Air Law. Non-radio flights.

[Fozzer]

Tootling around on a sunny, Sunday afternoon.
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Hi, Real pilots out there...!

A little bit of info regarding General Aviation flight regulations please..!
Air Law.

I have a number of small, mostly non-radio equipped, ultralight/microlight/flex wing aircraft in my hangar.

The weather is fantastic for a short, spur-of-the-moment, local, daylight only, VFR only, flight.
All I have is a selection of the usual on-board simple flight avionics, a compass, and a small hand-held GPS system as a back-up, (so that I don't get totally lost!...LOL...).
No Transponder/Nav-Com/ADF-DME/Auto-pilot system is installed.
(A mobile 'phone is a possibility?).

I decide to take off from my own grass strip, have a quiet tootle around my local countryside, admiring the scenery and waving to the folks down below, (as you do!), and feel really good if they wave back...LOL...!
Then decide to drop into my local friend's grass strip, a short distance away, for a nice cup of tea, a piece of his wife's home-made cake, and a chat.
..and then back home to park-up before it gets dark.

So...
Is it necessary to file, and publish a detailed flight plan, and contact ATC for permission to fly...?

Would I need to contact anyone before-hand, (telephone/mobile 'phone), to comply with the law..?

The only aircraft flying in the area are small GA aircraft types, (Microlights/Flex wings/Gliders/Cessna 152's, etc).
Overall flight activity = Very low.

What are the rules governing non-radio flights in local areas generally not populated by dense military and commercial aircraft..?
(Obviously, long distance flights from A to B would require a detailed flight plan).

This is the sort of activity which I perform each day in my Flight Simulator 2002, (with my "FS Navigator" on board)...!

...and is similar to getting into my car, together with the love of my life, (a lady), and popping off to visit my local sea-side for a little bit of excitement on the beach....?
I REALLY don't want the CAA/FAA sending me threatening letters for infringing flippin' air space...LOL...!
..or the local authority prosecuting me for "lewd activities" in a public place, (I flippin' wish!)...LOL...!

Many thanks...!

Cheers, all you GA types out there...!
...Remember...low and slow...Flying activities, and "other" open-air activities...!
LOL...LOL...LOL...!

Take care...

Paul.

A typical, non-radio equipped aircraft...

[Rifleman]

Paul, as far as I've seen here, most guys fly with a radio, but to my knowledge, for the flights I have been a part of, there is no formal flight plan filed and in the log after the flight, it's marked down as a " Local " and thats the end of it.  Since we have a downwind leg which is bordering on the Comox Control Zone, any straying to that side of the field is called in and clearance requested. Other than that, if pilots have a radio, they use it out of courtesy and safety to signal intentions before making pattern entry, approaches, touch'n go's, etc.........

[OTTOL]

Can't say for the UK.......but in the US, as long as you're in Class E or G airspace you can fly all day and not talk to anyone. No flight plan required! Just start it up and go.

[Fozzer]

Hi OTTOL and Ken...!
Thanks for the replies...

Silly me, it's all to do with airspace designations and restrictions...!
As detailed, coloured flight charts are not included in the simulators, I tend to chuff around just relying on my simple GPS map.
It never occurs to me that taking off from Half Moon Bay, (KHAF) in my flexwing, and overflying San Francisco International airport, (KSFO), via Oakland, (KOAK), en-rote to Livermore, (KLVK), that I am flying in some of the most densly populated air space imaginable, Class B, C and D, and causing much alarm and consternation amongst Air Traffic Control... :o...!
...and as for Travis Air Force Base... :'(...!
Dum-te-dum-te-dum... ::)...!
LOL...!

I must get my Jeppesen flight chart out for the area, which was supplied with Flight Unlimited II...!

Pic courtesy of Looking Glass Studios...>>>
(Sorry about the length)...!



(On the other half of this chart are detailed the various Classes of airspace corresponding to the colours on the chart).
Are these sorts of detailed charts (freely?) available to download for areas where we fly...?

Cheers All... ...!

Paul.

P.S. It would be interesting to see if my local airfield, Shobdon, (EGBS), is located in a restricted area...!

[Hagar]

It never occurs to me that taking off from Half Moon Bay, (KHAF) in my flexwing, and overflying San Francisco International airport, (KSFO), via Oakland, (KOAK), en-rote to Livermore, (KLVK), that I am flying in some of the most densly populated air space imaginable, Class B, C and D, and causing much alarm and consternation amongst Air Traffic Control... ...!
...and as for Travis Air Force Base... ...!
Dum-te-dum-te-dum... ...!
LOL...!

From what I've seen around here you are not alone. The sky is full of all sorts of amateur birdmen flying around where I suspect they shouldn't be. You need eyes in the back of your head these days. During my little trip over the South Coast last Sunday we spotted a paraglider way above us under the clouds & we were at 2,500 feet.

