Getting Helicopters & planes to Observe a No Fly Zone

smdweb

I work near a stud farm which is also located near an industrial park and somebody asked me about a problem they were having. There are a lot of helicopters which fly over the stud (and frighten the horses) and then land at the industrial park.

The problem is how can the stud farm get the helicopters to observe a correct route to and from the helipad and not to fly over the stud farm to get to the helipad.

I suggested getting the IAA to add a no fly zone to the VFR charts - but I am not sure how easy this is to achieve or if it was possible.

I believe the industrial park have no prior notice of most visits so that can't simply send the helicopter company an advisory ... any suggestions on how this can be done ?

Nforce

Reminds me of the story about the Welsh farmer who was extremely annoyed at the RAF conducting low level flights over his farm. His response?.......

cp251

You won't get a 'no fly' zone on an aviation chart. They tend to be reserved for prisons, Aras an Uachtarains and military zones. Even if it was on a chart. I doubt they would pay much attention, helicopter pilots have a reputation for doing pretty much as they please. (I could cite plenty of examples, my heli friends so don't even try to tell me it's different). In any case if one farm appeared on a chart, soon the whole country would be pockmarked with 'no fly' zones. Things are bad enough for pilots as it is. Fly to any airfield and there is always some house you have to avoid even at very quiet airfields.

The only thing you friend can do is to go to the industrial park when a helicopter lands there and find out who it is visiting. I imagine it's the same company and in all probality the same helicopter and pilot. A polite request either to the pilot to refrain from overflying the farm or asking the company or whoever controls the helipad to put up a notice for the pilots should do the trick. Storming in there shouting the odds or threatening legal action could easily backfire. Taking action like the Welsh farmer is foolish too. All he succeeded in doing was attracting all kinds of rubbernecking pilots with cameras. An alternative would be to find out the helicopter operator and ask them to avoid the farm. If the helicopter is privately owned then approaching the pilot is best.

There is also the potential problem that the routing might take the helicopter over another stud farm or cause it to overfly a congested or built up area. If that's the case, he might have problems. But usually a polite request does the trick.

ronnie3585

As above, it would be next to impossible to have your own 'private' no fly zone over your property.

The best option is to ask the owner of the heili politely if he wouldn't mind steering clear of your stud. Explain the effect it is having on your animals as most people genuinely don't appreciate just how sensitive horses are. Parents of a friend of mine had a similar situation in the midlands last year - a very informal and polite request to the pilot and the problem was solved.

On the other hand, there is a stud in my part of the country where the owner got extremely pissy about aircraft flying near her stud. She was (and is) exceptionally rude and didn't even ask if local pilots would stop over flying but went in all guns blazing threatening legal action etc - despite the fact that she had no stateable case. The effect of this was that local pilots completely ignored her and continue to overfly. I know if two pilots in particular who make a conscious effort to fly over the stud as often and noisily as possible - I know this isn't very mature but then again you catch more flys with sugar than vinegar.