Plane just buzzed my house very low

[sporte77]

Absolutely he turned out to be sooo... Cool and understanding. Thank goodness

Funny, you fly a Mavic.. and that guy thinks he is Maverick! LOL.. did he say why he illegally buzzed your house?

Back when I flew the small, manned aircraft, I never got that low where people could see the giant registration number on my plane. That's why they put them on planes - so people could see the number and report pilots who were flying unsafe.

 

[Gary cato]

Absolutely he turned out to be sooo... Cool and understanding. Thank goodness

awww group hug time

 

[Flyboy36]

Funny, you fly a Mavic.. and that guy thinks he is Maverick! LOL.. did he say why he illegally buzzed your house?

Back when I flew the small, manned aircraft, I never got that low where people could see the giant registration number on my plane. That's why they put them on planes - so people could see the number and report pilots who were flying unsafe.

He said he was getting ready to land but it didn't make much sense. My house doesn't line up with the runway. I'm just glad I get to keep flying my drone. Technically I need his permission to fly my drone since I'm so close to his airport. Turns out I'm only a mile away.

 

[BorisTheSpider]

He said he was getting ready to land but it didn't make much sense. My house doesn't line up with the runway. I'm just glad I get to keep flying my drone. Technically I need his permission to fly my drone since I'm so close to his airport. Turns out I'm only a mile away.

Possibly you're somewhere on base leg of the circuit. http://hosting.x-plane.org/xppl/Circuits/circuit2.png

It's also not unusual at very small, infrequently used airfields to fly a low pass before making an approach to land, so as to inspect the runway surface and make sure there's no obstructions, holes dug by animals etc. but you'd normally do that along the runway axis.

 

[Flyboy36]

Possibly you're somewhere on base leg of the circuit. http://hosting.x-plane.org/xppl/Circuits/circuit2.png

It's also not unusual at very small, infrequently used airfields to fly a low pass before making an approach to land, so as to inspect the runway surface and make sure there's no obstructions, holes dug by animals etc. but you'd normally do that along the runway axis.

He told me he just got done building the motor and I think he was just taking it up for the first time in a while and was just having fun. He's been flying for 40 years or something crazy like that so I'm good with it. I just want to fly my drone. Lol

 

[Wacabart]

He said he was getting ready to land but it didn't make much sense. My house doesn't line up with the runway. I'm just glad I get to keep flying my drone. Technically I need his permission to fly my drone since I'm so close to his airport. Turns out I'm only a mile away.

If you are flying as a hobbyist you don 't need his permission, all you have to do is notify him of your operations. This is covered in FAR 101 which can be read at www.faa.gov. If you are flying for compensation or hire FAR 107 would be the regulation you must follow.

 

[sporte77]

If you are flying as a hobbyist you don 't need his permission, all you have to do is notify him of your operations. This is covered in FAR 101 which can be read at www.faa.gov. If you are flying for compensation or hire FAR 107 would be the regulation you must follow.

Wacabart is correct.

If the field is uncontrolled (no tower) - then you only need notify the airport operator (usually a manager or owner) of where you will fly your drone. Same goes for commercial/part 107 operator - EXCEPT if a commercial operator is flying his drone in class b,c,d or surface e airspace (regardless of tower) = then we need to apply for a waiver (up to 90 day wait - if they even reply). Hobbyist within 5 miles of a tower-controlled airport has to notify them - but the tower can "deny" your operation. They won't "approve" - but they can "deny". IF they don't deny then you are good to go. Uncontrolled airports cannot deny your operation if you aren't on their property - but they can report an "unsafe" operation.

I was a flight instructor for many years, been a manned pilot for 30 yrs (still fly for an airline). BorisTheSpider put up a link to a graphic above that showed our "traffic pattern". Our rule of thumb for small airplanes was to be 1000' on the downwind & then 500' on the base - so when turning final at a mile or so out - we'd be on a stabilized approach starting at between 300-500'. But my experience is that old timers - especially near grass or dirt fields sometimes don't follow the same rules. As a flight instructor, I always liked to follow the standards because I believe in self preservation. More altitude gives you more chances to live if you lose an engine - or stall (get too slow)... Nothing sucks worse than having your engine sputter and you don't have enough time to pick a new place to land!! Also, if you get caught doing something ignorant of the FAR/CFR's - the FAA assigns punitive "training" to teach you the rules. I have had a couple guys who broke the rules (flew in clouds, or too low) and spent about 5 or 10 hours "re-learning" them. It's pretty embarrassing for them - but to get their license back - they had to.

Regardless, I'm glad you have a good dialogue with the pilot. If he offers to give you a ride in his plane - I'd probably observe his flying habits for a while first. Maybe tell him you're afraid to fly in small airplanes (even if it's a lie) - then he will likely fly a little safer if you go with him. If you are gung-ho - he's going to scare the #$%! out of you (saying "Watch This!" - while he does it).. LOL..

 

[Bryan Conover]

A plane could be 50' over your house and hit your drone...with no uncertainty, you'd be blamed for a potential crash.

 

[Flyboy36]

A plane could be 50' over your house and hit your drone...with no uncertainty, you'd be blamed for a potential crash.

Probably

 

[BorisTheSpider]

A plane could be 50' over your house and hit your drone...with no uncertainty, you'd be blamed for a potential crash.

