Stupid helicopter

[SpitFire]

Always good to have a spotter, especially when flying higher then 200 feet. Have had the same issues as you guys with Medical Evacuations helicopters even in the suburbs.

 

[DaveK-OR]

Copters don't like altitude, they prefer to fly low (crash would be less catastrophic).

Not very true, unless you are talking about catastrophic failure (for example, you lose the Jesus Nut). At low altitude, loss of power is usually really, really bad for a chopper. At higher altitude, you can autorotate and might even do a relatively soft landing.

 

[lowellton]

Yeah I've had a couple of similar situations, one of which I shut the motors off in-flight. My view is they have right of way (even if technically they don't) simply because they're manned. I see it as my responsibility to be hyper aware and get the heck out of their way.

On the other hand, judging height can be pretty hard without relative visual points of reference. They might seem low, but in probability were over 250ft...

good day, after you shut the motors did you turn on the motors in the air? Thanks

 

[Malcx]

good day, after you shut the motors did you turn on the motors in the air? Thanks

Yeah I did get them restarted before hitting the trees, a real heart in my mouth moment

Unfortunately I didn't have the camera recording at the time - that would have made for memorable footage at least.

 

[Cymruflyer]

I find helicopters to be a much bigger issue than fixed-wing aircraft. I was flying my drone at home at about 100 feet and, all of a sudden, a copter comes roaring by at a low altitude and it was close. That taught me a lesson. Copters don't like altitude, they prefer to fly low (crash would be less catastrophic). So I now fly in sport mode at any significant altitude so I can get down quickly.

Your thoughts about low flying and less catastrophic are incorrect. Altitude is safety when flying because when something goes wrong, you have more time to try and sort the problem out and if needed, line up for the field you already had an idea you were going to put it down, into. Basically if you crash from 100 ft or 500ft or 5,000 ft, things are not going to go well for you.

A crash is a crash, so you'd better have jam in your pockets because you are going to be toast. However, a forced landing is a completely different thing. A well trained pilot in a helicopter or a fixed wing aircraft, should be able to walk away from a forced landing due to engine failure. This is assuming the pilot flew as they were originally trained, to place themselves over terrain that would allow an emergency landing, should an engine out happen. A helicopter will use autorotation during an engine out landing and a fixed wing pilot will set up a proper glide path to get the aircraft down and into a predetermined field.

If a pilot finds themselves over land that would not allow them to safely put it down somewhere, should they experience and engine out, then they are not flying as they were trained and have put themselves in a dangerous situation.

 

[lowellton]

Yeah I did get them restarted before hitting the trees, a real heart in my mouth moment

Unfortunately I didn't have the camera recording at the time - that would have made for memorable footage at least.

wow. So it can be done.

 

[Malcx]

wow. So it can be done.

Yeah I think all dji drones can do it, there is a video of some guys testing this on the MP1

It was because I'd seen this I knew it was an option that would only be fatal if I was too slow.
I still don't recommend anyone try it though!

 

[WoodstockNick]

My latest close call wasn’t a helicopter, but a seaplane. I was flying my MA2 around a lighthouse on the Hudson River. I got ADS-B alerts that quickly turned red. The dot on map was fast approaching. I looked around and couldn’t see a thing. I was over water and couldn’t land, so I hovered behind the lighthouse until I could figure out what was happening.
I heard what sounded like a fast moving boat and that’s when I saw the plane land in the same spot where I was 30 seconds ago.
That’s when I learned aircraft are generally supposed to be 500 ft above terrain EXCEPT over water.
ADS-B is handy, but they gave us a dumbed down version on the MA2. ADS-B transmits aircraft type and altitude but we can’t see that info. Maybe it was a weight or battery consideration? It’s seems if it’s in the metadata, it should be displayed.
Look out for seaplanes!

 

[baddog]

Was flying in a zone marked 250ft doing a 180 shot at about 150ft. Heard a noise behind me and this helicopter came out of nowhere and he was hauling ( Mod Removed Language) Couldn't judge its exact height but I KNOW it was not 250ft up because I had the drone up at 240 about 5 mins before and from my view he was lower. Had to nose dive the drone to be sure he didn't hit it. Anyone else ever run into this type of situation?

Yup, several times, with both helicopters, smaller propeller planes and once with a glider (gliders are the worst, cant hear them coming)

But they are manned aircraft and alway have the right of way... So for me it is.. nose down and head for the deck...

