Approaching Helicopter......?

[wardtom084]

My ADS-B .... It gives me a map, where I am at, where the chopper is at with altitude and distance to me. I try and keep a battery ready to go and I am always up when the chopper comes over....just to practice.

 

[BigAl07]

My ADS-B .... It gives me a map, where I am at, where the chopper is at with altitude and distance to me. I try and keep a battery ready to go and I am always up when the chopper comes over....just to practice.

Keep in mind you're only seeing a sliver of all possible aircraft when looking at ADS-B returns.

Also, what exactly do you mean " I am always up when the chopper comes over....just to practice"? I'm not following that logic . . .

 

[wardtom084]

Keep in mind you're only seeing a sliver of all possible aircraft when looking at ADS-B returns.

Also, what exactly do you mean " I am always up when the chopper comes over....just to practice"? I'm not following that logic . . .

When I hear on the scanner that the air ambulance chopper is coming in. I am up in the air with with my drone.

 

[BigAl07]

When I hear on the scanner that the air ambulance chopper is coming in. I am up in the air with with my drone.

Why? What exactly are you practicing?

 

[wardtom084]

Why? What exactly are you practicing?

Just watching him as he approaches my place. Usually fly over the house. Pick him up as he approaches Johanna bald headed north.

 

[whistlen2602]

I always monitor Flightradar24, the local airport CTAF/UNICOM that is not in controlled airspace (no tower), and watch all around because on the back side of my fence is a hospital with a heliport. It's not a base for any specific medical air service, but they fly in/out enough for me to watch. My tallest tree in my yard is 102' tall oak and I've seen the helicopters as low as 500 feet over my yard but I pull down to 100 any time I know one is nearby.

As for being Deaf, there is no restriction. I have 3 kids that are Deaf and the one son has his TRUST certificate. I also know a few fixed winged pilots that are deaf. They just need a hearing person to run the radio.

 

[wardtom084]

I always monitor Flightradar24, the local airport CTAF/UNICOM that is not in controlled airspace (no tower), and watch all around because on the back side of my fence is a hospital with a heliport. It's not a base for any specific medical air service, but they fly in/out enough for me to watch. My tallest tree in my yard is 102' tall oak and I've seen the helicopters as low as 500 feet over my yard but I pull down to 100 any time I know one is nearby.

As for being Deaf, there is no restriction. I have 3 kids that are Deaf and the one son has his TRUST certificate. I also know a few fixed winged pilots that are deaf. They just need a hearing person to run the radio.

Flight radar hardly ever show the chopper. I guess there is not any ground stations picking it up but my drone never fails to see it.

 

[Daytona500]

Flight radar shows most choppers in my area, but it doesn't show Military aircraft which sometimes fly over my house at 200 feet. its a real problem, because they fly low over the mtns and at speeds in excess of 500 MPH by the time I hear them there already past me. Scary.

 

[wardtom084]

Flight radar shows most choppers in my area, but it doesn't show Military aircraft which sometimes fly over my house at 200 feet. its a real problem, because they fly low over the mtns and at speeds in excess of 500 MPH by the time I hear them there already past me. Scary.

You might like this sight then. Click the U at the top of the page for military if I remember. ADS-B Exchange - tracking thousands of aircraft

 

[DoomMeister]

Flight radar shows most choppers in my area, but it doesn't show Military aircraft which sometimes fly over my house at 200 feet. its a real problem, because they fly low over the mtns and at speeds in excess of 500 MPH by the time I hear them there already past me. Scary.

If they are flying that low and fast you are very likely flying your drone in restricted airspace or an active MOA. Where are you flying?

 

[RH009]

If they are flying that low and fast you are very likely flying your drone in restricted airspace or an active MOA. Where are you flying?

Not necessarily true. I have the National Guard Blackhawks fly over our neighborhood at least twice a day, and you never know what time. They fly from their base to the Arkansas river at about 200' (according to FlightRadar24, if they even show up). Never had a MOA and not in restricted airspace. You can, fortunately, hear them a fair distance away, and I've never been up in the air when one has come by, but it is concerning. They typically (not always) fly low and slow to the river and then fly along the river eastward, sometimes stopping and hovering for awhile above the river. It can be quite the sight to see. I've often wondered what would happen if I was flying over the Arkansas and they came cruising around the bend I was flying at.... unnerving, to say the least.

