here is Chico muni, and they have a tower, but no radar. They have an RC field right outside the airport fence, in clear view of the control tower. They certainly have altitude and safety rules, but have peacefully coexisted this way for years.

Hag
Old 07-06-2010, 08:54 PM
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Army ATC
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Default RE: flying at an airport

I just had to get involved in this one. Sorry. I'm an Air Traffic Controller. As long as you notify the proper athorities you will be fine. Don't try to contact the control tower. That is bad news. The last thing on our minds are R/C airplanes. Notify Airfield management if you are flying beside an airport and they will handle it from there. Like Hag said, most small municipal facilities don't have radar. Even if they did, the target on an R/C airplane is so small, they probably won't even pick it up. They mostly have a control tower, if it is controlled airspace. Everything is VFR (Visual Flight Rules) In other words, "see and be seen." Contacting the control tower is a very bad idea and most of the time, there isn't a direct line to them anyways. When is the last time you went to the airport and asked to speak to the Air Traffic Controller on duty? I'm sorry if I offended anybody. Hey Hag, are you guys hiring? J/K Have a good one!
ORIGINAL: hag

As far as I know there is no "ruling" banning RC aircraft within 3 mi of any airport, but there may be local laws concerning specific fields. Many airports are owned by the cities or counties they serve, and make up their own rules as necessary. The feds don't usually get involved. As for most airports having radar, well, that's not true. Most airports in the US don't even have control towers, let alone radar. I'm the airport FBO owner here at Oroville Municipal in Oroville, CA and we not only allow RC and control line flying, we encourage it. A really great land/water flying site is operated by the Oroville Air Corps just about two miles away. No problems ever. About 20 miles north of here is Chico muni, and they have a tower, but no radar. They have an RC field right outside the airport fence, in clear view of the control tower. They certainly have altitude and safety rules, but have peacefully coexisted this way for years.

Hag
Old 07-06-2010, 08:56 PM
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Default RE: flying at an airport

my club used to fly at an airport...you had to land immediately if there was and aircraft taking off or landing...thankfully politics got us out of there....
Old 07-06-2010, 09:38 PM
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Default RE: flying at an airport

The club I belong to PVMAC rents the north end of the North-South closed runway from San Bernardino International Airport KSBD (formerly Norton Air Force Base). We're limited to 400' ceiling 81" wingspan and 50cc engines. They open the control tower last year, there is no schedule airline flying at the airport (when one comes in we will be out).
Old 07-18-2010, 12:39 PM
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Default RE: flying at an airport

Yes my field is located within 3 miles of an airport their is a flight deck of under 400 feet when real planes are present.
Old 07-20-2010, 07:20 PM
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Default RE: flying at an airport

I.R.K.S. is an RC club in our area, I'm proud to have never been a member of. They fly AT an airport as one of their locations. They use an abandoned runway at the Valkaria Airport here in Palm Bay.

http://www.irks.org/Downloadable%20F...2010-22-03.pdf
Old 07-26-2010, 11:18 PM
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Default RE: flying at an airport

Our club field is just about 2 miles from the end of an active runway, according to the County map. From the time we obtained the field and started preparing it, we established and maintained contact with the operators. We discourage solo flying at the field. We are very adamant (some would, and have, called us annal) that any full sized passenger carrying AC has absolute right of way if it looks like it is going over our field. Yield, or somebody is likely to either turn on a transmitter on your frequency, or take yours out of your hands and dump the plane. Normally landing traffic turns base well away from the field when landing from the East, and most departing aircraft taking off West to East turn away well before getting over our field. Few of us ever go over 400' AGL.

Maybe a couple times a month a larger bizjet or similar will make a shallow approach over the field. So far, in almost 10 years, we've only heard one complaint from a pilot. And he was not a local.

Our relationship with the airport administrator and the FBOs gives us a constant invitation to take part when the airport has an airshow.
Old 07-27-2010, 08:00 AM
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Default RE: flying at an airport

Not to take this thread too far off topic, but here it goes. I have also flown at an existing airport, and we always landed and got out of the way when we noticed a full scale aircraft nearing the airport. How does anyone know what 400' looks like. With a 40 or 60 size plane is it high enough that the plane is starting to look small and difficult to tell the orientation, or is it still clearly visible. I am in the construction industry and have layed out many buildings, roads and pipe lines, and I can tell you right now that 95% of the people I have come across cannot judge distance worth a darn horizontally, and that is much easier than looking at a model flying over our heads, where there is nothing to use a point of reference. If you dont understand what I am talking about, go outside and look at the side of the building your in guess how tall it is to the gutters. 1 story, 10' maybe 12'. Now take a tape measure and lay it on the ground and look at that distance. It doesnt look anywhere as long as the building looks tall.

So again my question is, How do you judge 400' vertically?
Old 07-27-2010, 02:39 PM
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Default RE: flying at an airport

An excellent question. A few people can judge the 400' altitude to within a few yards fairly accurately, many people would miss it by 500 or 600'. One reccomendation has been to take the plane to a known distance (our runway is approximately 450' and see what it looks like. But, it will look different once airborne, with a vertical and horizontal component thrown in to confuse the issue. Also, the angle of the sun, clouds, haze can affect the visual perception. Even how the temperature and humidity affect the people trying to guess.

At the club I am a member of, I've been part of a couple guessing games where a plane with a recording altimeter device is flown at a constant (hopefully) altitude for a bit, then those of us standing around guess what the altimeter is going to say. Once, the plane was a 78" powered glider flown to where it was starting to fade into the clouds. Guesses were from 600' to 4800'. I guessed 2300', actual recorded altitude was closer to 2100'. Another time, it was done with a Kadet MkII. Guesses were from 20' to 800'. Actual altitude was 88'. Trying to estimate the number of wingspans, I had guessed about 60'.

About all you can do if you're flying at or near an airport is use best judgement, always have a spotter keeping watch, and if a full sized plane starts coming over, get out of it's way, FAST.

In my club's situation, the 400' altitude entertains a question of interpretation. Is that 400' measured from the top of the hill, or about 60' down at the base, when the plane is out away from the runway?
Old 07-27-2010, 03:15 PM
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rambler53
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Default RE: flying at an airport

http://www.hooked-on-rc-airplanes.co...-rc-plane.html

Or take out all the guess work and read it after you land.

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