 

[RussDrone]

In my area, around a NH lake, sea planes fly over tree tops to land in the water and there are many Ultra-Lites. I have to fly early in the AM before manned aircraft are present OR fly below tree top level ... usually around 60'. Unfortunately, if there is a crash, the drone operator owns all the liability.

 

[spsphotos]

I gotta learn this nose dive move .
Maybe Sport Mode left stick down and right stick forward ?‍

Well, nose dive is more a term then actually act. I did a quick turn and down on the joy stick. LOL.

 

[spsphotos]

I have one question for you... you stated "flying in a zone marked 250ft".... did you have FAA Authorization to be flying up to 250' in that sector?

Yes. If I don't yet a LAANC I put in a manual one ahead of time.

 

[spsphotos]

Always good to have a spotter, especially when flying higher than 200 feet. Have had the same issues as you guys with Medical Evacuations helicopters even in the suburbs.

Well, middle day, in rural area...so was not expecting the chopper, but like everything, lessons learned to expect the unexpected. It was good that I am always keeping alert of things in the area even if i can't see them. Because choppers are not exactly quiet I was able to get down in plenty of time. I've only been flying for a few months (though I got my Mavic Air last year, never really got behind the back yard with it and then it sat for a while). But, I've been doing plenty of research, vids, forums and learning what I could so I was fairly versed in the rules. Just that this was my first encounter with another AC so kind of threw me. I'm fairly vigilant about keeping eye on my surroundings as best I can, though I've come close to having encounters with power lines once or twice. Now I'm VERY alert fo those...lol. After thinking about it for a while judging by his heading he probably was coming in to land at the local community airport about 5 miles away. Pays to be alert.

 

[spsphotos]

Yeah I think all dji drones can do it, there is a video of some guys testing this on the MP1

It was because I'd seen this I knew it was an option that would only be fatal if I was too slow.
I still don't recommend anyone try it though!

I would probably have a heart attack...

 

[ChadHahn]

Way back when I was in high school, the Air National Guard in my state liked to fly to the Missouri River and fly under a bridge at speed. One weekend day, right before they got told to cut it out, a F-4 Phantom flew about 100 feet over my head at speed on it's way to the river which less than a mile away. I didn't hear it until it was right over me and I could count the rivets on it's underside.

 

[V_Raptor]

Copters don't like altitude, they prefer to fly low (crash would be less catastrophic).

????‍??‍??

this is how ”less catastrophic” it is at low altitude...A 206 loses its engine on T/O. Ive been flying helos for more than half of my life, I’m turning 50 this year...I like altitude and speed. However depending on mission requirements you can’t have it. Helicopters have different licence, endorsements, different set of rules, requirements and exemptions than fixed wing acft so, no, we dont have to adhere to their rules. ??????

 

[Rudiger]

I live in the English lake district & the RAF practice flying through the valleys, the plains can be lower than some of the roads, you can actually look down on them.

I've seen a few amazing videos from the mach loop - so cool!

 

[irpnetgb]

We have a small helicopter that regularly flies just over the treetops here. It carries and broadcasts chemicals for mosquito mitigation. Quite necessary in my part of the world.

In urban areas as I am, there are often hospital and police helos flying around. I have a rangefinder and I can assure you that they are typically higher than you think - usually well above the max height for drones here.

Yep, I watch a Youtuber who dries cherries for a living. As part of her job, she flies some feet above cherry trees to shake the water off the boughs using the prop wash. That's her job. In that area it's a very common thing. FlyingMAir is her channel name.
Wanna fly a drone there? You better be paying attention!
Obvs when shes flying to and from her jobs, she usually flies at a safe height, but the area she flies is hilly therefore her altitude AGL varies quite a bit.
I asked her if she comes across UAV's much. She said thankfully not in her area, but she is wary of them, as well as other craft. Her flights are ADS-B, so there's that I suppose.

Fly safe!

 

[CaptSheffield]

You may be ignorant of the rules- manned AC have right of way under all circumstances. There are circumstances where helicopters can legally fly at low altitude. The biggest surprise I have had to date was a helicopter being employed to deliver palm trees.

if you go to flight radar and use the playback feature you might actually be able to see how highly that helicopter was (if it was transmitting ADS-B).

With the birds, how come I keep seeing and hearing about all these features on flight radar and I can never find them . And yes, have paid version.

 

[nhgill960]

I would probably have a heart attack...

You could see his hands shaking before he cut the motors[emoji23][emoji23]