So if you did all the checks, talked to ATC, submitted a NOTAM and everyching checked out as fine, if you get hit by a low flying aircraft on an off the books type flight, or flying at a randomly low height, you are basically in the clear, since you have done everything required prior to flying?
Sure if you hear rotor blades, then land, but the same isn’t going to always hold true for a jet flying at high speed, very low to the ground. There is a good chance by the time you hear the engines it will already be on top of you.
Im sure I saw a video in here that showed how quiet copters can be when flying low. I was really surprised how close they can get before you shit your pants. I’ll have to try and find it.
They used to publish low level flying route maps but not sure if they are available to the public. They were pretty scarce even to those of us who worked in AIS/CAA!!
My experience of helicopters is mostly close up. But if you are flying out in the middle of nowhere any sound is going to be more evident. In the city, forget about it. Too much background noise for you to hear a helicopter a mile out.
That video is very informative and the points he makes are very valid. I don’t get why they can’t say put restrictions in place for an area for a couple of days. But while the military is so secretive about where they are flying and uploading flight plans (and I understand why), they run the risk of incidents involving hobbyist flights. It isn’t really avoidable.
If you dotted the I’s and crossed the T’s, and the worst happens, I don’t think you should worry about it from a legal standpoint. If something hits you and you uploaded your flight plan, checked with ATC and the place you are flying has no restrictions on airspace, you have done your due diligence. If the military (or anyone flying) saw your flight plans, chose to ignore them and caused a collision, that is there problem, not yours. The problem should be addressed on there side, by either filing a proper flight plan like everyone else or just impose a flight restriction on the area you are training in.
You should check NOTAMs always before flying (or use Drone Assist which does the same job).
But most low flying is not NOTAMd at all, either military or civilian.
You just need to know the area (for example the mach loop during weekdays is a terrible idea!) and exercise caution.
Same for rescue helicopters, police, air ambulance and many other things. Lots arent even on ADSB.
The military aren’t secretive at all. LFAs are charted, areas are known but due to things like weather, airframe availability and so on they dont know themselves exact times they’ll be in what areas to notify.
Ultimately this is the reason for VLOS and keeping the drone low and close to you - reduces the chance of unwelcome surprises. Reduces but cannot eliminate as its shared airspace.
Lucky you.
Dragging comes with lag and delays on my S5E, Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel 4a5G using Firefox and Chrome.
Just feels clunky on anything except a desktop web browser so unusable for me actually on site. DD is just smoother when all i want to do is check a NOTAM.
Yes and its better but still slightly laggier than DD.
Problem then is with all other layers off it doesnt really provide more information than DD itself (and minus the flight monitoring) so there’s no real advantage in it.
Generally i’ll use DroneScene at home when going somewhere to check land ownerships, TOAL along with NOTAMs on the desktop then in the field at flight time load up DD to check no new NOTAMs, enable flight monitoring, register the flight then off i go.
Dunmail Raise is very pretty. However every single time I’m up one of the surrounding mountains there’s a pair of fighter jets come blasting through, no prior warning - you only hear the noise by the time they get to Dunmail itself. So I won’t be flying mine in that particular corridor.
Similarly, every single time I’ve ever been up either Helvellyn or Snowdon (several times, for each), there’s a Rescue Helicopter coming through low. So I’ll be circumspect there as well. At least then helicopter announces its arrival slowly.
Best time to fly is (once again) very early morning in Summer. Less likely to encounter helicopters on Snowdon, as the numptys tend not to get themselves into the brown stuff until at least mid day. Best to get up there early and summit at 5-6am, then maybe do your flights then. If you did it in a group it also affords you a very nice LoS in many directions. Don’t know for Helvellyn as it’s not somewhere I go.
In fact most mountains and similar can be flown early morning without much hassle.
If military traffic is your main concern the best days to fly are weekends or public holidays as there’s almost no low level or training nationwide on those days.
Failing that, weekdays before about 8.30am and after about 5pm seems far less.
North Wales you get the Hawks and yanks flying the Mach Loop so i’d be very cautious flying there on a weekday.
There are the common routes and corridors for the lakes online as well to get an idea. Keswick is busy.
I’ve been buzzed by a 4 ship of F-15s with no warning at all last time I was at Buttermere and certainly came closer than i was comfortable with as no time to react to them.
Umm …. actually where helicopters are concerned it is relevant to anywhere in the UK. Helicopters are authorised to operate down to the surface 24/7 anytime anywhere without advanced warning or NOTAMS. It’s your responsibility as a UAV operator to stay alert and avoid them.
