Watch out for US Coast Guard helicopters flying below 500 feet without warning

[Aairon]

Some chopper pilots are suicidal and apparently willing to take phenomenal risks!

 

[JP_CACIKE]

I just shot this from my backyard just now and it's a US Coast Guard helicopter flying not on the coast, low enough and fast enough that if I were flying my drone legally, this could well be a problem. If I happened to be flying my drone when this came around, I might well do a CSC emergency shut off and lose my drone. A few years back I was flying my drone on the coast when a Coast Guard helicopter came out of nowhere right towards my drone and freaked me out and I think it was a close call.

I'm putting this out there because:

1. I want other pilots to know about this potential hazard.
2. USCG often flies without ADSB, low, and fast, so you won't get much warning.
3. I am maybe 30 miles from the coast and would not expect Coast Guard to fly this low this far from the coast. They are the Coast Guard after all.
4. If you were flying your drone and saw this coming at your drone without much warning, what would you do?
5. To whom would you report this, if your drone was in the air near this? The FAA doesn't cover Coast Guard, from what I understand.

View attachment 164954

I’m out in the NYC suburbs and Police helicopters are usually flying under 400 feet over our RC clubs.
We have use all available resources to prevent flying into them. HFTA!

 

[Robert Prior]

It’s the pilot of the aircraft’s responsibility to avoid your drone — assuming you are flying legally.

That is not the case in Canada. Manned aircraft have right-of-way at all times.

 

[Big Bro]

That is not the case in Canada. Manned aircraft have right-of-way at all times.

It's the same in the U.S.A.
Here's the regulation:

Section 107.37 Operation near aircraft; right-of-way rules.​

(a) Each small unmanned aircraft must yield the right of way to all aircraft, airborne vehicles, and launch and reentry vehicles. Yielding the right of way means that the small unmanned aircraft must give way to the aircraft or vehicle and may not pass over, under, or ahead of it unless well clear.

(b) No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft so close to another aircraft as to create a collision hazard.

 

[Daytona500]

that vapor trail at 339 was amazing best one I've seen

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

that vapor trail at 339 was amazing best one I've seen

I think you mean 3:39 and I thought so too, I've never seen the likes of that before, the camera man must have been chuffed to heck to capture it.

 

[MS Coast]

It's never the responsibility of a manned aircraft to give way to a drone. It's always the responsibility of a drone to give way to a manned aircraft.

It makes no difference whether the drone is otherwise being flown legally.

 

[MS Coast]

Duh! Couldn't hear it! It was obscured by overcast sky a couple hundred feet above drone. It was interesting the the alert increases as plane gets nearer to drone.

The glider was flying above the clouds? Or do you mean that it was difficult to see the glider against the overcast above it?

 

[MS Coast]

1. I am maybe 30 miles from the coast and would not expect Coast Guard to fly this low this far from the coast. They are the Coast Guard after all.

Despite the name, USCG operates inland, too. The USCG Air Station in Sacramento, CA is more than 90 miles from the coast. There's also big presence on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers and the Great Lakes.

Police and news helicopters are another big concern. They're often low and often flying erratically.

 

[Cafguy]

Despite the name, USCG operates inland, too. The USCG Air Station in Sacramento, CA is more than 90 miles from the coast. There's also big presence on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers and the Great Lakes.

Police and news helicopters are another big concern. They're often low and often flying erratically.

This is why you should never go near police or fire operations with your drone. Unless you have direct contact with those who coordinate the air support, you have no way of knowing where that chopper is coming from.

 

[PAW]

Despite the name, USCG operates inland, too. The USCG Air Station in Sacramento, CA is more than 90 miles from the coast. There's also big presence on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers and the Great Lakes.

Police and news helicopters are another big concern. They're often low and often flying erratically.

In my area, you can add crop dusters.

 

[Reelman67]

After reading all the posts on this topic, I am of the persuasion that drones are next to impossible to see from a manned aircraft. Their footprint is so small as to be invisible. The one thing I think would make them easier to see is strobes, the brighter, the better. I always fly with strobes, and am considering purchasing brighter ones yet. I have Firehouse Arc 2's and am considering Arc 5's.

 

[bmwbob]

The glider was flying above the clouds? Or do you mean that it was difficult to see the glider against the overcast above it?

The area I was in has some elevation and it was kind of overcast making glider hard to see and no engine noise.

