137-2012 TEMAC Tickler, Important Notice.

[Papa]

#137

[bfeist]

Was there any indication of specific incident dates or other details when they contacted the club?

[thehaze]

1100 ft, that's pretty high for most of the stuff being flown at temac.

If someone was flying too close to a manned aircraft I hope it was unintentional. 

[sihinch]

I can understand that this notice may have caused people concern and questions.

At this time, we do not have many details. We were contacted by email, from Transport Canada.  They have had RC aircraft activity in the vicinity of our club; the email is fairly vague but states that the observation was made at approx. 1,100ft. 

We will continue to work with Transport Canada (TC) to ensure that we resolve the matter satisfactorily, hopefully for all parties.  The person who contacted us from TC is model enthusiast and a former member of MAAC. 

Until we understand more, please consider limiting your altitude, but certainly abide by the MAAC safety guideline that is mentioned.

Thanks everyone for your support!
Simon

[Wingnutz]

I do and will continue to do everything I can to fly safely but I honestly have no idea how high my sailplane gets while I can still see it. Does anybody have any idea what altitude a small/medium sailplane is likely to be at when it starts to look really small?  1100 feet seems pretty high...is that measured from Buttonville's runway? Is Rogo Field at the same altitude?

[Andy Hoffer]

The altitude referenced (1100 ft) is height above ground over TEMAC.  While most of our aircraft spend their time well below this, I know from personal experience flying over TEMAC that occasionally some high performace model aircraft do approach 1000 ft above ground, the common approach altitude of aircraft flying into Buttonville. 

As an eyeball calibration reference, a full-scale Cessna 172 has a wingspan of 36 feet and a length of 27 feet.  So if your 4-foot wingspan aircraft, viewed from about the same angle, appears to be about one-ninth the size of the Cessna, you are probably at the same altitude as the Cessna!  If your 4-ft wingspan plane appears to be two ninths (a little less than a quarter) the size of the Cessna, you are probably at about 500 ft above ground.

Andy

[bfeist]

In my experience a 2m sailplane that you can barely see (if you take your eyes off of it you have to hunt around to see it again) is at 1400 feet above ground. I measured this years ago at 14th avenue with an altimeter.

Ben

[Gregor77]

Bert took his plane to 500 feetand it was a dot!     I don't think that I could brake 200-300 and actually see my plane.. lol!

[sihinch]

Further to our last bulletin about not flying in the vicinity of full size aircraft, there is still an issue with model aircraft flying near Buttonville.  I have received a notice from MAAC regarding model aircraft flying at the following locations in Markham:

    North East corner of Warden Avenue and Major MacKenzie.
    North East corner of Warden and Elgin Mills.
    South East of the corner of Elgin Mills and McCowan at a reservoir near the Toronto Helicopter Club.


Activity has been observed on more than one occasion at each of these sites.  None of these sites is registered with MAAC.

If you know anyone who is flying at these locations, kindly remind them that they are flying in proximity to Buttonville airport and must not fly any higher than 400' for safety's sake. Remind them of the issues with full size aircraft from Buttonville reporting model aircraft at their altitude (1000'AGL). If they are willing to listen, encourage them to join a sanctioned MAAC club in the vicinity.

Thanks,
Simon

[Ededge2002]

just a quick read might give some hints...  public park, beer and fpv oh yea a great combo

http://www.basement-rc.com/forums/index.php?topic=1310.0

[Papa]

I followed up on this with the Chairman of FPV. He knows them and they are under control. He will speak to me later and I will let you know what transpires.

Jack.