Multirotor flying in AIAA?

[Superdrone]

Hi everyone, my first post, although I've been viewing for a while.

Does anyone have any knowledge of the regs/ best practice / notifications required for flying a multirotor for aerial work purposes within a UK AIAA (Aera of Intesive Aerial Activity)? Not a subject covered on my BNUC-S course :-/

I've done some research, contacted the relevant military ATC also CANP (Civil Aircraft Notification Procedure) - Low Flying Booking Cell and was advised that a Zulu NOTAM was required. Anyone else had experience of this?

Any input would be appreciated, cheers.

 

[dani_r]

Interesting stuff. There is an AIAA in North Wales (Valley) but SkyDemon is showing this applies from 2000ft-6000ft. We are operating in Llandudno next week so do not anticipate any problems.

What area are you looking to operate?

Cheers

Dani

 

[Superdrone]

Hi Dani, thanks for the reply. Cornwall, Culdrose AIAA surface to 6000.

 

[dani_r]

I've taken a look. There is an awful lot happening down in that area! Plenty of military activities.

I guess you will have to file the NOTAM then buddy. I've never had to file one before so I cannot advise on timescales. I don't think it takes long though.

 

[PeterLester]

Talk to individuals in your country involved with the hobby/sport of High Power Rocketry. They are very familiar with the regulations related to flying to altitudes above and beyond 20,000 feet ASL/MSL. Regulations for lower altitudes flying such as for MRs are much less severe.

In general the rocket launch sites have to be located well away from heavy air-traffic lanes and request for authorization to launch has to be submitted well in advance etc.
Later, if approved to launch, NOTAMs are issued by the airtraffic authority. In Canada this all happens through Transport Canada via the CAR - Canadian Association of Rocketry. Here is a Google Earth rendering of one of my flights last summer to an altitude of about 12,500 feet ASL.View attachment 11342

 

[Superdrone]

Thank you dani_r, Peter. NOTAM through CANP can be arranged 4 hours beforehand, so no big shakes. However I've found conflicting advice on the Internet so trying to establish if its really necessary. NOTAM until further advised I think.

 

[swisser]

There is no prohibition against flying aircraft (i.e. ones with people in them) in an AIAA. You could contact the responsible authority, which will likely be a nearby military unit and inform them of your intended activities. They might be able to offer guidance as to their preferred times for you to operate and it would be good airmanship to follow that advice if possible. A chart showing AIAA is available here:

http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/eadb...NR/NON_AIRAC/EG_ENR_6_5_1_2_en_2012-05-03.pdf

The chart shows the basic operating hours for each area and the name of the unit responsible for it. The contact details are frequencies so you'll need to look them up some other way, either in the AIP or just google. Most only operate during the week and they tend to finish around 5, apart form the one near Brize Norton if I recall correctly.

 

[Superdrone]

Thank you swisser - I have already done as you rightly suggested and the answer was NOTAM. However Ive just spoken to the chief examiner at EuroUSC and he has assured me that this is not the case - more of a reaction to something the responsible AIAA authority is not familiar with ie SUAS operations. As you correctly point out, there is no prohibition against flying manned aircraft in an AIAA, therefore as long as we maintain VLOS, use the See and Avoid principle and stick to our flight bubble we should not have to request a NOTAM. Good practice would still dictate a call to the relevant AIAA authority just like you would to an ATC.

I think I will re approach the AIAA authorities with a more detailed description of operations, hopefully they will see it in a different light and I'll get a more informed answer.

 

[swisser]

There is a tendency in the UK to issue notams for all sorts of (IMHO) daft things. Kite flying, ascending weather balloons, etc. The main problem is, so what? You're not going to avoid a 10 nm radius around a balloon the exact location at a point in time you have no way of knowing. Also there is the "wood for the trees" problem whereby these notams masks the more important ones.

As you say, I think if you inform the ATC unit responsible for the AIAA concerned that you'll be operating not above X hundred feet (where X is certainly less than 400' but possibly at say 100' or whatever) then they'll agree that a notam isn't really necessary. Regardless, if it were me I'd call them on the day, with at least a couple of hours notice ideally and say "I'll be operating here, at a height not above X'." and be done with it.

 

[ZAxis]

Last week we were flying at an operational RAF airfield, it had been pre arranged by the event organisers and we simply cleared it, on the day, with Air Traffic Control at the base. The base guardhouse is an excellent point to initiate the contact.We agreed simple operating parameters, not flying higher than the hangers and keeping to the outside of the airfield perimeter fence. The Air Traffic Control officer checked we had failsafe operational and told us to keep an eye out for local traffic in the circuit which was all above 400 ft. The local air ambulance was on constant standby so that was a priority item to keep a watch on. He informed active traffic of our presence. All very positive and no hassle at all.

 

[Superdrone]

Thank you ZAxis - good to hear. Sounds very interesting, must have been a good experience. I'm sure this is no problem - just something I want to understand more comprehensively.