Marc
Note Part 107 applies to commercial operators of UAS. Every day Joe can buy a
drone and operate it as a hobby aircraft under part 101. In this case it can
be HIGHER than 400’ AGL. So watch out they could be at any altitude.
Part 101 also stipulates the operator must contact the airport operator when
flown within 5 miles of the airport. This could be a sticky point to the model
aircraft field on Tune road. I’m not sure how far they are line of sight.
Either way 107 or 101 they are supposed to give way to manned aircraft. I feel
this is more a legal point that would mainly apply after the mid air incident.
Little comfort there.
Travis
Sent from my iPhone
On May 8, 2018, at 13:54, Mike Mellinger <mike@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:____________________________________________________________
Exception to pattern altitude is that large or turbine aircraft enter the
pattern at pattern altitude + 500.
I was also surprised at the drone paragraph. Until very recently the FAA was
saying that drones weren’t allowed within 5 miles of the airport. I think
that is still the recommendation.
Mike
From: flytaos-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <flytaos-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf
Of Marc Coan
Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2018 11:23
Subject: [flytaos] New Advisory Circular on operations at uncontrolled fields
If you haven't seen it, https://www.nbaa.org/ops/safety/AC_90-66B.pdf
This replaces guidance from 1990 and 1993.
Highlights, with my comments in italics:
Drones CAN operate at uncontrolled fields in Class G airspace without
notifying anyone. Yikes. (One wonders if an airport sponsor/city can regulate
or ban UAS operations at its uncontrolled airport.) Drones are supposed to
stay under 400' AGL, but we all know this regulation gets violated every day.
"Pilots are reminded that the use of the phrase, “ANY TRAFFIC IN THE AREA,
PLEASE ADVISE,” is not a recognized self-announce position and/or intention
phrase and should not be used under any condition." Take THAT, regional
airline pilots flying into Alamosa! (This was already in the AIM.)
"The use of “inbound for landing” should also be avoided. For example,
instead of saying, “MIDWEST TRAFFIC, EIGHT ONE TANGO FOXTROT TEN MILES TO THE
NORTHEAST, INBOUND FOR LANDING RUNWAY TWO TWO MIDWEST,” it is more advisable
to say, “MIDWEST TRAFFIC, EIGHT ONE TANGO FOXTROT TEN MILES NORTHEAST OF THE
AIRPORT, LANDING STRAIGHT IN RUNWAY TWO TWO, MIDWEST.” Guess I'll be changing
my phraseology, as I'd always used "inbound for landing."
"Pilots are reminded that IFR circling approaches, practice or actual,
require left-hand turns unless the approach procedure explicitly states
otherwise. This has been upheld by prior FAA legal interpretations of §
91.126(b)."
"Aircraft should always enter the pattern at pattern altitude, especially
when flying over midfield and entering the downwind directly." OK, something
else I have to fix. I was originally taught (and have taught many others) to
cross over at pattern altitude. Then I read somewhere (PHAK or AIM) that we
should cross over 500' higher than the pattern and descend into the pattern
once turning downwind, so I'd been doing that. Turns out my original
instructor from 38 years ago was right in the first place: Thanks, Jeff!
"Turning Crosswind. Airplanes remaining in the traffic pattern should not
commence a turn to the crosswind leg until beyond the departure end of the
runway and within 300 feet below traffic pattern altitude. Pilots should make
the turn to downwind leg at the traffic pattern altitude." I was always
taught, and teach others, to make the first turn at 400', now it's 700'? That
is a long upwind when taking off from SKX or ALS in an underpowered airplane!
For example, you'll be two miles from the liftoff point if you're climbing at
60 kts. and doing so at a rate of 350 feet per minute. Of course, very few
pilots will read this guidance, so we're going to have some folks still
turning crosswind about a mile out and others not until two miles or so. LOOK
OUT, EVERYONE.
Be safe out there. Don't assume many other pilots know as much as you do now
about the above.
Marc Coan
marc@xxxxxxxxxxxx
