Get small aircraft away from densely populated urban areas.
That’s what a Sandton businessman is calling for, citing the irritation from noisy, low-flying aircraft, pilots apparently flying well below the minimum allowable altitudes and the dangers of potential crashes over Joburg.
“The air corridor for light aircraft (small private and commercial planes and helicopters) must be moved to a more appropriate area, taking account of the density of the population,” said Ross Paton.
Paton said both the SA Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Department of Transport should be addressing the “inherent safety and nuisance issues posed by these light aircraft”.
The relevant legislation was outdated and light aircraft should not be allowed to fly so low, travelling between the Joburg high-rises and way below the jet routes higher up for commercial airliners, he added.
Light aircraft should be required to install transponders logging altitude and flight paths, so the CAA could check up on them.
Paton said many light aircraft in SA would never meet modern noise emission requirements, adding to the nuisance factor. One joyride over Joburg unnecessarily disturbed hundreds of thousands of residents and the balance between pilot convenience or pleasure seemed way out of kilter with the best interests of residents on the ground.
“The pilots simply deny low flying,” said Paton, referring to “cowboy pilots plaguing and buzzing Joburg”. The problem was not with police or emergency aircraft.
The CAA previously told The Star that the minimum flight level was 1 000 feet above the ground, regardless of building heights, but that this was difficult to enforce due to the difficulty of proving infringements.
The CAA said people who saw violations could send the CAA complaints by e-mail on [email protected] or by fax to 011 545 1453. Officials recommended getting photographic or video evidence.
Even keeping to the minimum level comes near to building tops in Joburg.
Wikipedia lists more than a dozen buildings higher than 100m (328 feet) in Joburg, including the Michelangelo Towers in Sandton (about 140m), Ponte (about 173m) and the Carlton Centre (about 223m).
The CAA website lists 51 aircraft incidents around the country from January to the end of May this year, resulting in 16 deaths. They involved light aircraft, helicopters, microlites, a parachute and a hot-air balloon.
l On May 27, two people died after their Bell helicopter crashed in an abandoned industrial park in Midrand, just metres from a house. The CAA incident log notes the helicopter lost power after take-off.
l In October 2008, all six people on board died when a Piper Saratoga crashed on wasteland near Gosforth Park in Germiston shortly after take-off from Rand Airport. When the wingtip touched the ground the aircraft cartwheeled, exploding into flames and, on the nearby N3, frantic motorists in morning rush-hour traffic jammed emergency switchboards.
Two years later, the CAA found that the aircraft had failed to gain enough height after take-off, was in a high nose-up attitude and was overloaded by 260 pounds and carrying a full fuel load.
“The pilot was unable to correct the situation by lowering the nose of the aircraft as there were obstacles ahead such as trees, high tension wires and buildings in the way,” said the CAA report, adding that the pilot took off from runway 35, but that runway 29 would have been better.
l In November 2007, a Piper aircraft on a training flight from Brakpan-Benoni Aerodrome ran into difficulties, then hit powerlines and crashed on a traffic island on the busy N17 highway near Carnival City.
l In December 2006 a young pilot from Botswana took off late in the day from Lanseria in a light aircraft, heading over Joburg to Rand Airport. He ran into a summer thunderstorm and crashed into a four-storey block of flats in Yeoville.
The Star