Drones and Military Jets

[JDubya]

Most manned aircraft are required to stay above 500 AGL drones are allowed to 400ft

Again, drone pilots need to understand the airspace they are interacting with. The reason for the 5 mile airport restriction is due to aircraft operating at altitudes from 0 to 500’ agl and above while departing or approaching said airport. Where the statement above misleads the reader is thinking if they’re at 400’ or below and more than 5 miles from an airport they’re ok. Wrong. Helicopters while operating under part 135 (carrying passengers for hire) are allowed to fly at 300’ agl and even lower if departing or landing, which doesn’t need to be at an “established “ airport. Part 91 (no paying passengers onboard) i.e. crop dusters, private owners, can fly at any altitude that doesn’t create a hazard to persons or property. In other words, don’t think flying at 400’ or below is protected airspace for you to fly your drone. Stay vigilant and if you see or hear an aircraft in the vicinity, get your drone below tree top level immediately or better yet, land that sucker asap!

 

[TurboMech]

yes the space shuttle regularly fly at 300ft its just a shame nascar decide to stop the flights

Have you lost your mind?

 

[Criplr702]

In the F-16 video, the aircraft was going missed approach after making a practice training approach. The bird that was ingested into the engine was a Turkey Buzzard. They are quite a large bird, but believe me, it doesn't take much to shut that engine down. He was still so low, that he didn't have time to restart the engine, if it even would restart. F-16's don't glide very far when they are that low, thus the ejection. I've seen an F-16 taxiing on the ground and suck things up off the taxiway that FOD's (foreign object debris) out the engines. 32 yrs of Air Traffic Control you see a lot of things like that.

 

[Dabrain]

Actually, you would not hear it for miles. The reason we fly low and fast is to avoid radar and to be on the people on the ground before they know we are coming. When you are going near Mach, you are running forward with the sound. Check out this video.

Would you have time to lower your drone?

Fly safe

I totally could've dodged that Jet. If I could've seen it.

 

[Dabrain]

I have to say this is a good subject to discuss and be aware of. I have a very high pressure natural gas line that traverses my property. The gas and power company flies the line in a helicopter once a month, not always on the same date but close to the 3rd to the 7th. So I checked with them and they said it was okay to fly but to beware they fly by my property the first week each month. They fly below the elevation of the house as I live on the mountain side. Scared the you know what out of me the first time I saw them, about a year ago. So be aware of the area you want to fly, stuff happens or "Manure Occureth" .

 

[JDubya]

I agree with Dabrain, this is a good subject to explore in detail. The more real life scenarios related, the more the drone pilots here can learn from. The experience level of some posters is helpful and varied. My perspectives come from having 4200+ hrs. as a Helicopter pilot, another poster is an experienced ATC controller and another is (was?) a jet jock. The collective here can learn a lot from aviation professionals to help keep everyone using the airspace safe. However, every drone pilot should not wholly trust any info listed on a forum without verifying it in the regs. A current FAR/AIM and appropriate sectional charts should be in your flight bag along with the knowledge of what it all means. Another point is, while checking with local LEOs or Rangers, etc for permission to fly is all well and good, they normally aren’t trained in FAA regs so if you violate an FAR, they will be the same guys showing up to write you up or worse.

 

[neggy]

I was at 210 AGL, heard this and did a spin only to see him not too far away. He was past VLOS but I was right over my back yard looking off into the distance with the sUAV. I could see my drone right over my head but not him

 

[787steve]

Consequences are is you get to be on the national news as the first military jet to hit a consumer drone in the US.

And you would be the whole country's new favorite person to hate.

 

[787steve]

when you look at a sectional, and see a VR route, if it has 4 digits, least one segment is going to be below 1500' AGL, if it has 3 digits VR XXX, all of it is going to be above 1500' AGL.

VR routes are aerial corridors across the United States in which military aircraft can operate below 10,000 feet faster than the maximum safe speed of 250 knots that all other aircraft are restricted to while operating below 10,000 feet. The routes are the result of a joint venture between the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense to provide for high-speed, low-altitude military activities.

