As title says, don’t do it. Seriously.
Today I was approaching an aerodrome from the west and it’s traffic pattern was east. As I’m approaching the aerodrome at 500ft above the traffic pattern I spotted a tiny airplane at my 12’o clock slightly below me, east of the aerodrome doing loops and spins EXACTLY on the published traffic pattern downwind at the EXACT traffic pattern altitude.
I did receive information about it when I told the radio unit that I will be overhead but it was in a foreign language because the guy’s English was fairly lacking. I only processed “RT model” then I realized what was going on.
Needless to say that it was a very uncomfortable traffic pattern because right next to me there was this big RC model doing loops, spins and stalls.
Why on earth would you even do this in the traffic pattern ? You know, where there is traffic ? It’s so dumb.
Last weekend my former club’s glider field had to shut down for an hour due to a drone in the final, it even made it into the local news.
Some more details are necessary to understand this; where, what kind of airport/strip, ATC, airspace.
There are several airports/strips in Norway where RC flying is common. It’s the main reason for the “overhead join” when arriving. You can look and see if there’s any activity, and they will see that an airplane is looking to land. There’s even some strips there are RC strips originally, but large enough for airplanes, and used as such also. However, at larger commercial airports there’s this 5 km ? forbidden zone, which I think is EASA regs (but not sure).
@LeSving wrote:
Some more details are necessary to understand this; where, what kind of airport/strip, ATC, airspace.
I agree – I know that there are some on this forum that are serious RC fliers, and can give their views (@Dan). My limited knowledge of RC flying is that they do not want to damage their aircraft, and will be sure to avoid another aircraft. They are also much more maneuverable than we are.
It reminds me of a time when a balloon was drifting near our airport, about 1000ft AGL, and when I called in that I’d be joining the traffic pattern, the balloon pilot got very worried that I might not see him and might accidentally hit him. I laughed hard. We probably look like the balloon to the RC pilot.
LeSving wrote:
Some more details are necessary to understand this; where, what kind of airport/strip, ATC, airspace.
It was an uncontrolled aerodrome with a radio unit where there is usually moderate traffic.
Inkognito wrote:
drone
A drone is not RC (well kind of, but not). They come with their own set of problems, and are only held airborne by onboard electronics. In other words this means drones are not being flown, as in piloted, but operated. So no pilot behind a robot drone, but an operator.
Responsible RC flyers must be aware of the legalities. Some dedicated RC fields are even equipped with a ground based Flarm system that will warn overflying aircraft about the activity of said RC field.
My own field is located below the CTR of a major airport located 20km away, and the flying is height limited. Being situated in a valley, it is also used by low flying ambulance helicopters. Whenever one is heard approaching, all models are taken down at very low altitude, and out of the path, all whilst one of the non-flying pilot calls out the position and path of the incoming traffic.
I will let others the pleasure of delving into SERA and so on, but flying RC in the pattern of, or in close proximity of an airfield, is illegal and dangerous.
On our airfield we have a roughly 500ft mountain on the inside of the trafic pattern.
While normal traffic flies around it, helicopters and short training circuits fly over or at least very close to it.
And while you can see the airfield from the mountain, and you can see the traffic, someone had the bright idea to fly a kite on that mountain…..
…. people
