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Aqueduct, Viaduct & Bridges


Guest MidlandParamotors

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After traveling around a lot of the UK over the past 2 years with work I have yet to find an Aqueduct, Viaduct or Bridge which is high and wide enough to fly under.

Does anybody know of any decent places?

Has anybody tried this before?

Anybody got any photos?

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If there were any, I doubt that they could be flown under without breaking the 500ft rule so I doubt that anyone would post up pictures of them doing it.

Totally understand what you are saying but lets be honest, how many actually stick to the 500 foot rule? I tend to see more guys flying under 500 feet than over it. Also, any aircraft is exempt from the 500 feet rule when landing and taking-off :D

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Amendment of Rule 5 of the UK Rules of the Air

Low flying

5 (1) The prohibitions to be observed are

(a) An aircraft shall comply with the low flying prohibitions set out in paragraph (2)

subject to the low flying exemptions set out in paragraph (3).

(b) Where an aircraft is flying in circumstances such that more than one of the low

flying prohibitions apply it must fly at the greatest height required by any of the

applicable prohibitions.

(2) The low flying prohibitions

(a) Failure of power unit

An aircraft shall not be flown below such height as would enable it, in the event

of a power unit failure, to make an emergency landing without causing danger to

persons or property on the surface.

(b) The 500 feet rule

Except with the permission in writing of the CAA, an aircraft shall not be flown

closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle or structure.

© The 1000 feet rule

Except with the permission in writing of the CAA, an aircraft flying over a

congested area of a city town or settlement shall not fly below a height of 1,000

feet above the highest fixed obstacle within a horizontal radius of 600 metres of

the aircraft.

(d) The land clear rule

An aircraft flying over a congested area of a city town or settlement shall not fly

below such height as will permit, in the event of a power unit failure, the aircraft

to land clear of the congested area.

(e) Flying over open air assemblies

Except with the permission in writing of the CAA, an aircraft shall not fly over an

organised open-air assembly of more than 1,000 persons below:

(i) a height of 1,000 feet, or

(ii) such height as will permit, in the event of a power unit failure, the aircraft

to alight clear of the assembly,

whichever is the higher.

(f) Landing and taking off near open air assemblies

An aircraft shall not land or take-off within 1,000 metres of an organised open-air

assembly of more than 1,000 persons, except

(i) at an aerodrome, in accordance with procedures notified by the CAA, or

(ii) at a landing site other than an aerodrome, in accordance with procedures

notified by the CAA and with the written permission of the organiser of

the assembly.

(3) Exemptions from the low flying prohibitions

(a) Landing and taking off

(i) Any aircraft shall be exempt from any low flying prohibition in so far as it

is flying in accordance with normal aviation practice for the purpose of

taking off from, landing at or practising approaches to landing at or

checking navigational aids or procedures at a Government or licensed

aerodrome.

(ii) Any aircraft shall be exempt from the 500 feet rule when landing and

taking-off in accordance with normal aviation practice.

(b) Captive balloons and kites

None of the low flying prohibitions shall apply to any captive balloon or kite.

© Special VFR clearance and notified routes

Any aircraft shall be exempt from the 1000 feet rule when flying on a special

VFR flight, or when operating in accordance with the procedures notified for the

route being flown; provided that when flying in accordance with this exemption

landings may not be made at other than a licensed or Government aerodrome,

unless the permission of the CAA has been obtained.

(d) Balloons and helicopters over congested areas

(i) A balloon shall be exempt from the 1000 feet rule when landing because

it is becalmed.

(ii) Any helicopter flying shall be exempt from the land clear rule.

(e) Police air operator’s certificate

Any aircraft flying in accordance with the terms of a police air operator’s

certificate shall be exempt from the 500 feet rule, the 1000 feet rule, the

prohibition on flying over open air assemblies and the prohibition on landing and

taking off near open air assemblies.

(f) Flying displays etc

An aircraft taking part in a flying display, air race or contest shall be exempt from

the 500 feet rule when within a horizontal distance of 1,000 metres of the

gathering of persons assembled to witness the event.

(g) Glider hill soaring

A glider when hill-soaring shall be exempt from the 500 feet rule.

(h) Picking up and dropping at an aerodrome

Any aircraft picking up or dropping tow ropes, banners or similar articles at an

aerodrome shall be exempt from the 500 feet rule.

(i) Manoeuvring helicopters

A helicopter shall be exempt from the 500 feet rule when conducting

manoeuvres in accordance with normal aviation practice, within the boundaries

of a licensed or Government aerodrome, or at other sites with the permission of

the CAA: provided that when flying in accordance with this exemption the

helicopter must not be operated closer than 60 metres to persons, vessels

vehicles or structures located outside the aerodrome or site.

(j) Dropping articles with CAA permission

(i) Any aircraft shall be exempt from the 500 feet rule when flying in

accordance with article 56(3)(f) of the Order, and

(ii) Any aircraft shall be exempt from the 500 feet rule when flying in

accordance with an aerial application certificate issued by the CAA under

article 58 of the Order.

SW :D

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Or to put it simpler. The 500 ft rule is AWAY from person, vehicles, structures or vessels. You can fly as low as you like. It's a distance, not an altitude :-)

Sent from my iPhone using PMC Forum mobile app

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  • 2 years later...
On 01/05/2015 at 19:47, Revobuzz said:

Clifton bridge in Bristol. Planes fly under that.

You would need to be very careful with that as the air currents do funny things through the Avon Gorge. Also, the height of the bridge is 331 feet, so would breach the 500 feet rule and likely the 1000 feet and land clear rule as well.

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