That is the definition. But be advised, in twenty years of flying fighters, I flew hundreds of these missions. I NEVER flew a low level route (VR) at an altitude above 500' AGL. And I NEVER flew one at an airspeed of less than 360 Kts GS. Most common was 200 ft and 420, 480, or 540 kts. Be aware and beware of VR routes. Your day, and your life could change in a heartbeat.

 

[Donnie Frank]

I was in the Tonto National Forest the other day flying over the lake at about 300 feet when an F-35 came out of nowhere at about the same height . The lake is long and narrow at this spot and is between 2 mountains. I think the F-35 was following the lake path when he came around the corner and into my flight path.. I swear it was pretty close, at least from my perspective. I had no time to move down or anything.
I'm curious if that F-35 could detect my little drone at 400mph? Also wonder what the consequences are if he hit my drone, is the Air Force going to cover my loss . I seriously doubt that my drone could hurt him.

This same thing happened to me on a real-estate shoot out in the middle of nowhere, hundreds of miles from the nearest airport. After the jet flew over and freaked me the f*** out, my client nonchalantly declares, "Oh yeah....they fly over our ranch all the time." Geeze...you might have said something sooner, lady!!!! I guess she didn't make the connection that fast-moving fighter jets and drones don't mix. Apparently military pilots use the ranch as a landmark and fly over it all the time. Who knew!!! Goooooooo Class E airspace!!

D

 

[787steve]

This same thing happened to me on a real-estate shoot out in the middle of nowhere, hundreds of miles from the nearest airport. After the jet flew over and freaked me the f*** out, my client nonchalantly declares, "Oh yeah....they fly over our ranch all the time." Geeze...you might have said something sooner, lady!!!! I guess she didn't make the connection that fast-moving fighter jets and drones don't mix. Apparently military pilots use the ranch as a landmark and fly over it all the time. Who knew!!! Goooooooo Class E airspace!!

D

Most of the VR routes are "in the middle of nowhere". They try to keep them away from populated areas. Odds are the farm just happens to be situated on a leg of a VR route.

 

[Bytored]

Most manned aircraft are required to stay above 500 AGL drones are allowed to 400ft

I see helicopters flying regularly below 400AGL. Dunno why but pretty sure they are not sopposed to be there or at least that low. They are coming for Pangborn Airport in East Wenatchee.

 

[Marko9219]

One day, in very northwestern Utah, at the very crest of the Raft River mountains (these mountains run east-west), and I was very nearly taken to my knees by an instantly appearing Air Force fighter jet flying nap-of-the-Earth, up and over the mountains. He was seriously no more than 150 ft over the tree-tops and appeared instantly with absolutely no warning whatsoever. Like I said, the shock of the sudden deafening noise very nearly took my legs out from under me. This was a National Forest, but obviously in a military low-level training region

 

[JDubya]

I see helicopters flying regularly below 400AGL. Dunno why but pretty sure they are not sopposed to be there or at least that low. They are coming for Pangborn Airport in East Wenatchee.

See post #61 for an answer.

 

[bushie]

Many years ago now i was working on a pipeline construction project. We had cleared a dead strait track about 20m wide through the scrub.

The annual large excercise where the RAAF and RAF ran missions to bomb Darwin was in progress

The RAF was flying the V bombers and they would fly so low along our cleared track they would raise dust. Little did they know we were using explosives to break the rock and once we lit the fuze there was no going back. Could not hear the bombers coming any way. Just the noise as they passed

 

[bushie]

On a more recent note, where i live we have regular shark spotting choppers cruising along the cosline at very low level. Fortunatly you can hear and see them coming

 

[Fried Eagle]

That would have been so freakin cool to see a jet zip right on past. I doubt a little plastic mavic could do much damage to it unless it got sucked into the engine and the lipo battery exploded. In saying that though, I've heard and seen the F35 and they are LOUD. You'd hear them coming from miles away, plenty of time to bring your drone down to a safe height or land it entirely. I highly doubt the pilot could see your drone, nor would he/she have time to react.

The Mavic is very substantial. It could do severe damage to an F-35 flying fast. If you don't believe me run down the street and let a Mavic at full speed fly into your face.

 

[Bigbird48]

Your comparing your face to a Military Combat fighter Jet