tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

We have a 'strict' 400' ceiling at our field - we are about 3 miles from a very active full-scale airport. This is the first place I have ever flown with a ceiling restriction - how many of you have one also?

speedracerntrixie

My Feedback: (29)

You prertty much answered your own question LOL. Back in 1983 the FAA put out a madate that model airplanes flown 3 miles or less from an active airport will be limited to 400' and an ADVISORY that we not exceed 400' at any time.



I have a feeling this thread is going to stir it up some

blvdbuzzard

One field I fly at has the same rule. Yet, it is not strictly enforced. There have been times when the R/C aircraft have been higher then a guy who lined up on our field thinking it was the full scale airport. No one there could figure out why he came from that direction or why he was flying so low.

Two other fields, you can fly as high as you can see. We have specked out a glider tug with a 2.6 meter sail plane. WAAAAAAYYYYY up there.


Buzz.

cfircav8r

My Feedback: (1)

For some odd reason my max height has been getting lower every year[8D]

jbdismukes

My Feedback: (2)

Let's see... I'm 6' 4" and I can reach about 2 1/2 feet above my head...

Terry Bolin

My Feedback: (7)

That's not unreasonable being close to a airport like you are.. But I would wonder if that is not going to be the height for all of us soon as FAA & AMA release the final guide lines from the new rules...

skylark-flier

Yeah, and that's going to beat those of us who fly gliders/sailplanes. We launch higher than that.

Dave

Twin_Flyer

My Feedback: (4)

My field is very close to an active airport as well and has the 400 height restriction.

Has not been a problem since the club as formed in 1967. The first flyer at the field calls the tower to let them know someone is going to fly. if its before noon, then they flyer will usually call the tower when leaving if no one else is going to fly.

We fly everything from small electrics to giant scale.

Bill S.

RoyR

So how does anyone really know how high their airplane is?

cfircav8r

My Feedback: (1)

A really long tape measure.

cubfloater

My Feedback: (5)

I just guess at it and never fly no higher than 395 feet. I don't want to take a chance of going over the limit.

Jim

red head

Most flying fields are about 300 ft, so just stand it on end and add 100 ft. Should be close enough. ENJOY !!! RED

Simul8R

My Feedback: (1)

Ihave a RAM3 solid state altimeter mounted in my PZRadian. You download it to a PCafter flying and get a time history of altitude for the previous flights. It weighs just a couple of grams and takes next to no power. My best is 2050ft above the field. At that point Icowered out and spun it down as Icould barely see it!!

Bozarth

My Feedback: (15)

After reviewing your first few flights, were you higher or lower than you would have guessed?

Kurt

Simul8R

My Feedback: (1)

Probably lower. The flights at 500-750 seemed like they were higher than that. But the 2000+ seemed like 2000+. The plane was a speck to me and Ihad to rely on the fact that it was trimmed for straight and level. Ijust used small amounts of rudder and saw which way it was going as I could not determine attitude.

To get it down Iheld it in a spin and let her come down gently. I've seen posts from people who try a high speed dive and seem surprised when the wings detach and they get an even higher speed dive!! Who would have guessed that a (thermalling) glider isn't suited to extremely high speed flight.

flyalot

My Feedback: (63)

If one were to take an airplane with six foot wing span, stand it on its nose, walk a measured 400 ft. away, hold up a ruler and measure the apperant wingspan,
how many inches would that six foot wing span appear to be? Do this for several different size wingspans . 8 foot, 10 foot and up.
Wonder why our " leaders " at the AMA have never done that and published it as a guideline for altitude determination?
Joe