MedEwok wrote:
So this simple approach works perfectly and is safeDepending on the airplane, you are wasting quite a bit of fuel and/or time with this approach. Not that it matters on a typical PPL training flight, but at least these correlations should be taught.
1000ft above the highest elevation within 5nm
Within 5nm of What?
Most assume Track, but of course is the Aircraft posn which might not be on the planned track.
Some years ago MEF figures were printed on the charts to make looking for the highest obstacle less tedious and of course they include the 300ft buffer for uncharted masts. The same figures are shown on Sky Demon.
For VFR planning MEF +1000ft gives a reasonable minimum operating altitude for transit flying where the terrain is low. For mountainous terrain MEF +2000 is more realistic.
Of course there is no MSA for VFR, you look out of the window and maintain appropriate clearance visually. When I used to fly Devons in the RAF we flew VFR at 500ft AGL, down valleys where appropriate.
In mountainous areas, nobody puts a 2000’ TV mast in the middle of the valley – they put a small mast up a mountain.
Mountains are easy to see in poor but still legal VMC.
In flatlands flying at a height where masts maybe is more dangerous, as they are difficult to see in poor VMC.
I have to be very close to one local mast to see it, even with lights, but can recognise the woodland near it from far.
I use MSA:
MedEwok wrote:
Would such an approach be wise in a mountainous area? No, it would be suicide. But in the north German plains it is physically impossible to hit anything at 2000 ft AMSL, and airspace is wide open (class E) except for a few smallish CTRs around military bases and the three international airports of EDDV, EDDW and EDDH. So this simple approach works perfectly and is safe. Wouldn’t want to do this 100 NM to the south though.
Indeed. Flying around in the southern part of Northern Germany, it’s a very good idea to have an understanding of where exactly the flat land isn’t so flat after all (i.e. Teutoburger Wald etc.) – OR to stick to the MSA. I can imagine this can catch pilots with less experience or who are not too familiar with the local area.
Maoraigh wrote:
In mountainous areas, nobody puts a 2000’ TV mast in the middle of the valley – they put a small mast up a mountain.
Worse than a mast, there might be cables running across the valley!
What is the widest valley which might have cables across it?
5nm and 1000’ was great in Ernest Gann’s day. Is it so necessary in the age of TSO-C146?
Patrick wrote:
Indeed. Flying around in the southern part of Northern Germany, it’s a very good idea to have an understanding of where exactly the flat land isn’t so flat after all (i.e. Teutoburger Wald etc.) – OR to stick to the MSA. I can imagine this can catch pilots with less experience or who are not too familiar with the local area.