 

[Cafguy]

What do the sectional charts say about the areas you are flying in? The VFR low altitude charts will clearly show where you can expect glider traffic also most low flying military pilots are doing so in zones clearly shown on these charts. As the drone pilot it is YOUR responsibility to stay away from ALL aircraft, after all you are totally invisible to them.

 

[bmwbob]

What do the sectional charts say about the areas you are flying in? The VFR low altitude charts will clearly show where you can expect glider traffic also most low flying military pilots are doing so in zones clearly shown on these charts. As the drone pilot it is YOUR responsibility to stay away from ALL aircraft, after all you are totally invisible to them.

I'm way way out in the country! The sigh south of town says no service for 70 miles! I'm in a mountain range gliders occasionally head to. There was never any chance of getting close as I was at 100 feet and glider was well over 500 feet but neatly directly above. I was just struck how the proximity alarm kicks in at another level when aircraft is near.

 

[MARK (LI)]

I think you’re making some incorrect assumptions. It’s the pilot of the aircraft’s responsibility to avoid your drone — assuming you are flying legally.
Are you sure it was below 500 ft? Hard to tell from the photo but this does not look like 500ft altitude.
Are you sure it was within a dangerous radius?

This is bad information and should not be taken into consideration

 

[tleedom]

I just shot this from my backyard just now and it's a US Coast Guard helicopter flying not on the coast, low enough and fast enough that if I were flying my drone legally, this could well be a problem. If I happened to be flying my drone when this came around, I might well do a CSC emergency shut off and lose my drone. A few years back I was flying my drone on the coast when a Coast Guard helicopter came out of nowhere right towards my drone and freaked me out and I think it was a close call.

I'm putting this out there because:

1. I want other pilots to know about this potential hazard.
2. USCG often flies without ADSB, low, and fast, so you won't get much warning.
3. I am maybe 30 miles from the coast and would not expect Coast Guard to fly this low this far from the coast. They are the Coast Guard after all.
4. If you were flying your drone and saw this coming at your drone without much warning, what would you do?
5. To whom would you report this, if your drone was in the air near this? The FAA doesn't cover Coast Guard, from what I understand.

I'm not surprised that no one posting to this has even taken the time to even research the topic they are responding to.

In the US helicopters have no specifically defined "low altitude limit".

As per the FAA:

Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 91.119 of the General Operating and Flight Rules, which specifically prohibits low flying aircraft.

91.119 Minimum safe altitudes; general Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes:

(a) Anywhere – An altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface.
(b) Over congested areas – Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open-air assembly of persons, an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft.
(c) Over other than congested areas – An altitude of 500 feet above the surface except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In that case, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.

(d) Helicopters – Helicopters may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed In paragraph (b) or (c) of this section if the operation is conducted without hazard to persons or property on the surface. In addition, each person operating a helicopter shall comply with routes or altitudes specifically prescribed for helicopters by the Administrator. Helicopter operations may be conducted below the minimum altitudes set for fixed-wing aircraft.

The reason: they have unique operating characteristics, the most important of which is their ability to execute pinpoint emergency landings during power-out emergencies. Furthermore, the helicopter's increased use by law enforcement and emergency medical service agencies requires added flexibility.

 

[Parkerjh]

That helicopter looks no where near close to 500'. I used to worry about stuff like that with both helicopters and planes and thinking they were a lot lower than they actually were. Then I got a flight aware premium subscription to get actual altimeter altitude and I'd notice that helicopters that I was worried about with low altitudes were actually flying at more like 1'200. When a helicopter is at 500', you'd absolutely know it

 

[MS Coast]

I'm not surprised that no one posting to this has even taken the time to even research the topic they are responding to.

(d) Helicopters – Helicopters may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed In paragraph (b) or (c) of this section if the operation is conducted without hazard to persons or property on the surface. In addition, each person operating a helicopter shall comply with routes or altitudes specifically prescribed for helicopters by the Administrator. Helicopter operations may be conducted below the minimum altitudes set for fixed-wing aircraft.

The reason: they have unique operating characteristics, the most important of which is their ability to execute pinpoint emergency landings during power-out emergencies. Furthermore, the helicopter's increased use by law enforcement and emergency medical service agencies requires added flexibility.

You should be aware that some of the people posting here are quite familiar with those rules.

 

[Surge]

Exactly my point @tleedom - you said it better than me:
"An altitude of 500 feet above the surface except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In that case, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure."