Pittsworth YouTube video

[Ironpot]

Hey guys,

 

Can anybody tell me if this still happens?

 

I've got a flight into this Airfield soon and I'm assuming that it's been taken care of?

 

[onetrack]

That video is nearly 7 years old! Surely you don't imagine, that in the COVID-19 era, the same level of fly-in activity is happening, as it was in 2013?

[M61A1]

Hey guys,

 

Can anybody tell me if this still happens?

 

I've got a flight into this Airfield soon and I'm assuming that it's been taken care of?

 

Nothing organised. I occasionally see other aviators flying from there.

Of note, in the video screenshot there is now a house in that empty paddock at the NE end of the runway.

The airfield is maintained. It is currently busy enough for a drone pilot to be a hazard too. I hope that doesn’t happen any more.

PM me if you want more information.

[Ironpot]

Nothing organised. I occasionally see other aviators flying from there.

Of note, in the video screenshot there is now a house in that empty paddock at the NE end of the runway.

The airfield is maintained. It is currently busy enough for a drone pilot to be a hazard too. I hope that doesn’t happen any more.

PM me if you want more information.

Thanks for this - the drone flying is a real worry - hopefully the new CASA rulings have put paid to it.

I didn't like seeing the two guys walking on the runway either . Maybe they were listening out on the CTAF.

[M61A1]

Someone who must like aeroplanes very much has built a house right at the end so he can see them close up when landing on 20.

I've never seen drones there. When I saw your post, I initially thought it was someone with real flying footage.

The QANTAS Academy fly around there a lot in Diamond Stars, but I haven't seen one land there yet. I just hear them on the radio a lot around Pittsworth, Millmerran and Stanthorpe.

 

 

 

[Ironpot]

Strange that they allowed it to be built there when ERSA indicates there is an emphasis on noise abatement.

 

Guess where the complainant lives??

[mnewbery]

You can always drive to the front gate and have a look

[WayneL]

I am in an RC club down Ipswich way and a couple of years ago a fellow from Oakey joined. He told me that a small club was flying at Pittsworth strip Saturday mornings from memory. They apparently had permission and listened on the CTAF for aircraft and cleared the strip when aircraft were operating. I have flown in quite a number of times but have never seen them operate there so I don't know whether they are still active.

Wayne

[Ironpot]

I was in on Sunday. Nice and quiet; not a drone in sight!

I would say that they are refurbishing the WCs.

The new house isn't a worry but RWY 20 has a real optical illusion as it is concave and drops off, steeply, to the South. i.e. it appears much shorter than it is. Its described in ERSA.

As M61 says - heaps of Qantas academy aircraft in the area - presumably all on the Toowoomba /West Wellcamp CTAF?

[WayneL]

You are not wrong about taking off to the south.. just as you get airborne the other half of the runway appears ?. The FTA Qantas trainees are all over the area outside the Toowoomba/ Wellcamp broadcast area, listen on 126.7 but mostly operate out to the SW of Wellcamp.

Wayne

[BirdDog]

WOW! This video now would be a clear beach of CASR Part 101.075. (3)

 

I seriously doubt there would be any approvals in place, as CASA are the only ones that can approve. Not only is it dangerous, it's blood stupid. There is also no mention of this in the ERSA, so again, I doubt approvals are in place, or it would be mentioned.

 

I own and operate an CASA certified drone school (in fact stated the first) and the material is very clear - NEVER over an AD without approval!

 

 

 

 

 

 

101.075 Operation near aerodromes

 

(1) A person may operate an unmanned aircraft at an altitude above 400 feet AGL within 3 nautical miles of an aerodrome only if:

 

(a) the operation is permitted by another provision of this Part; or

 

(b) permission has been given for the operation under regulation 101.080.

 

Penalty: 25 penalty units.

 

(2) A person may operate an unmanned aircraft over an area mentioned in paragraph (3)(a) or (b) only if:

 

(a) the operation is permitted by another provision of this Part; or

 

(b) permission has been given for the operation under regulation 101.080.

 

Penalty: 25 penalty units.

 

(3) The areas for subregulation (2) are:

 

(a) a movement area or runway of an aerodrome; and

 

(b) the approach or departure path of a runway of an aerodrome.

 

(4) A person must not operate an unmanned aircraft in such a manner as to create an obstruction to an aircraft taking off from, or approaching for landing at, a landing area or a runway of an aerodrome.

 

Penalty: 25 penalty units.

 

(5) An offence against subregulation (1), (2) or (4) is an offence of strict liability.

 

Note: For strict liability, see section 6.1 of the Criminal Code.