I disagree with that - I think a court would not look kindly on a pilot who was 50' over your house without good reason for being there. Obviously regardless of who has more right to be there it's important to avoid conflict with manned aircraft but they've got as much responsibility as you have to use airspace safely and let's not forget they've got more skin in the game too.

 

[Kestrel]

I have the same problem sometimes, I fly about 7 miles from a regional airport and I see planes flying way lower than 500 feet. Luckily I encounter these planes after I'm done flying but still, they need to follow the rules as well.

 

[Flyboy36]

This story has a happy ending. I'm just glad he was a sensible man. I ended up making a friend. Now we can both enjoy our hobbys safely.

 

[BorisTheSpider]

Good news. I'm sure a lot of light aircraft pilots unintentionally "buzz" houses when doing practise forced landings, it's surprisingly hard to be sure from even a thousand feet up who/what is where you're planning to practise a glide approach so when airplanes fly too low and close over people and houses it's not always intentional.

 

[sporte77]

Good news. I'm sure a lot of light aircraft pilots unintentionally "buzz" houses when doing practise forced landings, it's surprisingly hard to be sure from even a thousand feet up who/what is where you're planning to practise a glide approach so when airplanes fly too low and close over people and houses it's not always intentional.

 

[sporte77]

Hilarious. So well written- I thought you were serious. LOL.

 

[BorisTheSpider]

I'm absolutely serious - you're telling me you've never inadvertently been less than 500' from people or property when doing a PFL?

If so, you either haven't done many, or I want to fly with you - everyone likes a lucky pilot...

 

[sporte77]

I'm sorry? What on earth are you talking about - I'm absolutely serious - have you ever actually flown an aeroplane?

Yes. Flying airplanes since 1988. Flight instructor for 6 years. Airline pilot since 1994. I don't know what country you live in, but we don't "practice" forced landings over people's houses. Anyone who knows the FAR/CFR's wouldn't risk their license buzzing people's property intentionally. Aviation is no accident, it is all planned. When something unintentional happens - it's an accident. The only practice for forced landings is done so over fields and sparsely populated areas where there is no chance of getting a violation. I have to say that manned aircraft pilots have (or should) a sense of self preservation. That's not to say that there are some who disregard the rules. As a flight instructor, I'd been sent a few private pilots that were caught doing things they weren't supposed to. The FAA suspended their licenses until they were given "remedial" training.
Anyway, sorry for the offense. I meant no disrespect. But these are the facts in the manned aircraft world when one is serious about safety. Sorry for the confusion. But to a pilot of manned aircraft (and flight instructor) - your statements were funny.

 

[BorisTheSpider]

Yeah sorry if I caused offence too - I'm from the same background as you (although it seems a bit less experienced) and I know from my days instructing, you can be as careful as you like, sometimes it would be hard not to accidentally get uncomfortably close to someone walking their dog, or a farm building being used, an isolated house concealed amongst hedges and trees etc during a PFL, even if you really didn't mean to.

Perhaps my instructing days were spent in a considerably more crowded environment than yours if you're from the US - you guys have a lot more space than us! (I'm originally from the UK and that's where I instructed)

My point was, that although I know there's a fair few irresponsible PPLs out there, most pilots who get too close to an isolated house or person out in the countryside didn't do it intentionally and shouldn't have the rule book thrown at them for an unintentional error.

 

[sporte77]

I'm absolutely serious - you're telling me you've never inadvertently been less than 500' from people or property when doing a PFL?

If so, you either haven't done many, or I want to fly with you - everyone likes a lucky pilot...

By the way, you said "practice" forced landing. Obviously if you actually lost your engine, you don't care about the 500' rule. Lucky? Combination of proper training & a little luck. I've lost an engine twice, one on fire. Had numerous other systems failures. But I've also practiced all of those issues within the rule limits & id be dead if it were all luck. Pilots who think luck is what saves them are usually a news story at some point. Inadvertent? Not over a house - they are easy to see. People out in the woods? Maybe inadvertently.
But when I practiced- I planned ahead. Where I live there is an area with plenty of fields to get down around 500'. But there's no reason to turn a practice forced landing at 500' into a real emergency due to coincidence and poor planning.

Integrity is part of the profession (if it's one's profession). Like I said, I don't want to offend you, but reality is that if you're in control of (and inside of) something that can kill you or others - you don't break the buffer zone while practicing. The FAA doesn't buy that excuse.

 

[sporte77]

Yeah sorry if I caused offence too - I'm from the same background as you (although it seems a bit less experienced) and I know from my days instructing, you can be as careful as you like, sometimes it would be hard not to accidentally get uncomfortably close to someone walking their dog, or a farm building being used, an isolated house concealed amongst hedges and trees etc during a PFL, even if you really didn't mean to.

Perhaps my instructing days were spent in a considerably more crowded environment than yours if you're from the US - you guys have a lot more space than us! (I'm originally from the UK and that's where I instructed)

My point was, that although I know there's a fair few irresponsible PPLs out there, most pilots who get too close to an isolated house or person out in the countryside didn't do it intentionally and shouldn't have the rule book thrown at them for an unintentional error.

I totally understand your perspective now. It's all good. I'm glad that we've got a good mix of UAS & manned pilots on here. I understand your environment now that I know where your from. I can imagine that training spaces would be a lot more condensed there in the U.K. I shouldn't have been splitting hairs. Glad that the encounter had a happy ending too. You've broadened my perspective thanks