WilliamF wrote:
Here’s a good video of my friend who is a master of confined area operations.
William
that is a mastertful bit of heli flying.
Does you friend have to worry about Vortex Ring State flying in and out of that space? I understood the problem was exacerbated when hovering in an area enclosed on all sides by walls or trees, such that the downwash from the rotors is channeled up by the surrounding obstacles and back down into the rotors.
I don’t think he’s ever had any issues, that video was from 2014 and I asked him if he trimmed any of the trees recently. He said he might think about it soon. His son is now flying actively from that location so talent runs in the family.
His inspiration came from Denis Ferranti who had dual motorised helipads back in the 1980’s here in Ireland. They slid each helicopter back into its hangar on a rail system. Mr Ferranti navigated by means of a large ships compass attached to the floor of the helicopter. There’s a hotel in Ireland, with a tight enough pad, and all incoming helicopters are greeted with a bottle of champagne. They have taken a photo of each one since the 60’s and the photo album is fascinating.
In the end it seems almost the same in most countries – and the different statements reflect more our attitude or prejudice against different countries than the reality:
- In all countries landing in you backyard is doable if you backyard is big and remote enough that there is no neighbor that could be disturbed. The difference is only if you need a slip of paper before you do that first time but even if so it is easy to get.
- If there are neighbors close by because your land is not big and remote enough that they are not disturbed but those neighbor support you landings on your own property, there is also no major problem in any country. Again: You might need a slip of paper but that is comparatively easy to get.
- Things get tricky if their are neighbors that object. In most countries it is then close to impossible to get permission.
The only difference seems to be, that in some countries (but e.g. also not in the US) you can enforce to land in your backyard even if you negatively affect the neighbors and they complain – if that is a wise thing to do is, however, a different question.
Malibuflyer wrote:
The difference is only if you need a slip of paper before you do that first time but even if so it is easy to get.
Anyone here who successfully obtained such a slip of paper in Germany, for a helicopter of a fixed wing aircraft? One that wasn’t for an AOC (Generelle Aussenlandegenehmigung) or for a specific event / day?
Peter wrote:
In practice, the neighbours will hate you unless they are similarly wealthy
I don’t think wealth has much to do with it. Mr. Whittaker (former owner of Trafford Park etc. in Manchester) flies a huge Sikorsky out of his garden, and his immensely rich neighbours hate it. (I prefer to get out the binoculars, it’s fascinating watching this huge thing land).
There’s also the case of (IIRC) Bowland Forest Gliding Club, who were forced to stop aerotowing by a neighbour, who promptly started operating a helicopter.
Cobalt wrote:
Anyone here who successfully obtained such a slip of paper in Germany, for a helicopter of a fixed wing aircraft?
You need to ask the first question first: Anyone here who a) has a property that is so remote and so big that neighbors won’t be affected by landing in the backyard and b) who wanted to do this?
I would expect that the answer to your question is that zero out of zero pilots who fulfill these requirements here successfully obtained such a slip of paper. But yes, there are examples in Germany who did that: Some business owners have private helipads in their backyard (e.g. a well known German chef at his castle or the owner of a well known German “fashion” brand). Theres also the story of a vet from a very rural area in north east Germany that runs a private UL strip inn his backyard.
Malibuflyer wrote:
Theres also the story of a vet from a very rural area in north east Germany that runs a private UL strip inn his backyard.
Some parts of eastern Germany do look a lot like Kansas to me 
I found myself liking it regardless.
A guy I knew here has a Hughes 369A rebuilt into civilian configuration. He’s moved now but used to fly groups of whoever was hanging around to lunch. The two most common spots were a bakery that has a field next door and a smallish Indian casino where they’d land in a corner of the parking lot. I went along once. Nobody asked permission, nobody cared, the novelty was fun.
Malibuflyer wrote:
Charlie wrote: In France you need a Helisurfaces permit from the Gendarmerie which is a hassle to get but is valid for 10 years the.Then in France it is actually the very same situation as in Germany: If your land is big enough you can also get a permit to establish your private heliport there which is also a hassle but not impossible to get as long as it is only for your private flights.
No, the permit from Gendarmerie in France is for the pilot and means that the pilot can then land anywhere provided that he has the permission from the owner. From what I understand of your statement, in Germany, you would need an authorization from the authority for every place you want to land at.
WingsWaterAndWheels wrote:
No, the permit from Gendarmerie in France is for the pilot and means that the pilot can then land anywhere provided that he has the permission from the owner
Ok – in that case it was a misunderstanding. That is obviously a much better situation than own Germany.
But just to make sure I get it right: If I buy a plot in the middle of Paris that is big enough to safely land with a Heli, no neighbour could object to me landing there as long as I do this privately?
I am just wondering because a friend of mine wanted to build a proper helipad next to his beach villa on the cote d’azure and he did not get a permit for it because the neighbors objected – it would have been quite easy for him if he did not build a pad but just landed on a plot of gras next to his house which the neighbors can not prevent…
Well Santos Dumont used to tie his flying machine to the railings outside Maxine’s or to the Eiffel Tower.
I think the problem of having a private helipad in the centre of Paris might be twofold. Finding the property you describe and secondly airspace in that area.
