commercial low-flight safety

Some duck hunters want to hire me to overfly a network of ponds in Oregon so
that they can scout the hunting range ahead of the season, with the request
that they want to "get down low."

Based on the terrain and the shape of the ponds, it would be easy to set it
up like a basic closed-traffic pattern at 1,500 down to 500' AGL, and I'm
sure pilots in Alaska do that sort of thing in their sleep. (The hunters
are Alaska natives and used to chartering these sorts of flights, and I've
flown with one of them several times noncommercially so they know me and I
know them.)

I told them 500' is as low as I would commit, esp without first observing
for flying birds, tall trees, trigger-happy hunters and other possible
hazards. It's a photo mission and we're launching and returning to the
same field, so it's all legal. The terrain is a very wide, flat,
unpopulated valley floor which is not in a protected wildlife area. The
aircraft is a C-172.

My question is, how low would -you- go for this sort of flight assuming the
birds aren't around and there aren't of Cheneys on the banks looking for
something in the air to shoot at?

Thanks, everybody!

-c
(CP-ASEL-IA)

I would have offered an opinion but since you felt the need to make this a
political statement I won't bother.

"gatt" wrote in message
...

Some duck hunters want to hire me to overfly a network of ponds in Oregon
so that they can scout the hunting range ahead of the season, with the
request that they want to "get down low."

Based on the terrain and the shape of the ponds, it would be easy to set
it up like a basic closed-traffic pattern at 1,500 down to 500' AGL, and
I'm sure pilots in Alaska do that sort of thing in their sleep. (The
hunters are Alaska natives and used to chartering these sorts of flights,
and I've flown with one of them several times noncommercially so they know
me and I know them.)

I told them 500' is as low as I would commit, esp without first observing
for flying birds, tall trees, trigger-happy hunters and other possible
hazards. It's a photo mission and we're launching and returning to the
same field, so it's all legal. The terrain is a very wide, flat,
unpopulated valley floor which is not in a protected wildlife area. The
aircraft is a C-172.

My question is, how low would -you- go for this sort of flight assuming
the birds aren't around and there aren't of Cheneys on the banks looking
for something in the air to shoot at?

Thanks, everybody!

-c
(CP-ASEL-IA)

"John" wrote in message
news:u2pnj.33547$75.25569@trnddc05...

I would have offered an opinion but since you felt the need to make this a
political statement I won't bother.

Okay, thanks.

My question is, how low would -you- go for this sort of flight assuming
the birds aren't around and there aren't of Cheneys on the banks looking
for something in the air to shoot at?

Ah. Must be the Cheney joke. Sorry... I can't think of anybody else
recently whose inadvertently blasted a fellow bird hunter in the face, but
if you can think of one you're welcome to change the names around to suit
your political sensitivies.

Really, though, I'm sorry you thought a passing joke was a "political"
statement. I have neither endorsed nor condemned a party, candidate or VP,
so, whatever. Have a great week!

-c

gatt wrote:
I would have offered an opinion but since you felt the need to make this a
political statement I won't bother.


-c


He was going to say your plan sounds good and to be careful.

--
Message posted via http://www.aviationkb.com

I admit I'm a bit sensitive lately, it seems like so many of threads
degenerate into a political discussion.

To address the question posed: Is this flight to occur during hunting
season or is it before the season open? That would be a big question. You
would not want to be mistaken for a really big goose


"gatt" wrote in message
...

"John" wrote in message
news:u2pnj.33547$75.25569@trnddc05...

I would have offered an opinion but since you felt the need to make this a
political statement I won't bother.

Okay, thanks.

My question is, how low would -you- go for this sort of flight assuming
the birds aren't around and there aren't of Cheneys on the banks looking
for something in the air to shoot at?

Ah. Must be the Cheney joke. Sorry... I can't think of anybody else
recently whose inadvertently blasted a fellow bird hunter in the face, but
if you can think of one you're welcome to change the names around to suit
your political sensitivies.

Really, though, I'm sorry you thought a passing joke was a "political"
statement. I have neither endorsed nor condemned a party, candidate or
VP, so, whatever. Have a great week!

