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Old July 2nd 15, 02:12 AM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
john B.
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Posts: 2,603
Default AG: On being overtaken

On Wed, 01 Jul 2015 20:58:11 +0100, Phil W Lee
wrote:

Joy Beeson considered Sun, 28 Jun 2015
22:07:17 -0300 the perfect time to write:

On Sun, 28 Jun 2015 11:24:13 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

Cropduster? I hope you were holding your breath!


I don't think he was actually dusting crops -- they were the wrong
kind of crops, for one thing -- but he was flying back and forth in a
cropdusterly manner. Perhaps sight-seeing, or practicing turns -- or
trying not to get too far from the airstrip before it was his turn to
land, though I don't know of any airstrips in that area.


Most civil aviation regulations around the world specifically prohibit
low level flying except for specific purposes or by special permit.
Actual crop dusting, or maybe training to do it, would qualify,
hanging around to get a landing slot certainly wouldn't, nor would
sight-seeing.
Generally, it's 500ft above ground level that is the specified
minimum, although in metric countries that may be 150M (which is
492ft) - I'd have to look that up before traveling to such a country
if I was going to fly there (unlikely now, as I'm no longer current
and very unlikely to ever regain my medical certificate).
Even on approach, if you can't see a clear runway in front of you by
500ft AGL, you go around - even on most instrument approaches (you
need a high category auto land capability to descend lower without
visibility) that's called the "decision height" (although it's only
the first one - you can reject the landing right up until the point
where you've slowed too much to be able to take off on the remaining
runway).

When waiting to land, you just join the pattern/circuit, inserting
yourself (in whichever way is "normal" for the country you are in)
where there is a gap big enough, and if there isn't a gap, you go into
a holding pattern nearby (within gliding range), which is a racetrack
pattern where you just fly back and forth between two points, making
standard rate 180 degree turns around each one. Busy
airfields/strips/ports have fixed locations for these which will be
published in the airfield information, which is required briefing for
any pilot using that field - even unexpectedly. A pilot is expected
to carry information for all airfields that (s)he may even divert to,
including those of sufficient size along the route. Those big bags
that you see the pilot lugging onto every flight are not just for his
packed lunch!

So I very much doubt if he was just hanging around drilling holes in
the sky waiting to land somewhere!
You do that as high as you can, so that if things go pear-shaped, you
can glide in to the field - if you call a mayday, any other traffic
WILL get out of the way (if the pilots value their licenses!).

During training, I had to demonstrate the ability to make an
"unplanned" diversion, including choosing the airfield (from the
chart), looking it up in the airfield directory and reading the
information for the airfield (runway heading, airfild elevation,
approach guidance, radio frequencies, radio navigation beacon
availability and frequency, specified holds, and layout diagram), and
make a safe approach and landing there, with no prior use of that
field - and all of this while flying the aircraft and maintaining
situational awareness.
This ability was required before I was allowed to fly solo away from
the training field, although it wasn't included in either of the
actual flight tests (although an engine failure was, including a low
approach to an empty [agricultural, not air] field which I had to
select and visually check for obstructions, then make an approach to
100ft before climbing away - flight tests are another "allowed
activity" for low descents).

In all flying, the priorities are the same - aviate, navigate,
communicate, in that order.
So the absolute priority is to fly the aircraft, maintaining proper
control and observation at all times.
Then know where you are, where you are going, and what is around you.
Finally, tell whoever needs to know where you are, what you are, and
what your intentions are.

In general, pilots stay as far from the ground as possible - not many
people have ever got into trouble colliding with the sky.


There used to be a joke that circulated where fixed wing aircraft
were. The anxious mother telling her son to, "fly low and slow". :-)

--
cheers,

John B.

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