airplanes & helicopters!!

[fiddlefart]

How does one lodge complaints about low-flying airplanes and helicopters over private property? We are having a lot of problems with people circling our fields and I wonder if they are nosey or spotting animals to hunt (does no good because it's PRIVATE property and they can't hunt here without permission) or just plain RUDE!

A friend told me to start writing down tail numbers but then what do I do with them? I am photographing the bad ones so I can prove how low they are and how often they fly over. ):

[js2743]

maybe they are looking for pot they do it around here. guess you could shoot them down and try that route or just watch them i wouldnt think there is any thing you could do.

[fiddlefart]

Well they won't find any of that stuff here. We have wide open fields and everything is easy to see without any indication of illegal substances. You would think it would be easy to figure that out and move on but they just keep circling and circling lower and lower, more and more often. I really think it's hunters because it is bad this time of year right before the big game seasons open. ):

[AngieM2]

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/...ia/nlowfly.pdf

Hope you can open the pdf. Instructions on how to report.

Angie

[leecofarm]

i dont know who to contact.

my place is not far from a large intersection. almost daily a small navy training jet screeches overhead. ive heard that they use the intersection as a marker in their flight plans. i havent complained. figured i was doing my bit for anti-terrorism.

50 miles away a major airport kicked all the little planes out. they moved to towns nearby. what was once dirt runways used once in a blue moon have turned into paved and lighted runways with a number taking off and landing daily. they practice making circles that come over my place. some get kinda low. i have to admit that i get tired of these folks.

[fiddlefart]

Thank you, that's helpful. It at least helps me understand the restrictions on low flight.

[MELOC]

maybe it is developers looking for the next prime spot for mcmansions.

[Christiaan]

We get planes practicing acrobatics over our place, but they never come low so they aren't annoying. There is a club at Arlington Airport. Paul Allen also has his collection there. The other side of the airport has the Ultra-light Airplane Center. East of us is a Naval radar site and we get helicopter traffic from that. In addition we are below the flight path of Vancouver to Seattle jets. All in all, because everyone stays high it really doesn't bother us.
As for your problem, it might be easiest to visit your local FAA office in person to see if they can take any action. Bring your documentation. Since flying is dangerous, it is very strictly controlled and you should be able to get some action to solve this extremely annoying problem. Good Luck!

[boren]

Or it could be students doing practice, or crop dusting. First thing to remember, you don't own the air above your land. You might be annoyed by it, but they are allowed to do it. They don't like their rights being stepped on more than yours.

You're in a sparsely populated area, that means they only have to be 500 feet away from you. This is a diagonal measurement. Judging distances to objects when you have no references is very very hard.

That said, the FAA does act and will make some phone calls. Without the N number, and some proof they are actually doing something dangerous and reckless (as defined by the FARs) there's not much they are going do. Your word vs a pilots word isn't going to get very far.

Of course, they may not be doing anything wrong anyways. It sounds more like a nimby problem.

[SouthWesteader]

I get Ultra-lights flying 40-50 feet over my house... I just wave. Once had a hot air balloon hovering directly over my house, with parachuters dropping from it. Scared the $%@! out of me seeing how low they dropped before their parachutes opened...

[boren]

Oh, I forgot to mention. Ultralights (and sport planes?) are not governed by part 91 which are the regs posted above.

[horsefarmer]

I had an ultralight last year come in for a closer look while mowing hay with my horses. He came from behind and scared the snot of all three of us. He is lucky I wasn't armed because that may have been the maddest I have ever been. I am quite sure he heard me over his noise maker. If I don't own the airspace above my land, neither does a pesky pilot. I'll stay out of it if he will. If he can fly his unwelcome aircraft through it, I ought to be able to fly some sort of SAM through it as well.

[fiddlefart]

A nimby problem? Boy have you got that wrong!

I don't mind planes flying overhead at a reasonable height. We often have commercial airliners, military aircraft (at least four times daily we have at least 2 different, very noisy, very loud or fast aircraft from nearby bases fly over us), and small planes and helicopters that don't bother us one whit.

I don't like the low-flying losers that are up to no good. Repeatedly circling deliberately low over a small, private hobby farm where hunting without permission is trespassing is up to no good. They simply have no business here and they know it (or should).

There are student areas and they aren't here for good reason.

And how do you know I'm in a sparsely populated area?

I do know I don't own my airspace but you don't know that. I also know I don't take reported complaints lightly and I would not lodge one lightly.

[moopups]

Just put the numbers into Google and click the registry site. It will display the person whom owns the plane, the address, ect. If the registry doesn't give an answer, then its military or government.

[js2743]

make you a big ole sign that says private property & no hunting allowed. and lay it out in your fields guess you better make it really big so they could see it or maybe just paint the grass every once in a while. or you could invite george bush over and im sure the air space would be shut down for a lil while. never heard of any one deer hunting from an air plane but i guess it might be a new thing where you live. around here they drive around in a ole beat up pickup truck and do it, ill have to ask around about doing it from a plane. might just work keep circling and getem in a big ole bunch and open fire and watch em fall.

[fiddlefart]

LEGALLY they can't shoot from the plane but they can spot for the next day's hunt.

LEGALLY they aren't supposed to spot for anyone on the ground but that has been known to happen using two-way radios etc.

I hate POACHERS.

And it's not deer they're after 'round here.

[tinknal]

There could be a dozen legitimate reasons for them to be there. They could be monitoring gas or electric transmission lines, It could be the DNR looking for any number of violations including fish and game, burning, wetland violations, etc. It could be law enforcement monitoring meth labs, grow operations, rustling, and so on. It could be that there is a nearby private plane owner with a private landing strip. It could be a rancher inspecting remote pastures.

Just don't go right to tinfoil hat territory without reason......

[boren]

Originally Posted by fiddlefart

I don't like the low-flying losers that are up to no good. Repeatedly circling deliberately low over a small, private hobby farm where hunting without permission is trespassing is up to no good. They simply have no business here and they know it (or should).

There are student areas and they aren't here for good reason.

And how do you know I'm in a sparsely populated area?

1. There's no such thing as a "student area." Some places agree on good places to practice, others don't. There is not a single rule stating practice can or can not be done anywhere. Frequent student maneuvers includes flying circles around a point, S-turns over a road, flying a box around a section, etc. This is normally done at 1000 feet agl, but since they are learning it dips lower, higher, etc.

2. Flying almost anywhere is one of the freedoms living in the US. Almost like being able to drive anywhere without papers. You have no idea what they are up to, why break out the tin foil?

3. Most of the pacific north west is sparsely populated. If you have hobby farms, fields, etc it's not likely very it's considered dense. If you look at a chart the bright yellow without the ground relief is a good guide:

http://map.aeroplanner.com/mapping/c...eattle%2C%20wa

There's Seattle.

[bob clark]

as tempting as it is you can not legaly shoot at them.

[horsefarmer]

pity