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posted by cmn32480 on Monday February 06 2017, @08:34AM   Printer-friendly
from the you-can't-out-run-an-F-15 dept.

[Ed Note: The linked article comes from Wired. They are notorious for their adblocker blocking to keep you from reading the site without viewing the ads. It worked for me, but YMMV. - cmn32480]

You're a private pilot, out on a Sunday jaunt in your single engine prop plane. Lovely day for a flight—calm skies, good weather. Then you hear, feel, and then see the fast approach of two, grey, angular military jets, flying terrifyingly close to you, most definitely armed and dangerous.

What have you done? More pressing, what do you do? Chances are, you've strayed into restricted airspace, like the no fly zones put in place to protect President Trump wherever he goes, or special events, like this weekend's Super Bowl.

For the big game, the no-fly zone banishes planes (and drones, the FAA is keen to stress) straying within 34.5 miles of NRG stadium, in downtown Houston. If pilots feel they must enter the outer edge of the perimeter, they need permission from controllers, and are asked to maintain constant contact. The 10-mile core is strictly no entry.

OK, back to those menacing fighter jets, one of which is now level with you, where you can see each other. Hopefully, as a pilot, you've read and memorized your in-flight intercept procedures (even if you didn't bother to check the FAA website for no-fly zones in your area), because they're your best bet for keeping a lot of airspace between you and a missile.

The full article at Wired discusses the steps taken by pilots on both sides of such a situation.


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  • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Monday February 06 2017, @07:52PM

    by Grishnakh (2831) on Monday February 06 2017, @07:52PM (#463598)

    Sounds to me like the regulations are in dire need of updating. Just because some century-old aircraft didn't come with radios doesn't mean we need to keep coddling people who want to fly these antiques. Either upgrade or stop flying. There's no excuse for not buying and using a radio in today's crowded skies. If you can afford a private plane and flying lessons and a license, you can certainly afford a radio.

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  • (Score: 2) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Monday February 06 2017, @08:28PM

    by Scruffy Beard 2 (6030) on Monday February 06 2017, @08:28PM (#463621)

    Even if all aircraft are required to carry radios, fall-backs are needed in case of failure.

    • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Monday February 06 2017, @09:12PM

      by Grishnakh (2831) on Monday February 06 2017, @09:12PM (#463661)

      Sure, but that's not what's happening. Currently, radios are not required in all aircraft. That seems akin to not requiring brake lights on all cars. It's ridiculous, and there's no excuse.

      • (Score: 2) by dry on Tuesday February 07 2017, @04:38AM

        by dry (223) on Tuesday February 07 2017, @04:38AM (#463894) Journal

        Pretty sure brake lights are not required on all cars, just those that had them as original equipment. I have an old motorbike with no turn signals, it's legal as that is how it was sold in 1972.
        Some of these aircraft are more like bicycles then cars and while bicycles are legal road vehicles, they don't require brake lights though the driver is required to know and use hand signals.

  • (Score: 2) by morpheus on Monday February 06 2017, @10:04PM

    by morpheus (1989) on Monday February 06 2017, @10:04PM (#463720)

    There's no excuse for not buying and using a radio in today's crowded skies. If you can afford a private plane and flying lessons and a license, you can certainly afford a radio.

    While I understand the reasoning on a human level (we all want to be safe), this is misguided. First of all, a radio is no guarantee, or even a great help in avoiding collisions. So you hear 'Citation 888EG is 10 to the Southeast leaving 4000 inbound for 27'. By the time he finished this sentence, he is probably a mile closer. You still have to look for him. Yes, at least the radio alerted you in this case but what are you going to do about a guy who flies a million dollar Cirrus with all the gadgets in the world and simply chooses no to use his radio? What about all those pilots who chit chat about their boats blocking everybody? TCAS would be far more helpful. ADS-B out will be mandated in controlled airspace starting 2018 and it does come with traffic (almost like TCAS) and weather. As far as people affording a private plane, they are not as rich as you might think. Some people just like to fly and they buy a $20,000 beat up Cherokee or $30,000 Cessna to putt around. Many of them save for years to afford a lesson a week. I trained both the super-rich guys who want to upgrade to a jet after they are done (and I have to explain to them that they would need a professional pilot for that, since there are so many ratings they would need, not to mention the experience) and college students who worked summers to be able to afford flight training ($130 an hour for just the plane around here, I am not going to tell you how much I charge :)). Any new regulation increases the price of an average plane if not exponentially than at least nonlinearly. I would hate for the general aviation to die in US like it did in Europe because of some knee-jerk reactions of the people who think that every airplane is a dangerous killing machine. You can do far more damage with a pickup truck, to both yourself and others.