 

[DoomMeister]

Not necessarily true. I have the National Guard Blackhawks fly over our neighborhood at least twice a day, and you never know what time. They fly from their base to the Arkansas river at about 200' (according to FlightRadar24, if they even show up). Never had a MOA and not in restricted airspace. You can, fortunately, hear them a fair distance away, and I've never been up in the air when one has come by, but it is concerning. They typically (not always) fly low and slow to the river and then fly along the river eastward, sometimes stopping and hovering for awhile above the river. It can be quite the sight to see. I've often wondered what would happen if I was flying over the Arkansas and they came cruising around the bend I was flying at.... unnerving, to say the least.

View attachment 146152

I understand your situation with helicopters at low altitude, but they are not doing 500+mph. Is that National Guard out of Oklahoma?

@Daytona500 started with helicopters then switched to Military aircraft at low altitude and doing >500mph. That scenario will usually be a Restricted or Alert airspace or an MOA.

 

[wardtom084]

The speed of a medical helicopter depends on its model, but on average a medical helicopter will fly at 120mph. Police helicopters have an average cruise speed of 155mph. ....I fly in Robbinsville NC and at times at the area airport class G. This is where the chopper is based usually we have that one come in if available directly south of me.

 

[RH009]

I understand your situation with helicopters at low altitude, but they are not doing 500+mph. Is that National Guard out of Oklahoma?

Yes, that is correct, Army National Guard. And no, I've never seen them going that fast. I've seen them 'booking it' a few times, but usually they're just cruising along.

Rob

 

[DoomMeister]

Yes, that is correct, Army National Guard. And no, I've never seen them going that fast. I've seen them 'booking it' a few times, but usually they're just cruising along.

Rob

That sounds typical. Helicopters have a different set of rules than fixed wing aircraft for minimum safe altitude so it is not uncommon to have them fly much lower than a fixed wing.

 

[RH009]

That sounds typical. Helicopters have a different set of rules than fixed wing aircraft for minimum safe altitude so it is not uncommon to have them fly much lower than a fixed wing.

That's good to know. I'm not overly concerned, since I've never been up flying when they've passed over, and like I said, I can hear them a good distance off and I would immediately bring the bird down to the ground if I did hear a chopper, because it could very well be them. I think what is most concerning is that I like to drive to the river and fly around it (usually the Arkansas in this area is fairly dry), and the fright I would get if I was flying and they came around a bend, in proximity to where I'm flying. I would like to think it'd hear them before that happens, but who knows.

Rob

 

[Cymruflyer]

When I fly in an area where helicopters may be present (near hospitals, in cities) I always have a partner (VO) watching for them. I want to avoid a collision but in addition I don't want to get caught in their down draft.

That's not going to happen, it dissipates very fast plus you'd have to be extremely close to be bother by it, which you should never been. A hover copter is a very different kettle of fish, of course, regarding rotor wash.

 

[Cymruflyer]

That's good to know. I'm not overly concerned, since I've never been up flying when they've passed over, and like I said, I can hear them a good distance off and I would immediately bring the bird down to the ground if I did hear a chopper, because it could very well be them. I think what is most concerning is that I like to drive to the river and fly around it (usually the Arkansas in this area is fairly dry), and the fright I would get if I was flying and they came around a bend, in proximity to where I'm flying. I would like to think it'd hear them before that happens, but who knows.

Rob

You have to remember that altitude is safety to a pilot. No helicopter pilot will be flying at 400ft unless there is a definite reason to do so, searching, landing, or sightseeing. For getting from A to B they will always be up higher.

 

[RH009]

You have to remember that altitude is safety to a pilot. No helicopter pilot will be flying at 400ft unless there is a definite reason to do so, searching, landing, or sightseeing. For getting from A to B they will always be up higher.

I would almost agree, except for the National Guard. They come over my neighborhood at lower than 200' all the time (at least twice a day). Granted, they're probably flying training missions, but they're still well below 200' at times and often times they don't have ADS-B enabled, so they aren't seen from public resources, that I've seen, at least.

 

[Deleted member 93449]

I had one incident with an approaching helicopter. I could hear it long before I could see it. I'm not sure if it had anything to do with terrain but even with sound it was very difficult to determine a precise direction because the sound seemed to echo off the surrounding buildings. When I finally did see it the helicopter was well away from the drone but that period of time between hearing it and seeing it was disconcerting.