[M61A1]

WOW! This video now would be a clear beach of CASR Part 101.075. (3)

 

I seriously doubt there would be any approvals in place, as CASA are the only ones that can approve. Not only is it dangerous, it's blood stupid. There is also no mention of this in the ERSA, so again, I doubt approvals are in place, or it would be mentioned.

 

I own and operate an CASA certified drone school (in fact stated the first) and the material is very clear - NEVER over an AD without approval!

 

 

 

 

 

 

101.075 Operation near aerodromes

 

(1) A person may operate an unmanned aircraft at an altitude above 400 feet AGL within 3 nautical miles of an aerodrome only if:

 

(a) the operation is permitted by another provision of this Part; or

 

(b) permission has been given for the operation under regulation 101.080.

 

Penalty: 25 penalty units.

 

(2) A person may operate an unmanned aircraft over an area mentioned in paragraph (3)(a) or (b) only if:

 

(a) the operation is permitted by another provision of this Part; or

 

(b) permission has been given for the operation under regulation 101.080.

 

Penalty: 25 penalty units.

 

(3) The areas for subregulation (2) are:

 

(a) a movement area or runway of an aerodrome; and

 

(b) the approach or departure path of a runway of an aerodrome.

 

(4) A person must not operate an unmanned aircraft in such a manner as to create an obstruction to an aircraft taking off from, or approaching for landing at, a landing area or a runway of an aerodrome.

 

Penalty: 25 penalty units.

 

(5) An offence against subregulation (1), (2) or (4) is an offence of strict liability.

 

Note: For strict liability, see section 6.1 of the Criminal Code.

I am in no way defending their actions, but what were the regs in 2013, when the footage was shot?

There quoted reg appears to have come into force in 2019 and doesn't seem to have a history before that as most of their regs do.

[onetrack]

There were no regulations for drones in 2013. The regulations were introduced because of concerns about uncontrolled drone use near flight paths and airfields.

[M61A1]

There were no regulations for drones in 2013. The regulations were introduced because of concerns about uncontrolled drone use near flight paths and airfields.

I'm fairly sure that there were rules governing flight of remote controlled aircraft prior to then, but not sure who managed them. Something about not above 300 feet AGL and not with 3 NM of an aerodrome come to mind.

[turboplanner]

The MAAA is the peak body, and there have been regulations for many years, but I was stunned recently when a Council Officer approved an Unmanned Aircraft Facility where you could find scale models up to this size authorised to fly to 1000 feet in the Moorabbin D314 which is a danger zone because arriving and departing aircraft funnel through it, and it forms part of the Moorabbin Training Area.

 

Given the hoops we have to jump through that seems obscene

WH00864.pdf

[onetrack]

M61A1 - Yes, you're correct, I do stand to be corrected somewhat. From 2001, regulations for the control of unmanned aircraft were introduced. But the UA's back then were RC and model aircraft and helicopters, blimps, kites and rockets.

Drones were virtually non-existent in 2001 and numbers were very low for about 10 years after that time. But then, drone production levels, and the number in use, rose rapidly, until the Govt was forced to introduce specific drone control legislation in 2016.

 

https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Rural_and_Regional_Affairs_and_Transport/Drones/Report/c02

[Downunder]

There's a regional airport in WA that regularly flys RC aircraft several times per year.

I imagine they have permission from the authorities and, as I've flown in myself several times, monitor and communicate on the ctaf.

The RC aircraft land, and we are given the OK to land. Worked fine......

 

I imagine this drone operator in the video was part of a RC club/group flying at the airport on the day.......

The temporary sun shade/tents seem to indicate a somewhat organised event and not a rogue drone operator.

Good on them! It's good to see commuity groups making use of the airfield.

It makes the airport MORE important to the community, and that's a GOOD thing for all aviation.

........love the smell of freedom in the morning.......

[Ironpot]

On 15/09/2020 at 1:18 PM, Ironpot said:

I was in on Sunday. Nice and quiet; not a drone in sight!

I would say that they are refurbishing the WCs.

The new house isn't a worry but RWY 20 has a real optical illusion as it is concave and drops off, steeply, to the South. i.e. it appears much shorter than it is. Its described in ERSA.

As M61 says - heaps of Qantas academy aircraft in the area - presumably all on the Toowoomba /West Wellcamp CTAF?

I should have said Convex not concave!

[bull]

Bowen aerodrome in Qld has successfully flown a model rc club every sunday for decades, with no problems and is approved by the airport operator[council]and works on the same principal, of radio monitoring and stopping all rc flight until clear.