Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By StratoTramp
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1875935
Apparently it's in OSR4 somewhere but I can't find the specific part. Just doing some homework. Maybe I should just stop at the books rather than reading CAA bits.

"RULES FOR THE PROTECTION OF THIRD PARTIES

Low flying and congested areas

> Unless necessary for taking off or
landing, do not fly closer than 500 ft to
any person, vessel, vehicle or structure."


I guess radio towers / large pylons would count.

Would a telegraph pole? :lol: is it something with more than one part.

Is there a formal definition somewhere for this context or should I just look in the dictionary for the accepted understanding / not be pedantic?

Edit in the dictionary...

"Something that has been made or built from parts, especially a large building"

Is this what the CAA uses?
Last edited by StratoTramp on Mon Oct 11, 2021 10:05 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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By StratoTramp
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1875941
Thanks.

So a gate to a field? Not trolling - but is man made and has a limited 'vertical' extent.

Does anyone know if it written down anywhere? I would have thought it would be defined it whatever part of OSR4 that details it.
#1875945
A gate is man made, formed from parts and has vertical extent.

It’s a structure.

Gates are normally used by people, and we seem to be discussing “ RULES FOR THE PROTECTION OF THIRD PARTIES.”

Is there something difficult here?

Is this a hypothetical search for a definition or something more pressing?
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By StratoTramp
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1875946
No just understanding and trying to find the bit that the "dummies" Skyway Code refers to in the proper docs. It has a 'ref 1' OSR4 which I clicked through for interest - but it doesn't go to the specific part. I don't want to go through all 1500 docs.
Last edited by StratoTramp on Mon Oct 11, 2021 10:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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By Milty
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1875947
I think if your altimeter can give you accurate enough height to determine whether you are within 500ft of a gate, it’s more accurate than the one that I’ve been looking at in the 1980 Cessna 152 at my flying school. I’d guess it’s common sense time. As far as gates are concerned, you are more likely to have an issue with a farmer leaning on it, rather than any complaint from the gate itself. And unless he is @thefarmer, then I suspect he’s not going to know what 500ft would look like.
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#1875953
Anything that is susceptible to have humans inside or nearby (e.g. house, chateaux, Shard, farm...) but humans are not visible

What is a vessel? I guess anything driven by humans, that should include aircrafts :lol:

PS: don't worry if my defnition above is wrong, I can guarantee you you won't get reported by a bird in England trees or a fish in Scottish loches but humans inside some structure can see your registration

The white cliffs are not structure, the car road along them is a structure :thumleft:

PS: I once received a letter for soaring a ridge in TMG at 300ft agl, all legal but the moral of the story "enjoy but stay insivible" :wink: (I was flying an (ugly) yellow propeller aeroplane in the middle of (nice) white gliders, this is more or less the description I got, I replied that the propller was feathered and engine was off and no further questions were asked)
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#1875954
I think if your altimeter can give you accurate enough height to determine whether you are within 500ft of a gate, it’s more accurate than the one that I’ve been looking at in the 1980 Cessna 152 at my flying school.


An altimeter used only for VFR should still be accurate to within +/-100’. Of course you can set it or check it’s accuracy by knowing the elevation of the place you are last on terra firma.

If you have any doubts, SkyDemon can give you a pretty accurate GPS height, (As opposed to altitude) and will record it in your logs for posterity. :thumright:
Last edited by A4 Pacific on Mon Oct 11, 2021 11:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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By StratoTramp
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1875955
Ibra wrote:The white cliffs are not structure, the car road along them is a structure :thumleft:


See that's interesting, I would have never considered a road a structure. So maybe I have learned something this evening :thumleft:
#1875958
StratoTramp wrote:
Ibra wrote:The white cliffs are not structure, the car road along them is a structure :thumleft:


See that's interesting, I would have never considered a road a structure. So maybe I have learned something this evening :thumleft:


Mmm. That is an interesting one. However it would be perfectly reasonable to expect a person or vehicle to be using such an area, so ignore the 500” rule at your own risk.