Section 2 RotA: S3 - Low Flying Rule

Question 1

5: Low flying prohibitions

What are they?

Answer 1

• Failure of power unit
  
  • An aircraft shall be flown at a height to enable an emegency landing without causing danger to persons or property in the event of power unit failure
• The 500 feet rule
  
  • An aircraft shall not be flown closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle or structure, except with the written permission of the CAA
• The 1,000 feet rule
  
  • An aircraft flying over a congested area shall fly at least 1,000 feet above the highest fixed obstacle within 600 metres horizontally of the aircraft
• The land clear rule
  
  • An aircraft flying over a congested area shall fly at a height which would permit the aircraft to land clear in the event of a power unit failure
• Flying over open air assemblies
  
  • An aircraft shall not fly over an organised open-air assembly of more than 1,000 persons below the higher of the following:
    
    • 1,000ft
    • Such height as would permit the aircraft to land clear in the event of a power unit failure
• Landing and taking off near open air assemblies
  
  • An aircraft shall not land or take off within 1,000m of an organised, open-air assmbly of more than 1,000 persons except:
    
    • At an aerodrome, in accordance with procedures notified by the CAA; or
    • At a landing site which is not an aerodrome, in accordance with procedures notified by the CAA and with the written permission of the organiser of the assembly

Question 2

6: Exemptions from the low flying prohibitions

What are they?

Answer 2

• Landing and taking off
  
  • Aircraft exempt in so far as it is flying in accordance with the normal aviation practice for the purpose of:
    
    • taking off, landing and air-taxiing;
    • or checking navigational aids or procedures, or practising approaches at a Government or licensed aerodrome
• Captive balloons and kites are exempt for all low flying rules
• Special VFR flights are exempt for the 1,000 feet rule
• Balloons are exempt from the 1,000 feet rule if it is landing because it is becalmed
• Helicopters flying over congested areas are exempt from the land clear rule
• Police flights are exempt from the 500 feet and 1,000 feet rule and the open air assemblies prohibitions
• Flying display, air race or contest aircraft are exempt from the 500 feet rule if they are within a horizontal distance of 1,000m of the gathering of persons assembled to witness the event
• Gliders are exempt from the 500 feet rule when hill-soaring
• Aircraft dropping articles with CAA permission are exempt from the 500 feet rule