-c

On Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:28:14 GMT, "John"
wrote in i1qnj.1407$e46.78@trnddc04:

I admit I'm a bit sensitive lately, it seems like so many of threads
degenerate into a political discussion.

It seems like there's a lot more emotional vitriol being expressed
among newsgroup participants too.

To address the question posed: Is this flight to occur during hunting
season or is it before the season open? That would be a big question. You
would not want to be mistaken for a really big goose

Apparently you failed to read the first sentence in the OP:

Some duck hunters want to hire me to overfly a network of ponds in
Oregon so that they can scout the hunting range ahead of the
season, ...

Larry Dighera wrote in
:

On Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:28:14 GMT, "John"
wrote in i1qnj.1407$e46.78@trnddc04:

I admit I'm a bit sensitive lately, it seems like so many of threads
degenerate into a political discussion.

It seems like there's a lot more emotional vitriol being expressed
among newsgroup participants too.

You mean "at you"


You deserve it, that;s why.

Bertie

"John" wrote in message
news:i1qnj.1407$e46.78@trnddc04...
I admit I'm a bit sensitive lately, it seems like so many of threads
degenerate into a political discussion.

Yeah, it's that season, I suppose. No worries, and I agree. When I said
"pull a Cheney," there's a little backstory there; they're looking for a new
place to hunt because right after "the" Cheney incident, one of them was hit
by birdshot because some newbie was out there freezing in shorts, and got a
little too eager to hit something and go home.

To address the question posed: Is this flight to occur during hunting
season or is it before the season open? That would be a big question.
You would not want to be mistaken for a really big goose

It'll be during the off-season. I had the exact concern. I told one of
them that unless the plane is named "Memphis Belle" I don't want to be the
guy that stirs up the birds everybody's been waiting for all day.

-c

gatt wrote:


I don't want to be the guy that stirs up the birds everybody's been waiting for all day.

-c

Speaking of the inadvisability of stirrin' up hunter-types.

Reminds me of some simple wisdom me pappy lay on me one sunny cold day when I
was a wee deer hunter.

We were hunting for deer, walking down an old logging road, quietly chatting
about the relatively low kill count that season. Disease was spreading thru
the deer population that year.

On our way to a spot we preferred to begin our stalk, a fella up on a nearby
knoll started shouting down at us that we were makin' too much noise and go
sit our sorry asses down and shut the Fjukk up. He says he had a bead on a
buck when we scared 'em away.
My pops says quietly under his breath to me, "well if ya had a shot why
dincha take it?"

Now i'm kinda ****ed at this fella shoutin' at us all impoilte and such and
say to my dad, "hey..right dad. Tell him that..you tell 'em..why dint he take
the shot?"

"sorry, friend!" my dad says "we'll be movin on and keepin' quiet"

So now i'm like really confused and ask my pops, "He was a rude redneck dad.
Why didn't you lay that one on him about taking the shot?"

My dad looks down at me all wise (he had been a cop and later detective in
Detroit all my life) and he says,

"Because he has a gun, my boy."

--
Message posted via AviationKB.com
http://www.aviationkb.com/Uwe/Forums...ation/200801/1

gatt wrote:
"John" wrote in message
news:u2pnj.33547$75.25569@trnddc05...

I would have offered an opinion but since you felt the need to make this a
political statement I won't bother.

Okay, thanks.

My question is, how low would -you- go for this sort of flight assuming
the birds aren't around and there aren't of Cheneys on the banks looking
for something in the air to shoot at?

Ah. Must be the Cheney joke. Sorry... I can't think of anybody else
recently whose inadvertently blasted a fellow bird hunter in the face, but
if you can think of one you're welcome to change the names around to suit
your political sensitivies.

Really, though, I'm sorry you thought a passing joke was a "political"
statement. I have neither endorsed nor condemned a party, candidate or VP,
so, whatever. Have a great week!

-c



If there are hunters down there they will shoot at you if you are flying
too low. Luckily they are hunting with steel shot so it probably won't
make it up to your alt.

Even if they don't shoot at you they can get your N# and many states
have laws against doing just about anything that could be construed as
harassing hunters.