There is a discussion over in the Jet forum about a County owned RC airfield that was shut down over what appears to be some miss information about flying above the mandated 400 foot ceiling. Sounds like Jets, IMAC and some giant scale aircraft will be band from the field if it reopens. No mention of large pattern aircraft at this point.

Anyone flying pattern think they ever fly above 400 feet during a contest or practice? It seems like you would be way out the top of the box at 400’. 400’ feet would be about the height of a 40 story building!

Well, the box rules for pattern at 60 degrees looking up and 175 meters out would put your tops around 1000 feet. So if you fly at the limits yes, Im sure Ive seen it done.

Yikes!

Actually a 400ft stall turn would be just about the right size IMO, especially as a turn around manuever at the end of the box. Some other maneuvers such as our figure 9, Square figure 8, any spins, the reverse humpty bump(last year) any Humpty bump or top hat are all probably at that height or bigger. FAI has other manuevers that are flown bigger yet.

Ed

Does anyone know where this 400 foot limit comes from? AMA, FAA, "They"??

Keith,

The 400' ceiling comes from the FAA Advisory Circular AC 91-57, dated June 9, 1981.

Larry

Hi,

Don't have the Advisory in front of me--isn't there something about being within a 3 or 4 mile radius of an airport mentioned in the A.C?

Here's a link with the AC:

http://www.rcapa.net/FAA_Guidelines.php

Larry

400 feet is pretty low for big sequence maneuvers. I don't fly pattern but fly scale aerobatics. Even with the small(er) 1/4 scale planes that I fly I KNOW I am way above 400' often, all while staying in the box.

http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/0/1acfc3f689769a56862569e70077c9cc/$FILE/ATTBJMAC/ac91-57.pdf

-Cheech

The 400 ft conditions are listed in the AMA safety code= within 3 mi of an airport without notifing the airport operator.

Paul