Try reading "Propellerhead" by Antony Woodward if you can get hold of it. This opened my eyes to how a lot of these people seem to operate. They often have no idea of what they're doing or where they are & go blissfully on their way completely unaware of the regulations. I found it quite frightening.

[Hagar]

This is a photo I took of the paraglider I mentioned. It was taken somewhere over the Sussex Downs from an altitude of 2,500 feet at full zoom. The air was full of these things at various altitudes - not to mention conventional sailplanes & hang-gliders.

[Fozzer]

From what I've seen around here you are not alone.  ......They often have no idea of what they're doing or where they are & go blissfully on their way completely unaware of the regulations.....

You've obviously got me sussed out then Doug.. ... ... ...!
...so how about some of these Jeppesen charts, (download), to keep me out of trouble with Lydd Air Traffic Control.....?
LOL...!

Cheers Doug.... ...!
(Watch out for Fozzers in flexwings, they are everywhere)... ..!

Paul.

[ozzy72]

Interesting Paul, I don't know to much about the regs. here, but then aviation is a minority thing. At the parachute club/local field we just up and off when we're ready, and I guess this comes under local regulations.
I was chatting with another member here yesterday and I wonder what would happen if you were to cross a national border. Lets say I strayed into Croatian airspace without a radio, they'd probably shoot me down as I'm sure our couple of Croatian members have warned their countrymen about me

Mark

[Hagar]

I don't know about downloading Jeppesen charts as these are regularly updated. They're available from any pilot's shop (at a price) or you might be able to persuade one of your pilot mates at the local airfield to let you have some old ones. I doubt that many of them fly anywhere near the US. Jeppesen even do a version specially for MSFS. $34.95 each to you Sir.
http://flyawaysimulation.com/article250.html

I found this CAA publication which might interest you. Unfortunately it's in PDF format. http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/SRG_GAD_SSL05.PDF

[Fozzer]

.... Jeppesen even do a version specially for MSFS. $34.95 each to you Sir.
http://flyawaysimulation.com/article250.html

Hi Doug...
Many thanks for the link...!
Downloaded and ran the Demo Program. (Jeppeson Sim Charts).  
Unfortunately it only covers the Approach/Departure Plates of individual Airports*, (which is available in FS Navigator anyway), not the detail shown on my coloured Flight Unlimited chart with it's airspace classification.... ...!

Still looking... ...!

Cheers Doug... ...!

Paul.

*these were shown in the FS 2000 Manual....(remember that lovely Flight Manual)... ...!
LOL...!

[OTTOL]

Actually Fozzer.........You CAN fly through that Alert area at Travis (the OUTER depicted area):Alert Areas are depicted on aeronautical charts to inform nonparticipating pilots of areas that may contain a high volume of pilot training or an unusual type of aerial activity. Pilots should be particularly alert when flying in these areas. All activity within an Alert Area shall be conducted in accordance with CFR's, without waiver, and pilots of participating aircraft as well as pilots transiting the area shall be equally responsible for collision avoidance.
Although, once you get a little further South, you have to make sure you pass either East of Oakland or West of SFO. If you look at the airspace depictions, the controlled area between the two extends all the way to the surface (SFC). The other bad new is that you WILL need an altitude encoding transponder. The Largest of all the circles is the Class B veil area(30mile radius).

[Fozzer]

Hi OTTOL...!
Thanks for the details... ...!
Looking at the Flight Unlimited Chart above showing the classes of airspace and the coloured areas they cover, where can I obtain such charts for other areas...?
For example KLAX, (Socal Approach), etc...

Free downloads, (obsolete charts, not for navigation purposes)....?

Any ideas...?

Cheers Mate, and thanks again for the info... ...!

Paul.

[OTTOL]

Unfortunately, other than fltplan.com, I really don't know of much online. My company pays for Jeppessen service. Locally, in my area,

[bricks4wings]

Silly me, it's all to do with airspace designations and restrictions...!
As detailed, coloured flight charts are not included in the simulators, I tend to chuff around just relying on my simple GPS map.
It never occurs to me that taking off from Half Moon Bay, (KHAF) in my flexwing, and overflying San Francisco International airport, (KSFO), via Oakland, (KOAK), en-rote to Livermore, (KLVK), that I am flying in some of the most densly populated air space imaginable, Class B, C and D, and causing much alarm and consternation amongst Air Traffic Control... ...!

Class D is ok (ive never seen class E east of the Mississippi) . But pay attention to the altitudes in B, and C. It is possiible to fly under they're airspace, and you can land at any field that is not towered. You cannot fly into controled airspace, period. without a radio and mode C transponder. My Fly Baby doesnt have any avionics either( or any electrical system for that matter). But hey your flying a computer. go where you want.  Be a pioneer . Be the first to fly an ultralite across the pond or something.