High time airframe question

Newps wrote:
Gig 601Xl Builder wrote:
Morgans wrote:
"David Lesher" wrote

Sniffers? The patrol plane that flew our lines uses a Mark One eyeball.

What type of lines? Buried or surface?


Around South Arkansas Buried... No Sniffers.


It is a one in a million chance a pipeline pilot finds a leak before the
company knows about it. The break would have to happen just as the
pilot gets there as the company has pressure gauges on the line. The
pilot is really looking for things that are happening on the right of way.

One in a million is a little high. But you are right that they are
mainly looking for other things happening on the right of way.

Of the two based here one is employed by a refinery. The other is an
independent and does contract work for different companies. A few years
ago after a rash of tree poaching that went own around here he just
about doubled is income by contracting with forest land owners to check
on there timber from the air. Last count is he has caught about 20
people stealing timber.

Just as a point of interest these two pipeline patrol pilots do often
meet up in the air. A long while back they decided that one would fly at
400' AGL and the other would do 500'.

Twice now we have had planes go down locally that CAP couldn't find as
they flew their 1000' AGL search patterns. Both times the 400' guy has
finally come in and found the planes within an hour and one of those
times in under 15 minutes. The 15 minute search was after CAP had been
looking for about 2 days and was dead center in the middle of the search
grid.

These guys really are an asset to the community they both have police
band radios in their planes and become the eyes in the sky for local and
county police on a regular basis.

Gig 601Xl Builder wrote:


Just as a point of interest these two pipeline patrol pilots do often
meet up in the air. A long while back they decided that one would fly at
400' AGL and the other would do 500'.

You have to get a waiver to fly a 500 foot altitude at all times. They
don't give waivers for less than that so the 400 foot guy was busting
the reg for traffic purposes.

Newps wrote:
Gig 601Xl Builder wrote:


Just as a point of interest these two pipeline patrol pilots do often
meet up in the air. A long while back they decided that one would fly
at 400' AGL and the other would do 500'.

You have to get a waiver to fly a 500 foot altitude at all times. They
don't give waivers for less than that so the 400 foot guy was busting
the reg for traffic purposes.




The numbers may be 500 and 600. It's been a while since I talked to them
about it. The memory comes and goes from time to time.

"Newps" wrote in message
. ..
Gig 601Xl Builder wrote:


Just as a point of interest these two pipeline patrol pilots do often
meet up in the air. A long while back they decided that one would fly at
400' AGL and the other would do 500'.

You have to get a waiver to fly a 500 foot altitude at all times. They
don't give waivers for less than that so the 400 foot guy was busting the
reg for traffic purposes.

Hogwash.

On Jul 25, 6:28 pm, "Mike" wrote:
"Newps" wrote in message

. ..

Gig 601Xl Builder wrote:

Just as a point of interest these two pipeline patrol pilots do often
meet up in the air. A long while back they decided that one would fly at
400' AGL and the other would do 500'.

You have to get a waiver to fly a 500 foot altitude at all times. They
don't give waivers for less than that so the 400 foot guy was busting the
reg for traffic purposes.

Hogwash.

In Canda, we have this rule in
http://www.tc.gc.ca/CivilAviation/Re...602.htm#602_14
CAR 602.15(2) A person may operate an aircraft, to the extent
necessary for the purpose of the operation in which the aircraft is
engaged, at altitudes and distances less than those set out in

(a) paragraph 602.14(2)(a), where operation of the aircraft is
authorized under Subpart 3 or section 702.22; or

(b) paragraph 602.14(2)(b), where the aircraft is operated without
creating a hazard to persons or property on the surface and the
aircraft is operated for the purpose of

(i) aerial application or aerial inspection,

(ii) aerial photography conducted by the holder of an air operator
certificate,

(iii) helicopter external load operations, or

(iv) flight training conducted by or under the supervision of a
qualified flight instructor.

So (i) allows it for pipeline patrol. They come over our
airport looking at pipe ROW at around 150'.

I looked at FAR 9.119 but couldn't see any exemptions similar to
ours. They call it a "general" which leads me to believe that there
might be some other section dealing with pipeline patrolling or other
low-altitude ops such as cropspraying.
See
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text...2.4.10&idno=14

Dan

wrote in message
...
On Jul 25, 6:28 pm, "Mike" wrote:
"Newps" wrote in message

. ..

Gig 601Xl Builder wrote:

Just as a point of interest these two pipeline patrol pilots do often
meet up in the air. A long while back they decided that one would fly
at
400' AGL and the other would do 500'.

You have to get a waiver to fly a 500 foot altitude at all times. They
don't give waivers for less than that so the 400 foot guy was busting
the
reg for traffic purposes.

Hogwash.

In Canda, we have this rule in
http://www.tc.gc.ca/CivilAviation/Re...602.htm#602_14
CAR 602.15(2) A person may operate an aircraft, to the extent
necessary for the purpose of the operation in which the aircraft is
engaged, at altitudes and distances less than those set out in

(a) paragraph 602.14(2)(a), where operation of the aircraft is
authorized under Subpart 3 or section 702.22; or

(b) paragraph 602.14(2)(b), where the aircraft is operated without
creating a hazard to persons or property on the surface and the
aircraft is operated for the purpose of

(i) aerial application or aerial inspection,

(ii) aerial photography conducted by the holder of an air operator
certificate,

(iii) helicopter external load operations, or

(iv) flight training conducted by or under the supervision of a
qualified flight instructor.

So (i) allows it for pipeline patrol. They come over our
airport looking at pipe ROW at around 150'.

I looked at FAR 9.119 but couldn't see any exemptions similar to
ours. They call it a "general" which leads me to believe that there
might be some other section dealing with pipeline patrolling or other
low-altitude ops such as cropspraying.
See
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text...2.4.10&idno=14

Dan

I have no idea what Canada does, but one has to assume there is a method for
getting approval because lots of commercial flying has to be done at lower
than 500'. What I can say is that in the US it is possible to get a waiver
for whatever altitude is necessary to perform the function (aerial
application, pipeline patrol, banner tows, etc.), and many commercial
aviators have waivers that do NOT specify a hard limit such as 500' or
anything else, and that includes pipeline patrol. I know pipeline patrol
guys that routinely go down to 200' or lower quite legally and I'm pretty
sure no aerial applicator is going to spray for boll weevils at 500'.
Stating "they don't give waivers for less than [500']" is hogwash.

Flying at 500' may not be too smart but hardly needs someone's permission
unless it's in congested area. I'm thinkin' most pipeline patrols aren't
flown in congested areas...





I said 500 feet at all times. All pipelines get into congested areas.