Kite flying legal limit - 240ft??

[jamesb72]

Another bizarre news story caught my eye, again I can't imagine it was best/safest/most cost effective way to deal with this, surely a radio call to area car would be more appropriate - I wasn't aware of a 240ft limit for kite flying either - anyone else heard of this ?? Seems a slightly odd number to pick, I'd have expected 400ft if anything ? Re Bristol Airport, Durdham Down is 11km away and not in line with runways ?

From http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-36242816

A police helicopter landed on an area of Bristol parkland to order a high-flying kite enthusiast to bring down his craft.
The helicopter swooped on Durdham Down at about 14:40 BST on Sunday, with air crew reporting the kite was soaring 1,000 feet (300m) up in the air.

No action was taken against the man, who was told the flying limit was 240 feet (73m).

The pilot said the kite endangered small aircraft from Bristol Airport.

[keukpa]

I used to do a lot of remote monitoring using kites, and I always thought the limit was 300m..

Keukpa

[keukpa]

Wow, seems I was way off!

Article 97 (3) (e)
A kite shall not be flown at a height of more than 60 metres above ground level.

[wgt40w]

And how the heck to the stupid legislators expect a kite flyer to know when he is 60 metres above the ground?

Anyone seen an OSD for a kite ??

[keukpa]

And how the heck to the stupid legislators expect a kite flyer to know when he is 60 metres above the ground?

Anyone seen an OSD for a kite ??

I had one on mine! (True story!)

But I guess with a protractor and knowing how much string you have let out... simple trig could help! LOL

[FPVSteve]

I think the main issue here was that this guy was flying a kite really high next to an airport. I mean I'm no rocket surgeon but it doesn't exactly take a lot of working out that this might cause a problem or two.

[Cockney Boy]

Surely the pilot could have got a car to attend instead of putting public at risk with a landing where kids, dogs and familes were playing!

[Coyote]

And how the heck to the stupid legislators expect a kite flyer to know when he is 60 metres above the ground?

Use 60m of string, then as long as you are still attached to it the kite can not be higher than 60m :)

[wgt40w]

Use 60m of string, then as long as you are still attached to it the kite can not be higher than 60m :)

Wrong possibly - a traditional kite (not one of the modern twin line parawing type kites) rarely climbs vertically, rather ascends (depending on wind strength) at an angle. You could have 3 balls of 60m twine and yet still be below 60m in altitude. I know, I once had a home made kite on a huge length of twine where, I think, the weight of the twine itself helped keep the kite 'low'.

[Coyote]

I'm not wrong. I said max line is 60m long, you can not go above 60m. There is absolutely nothing wrong with my statement.

[wgt40w]

What I mean is that with a 60m length of string you are perfectly correct that the kite could not go above 60m (i.e. vertically) but also in reality would probably not get up to 60m. You could have a kite with 120m of twine and still not get above 60m - but you wouldn't know.

[rob.thomson]

Lol..

The 60m rule is exactly why I feel spotter less fpv should be fine below 60m.

As long as you are well away from Joe public!

Rob

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[_tj_]

Strangely enough,

I went to Bridlington yesterday.
From the other end we saw some kites at >300ft up.

Thinking there was a fair or something on we walked the 2 miles ish to it.
It turned out, it was some kite festival going on, with everyone sat in their cars with these huge kites tied to them.

Just has we got to it, the PA bloke announced that they had to get special permission from the CAA for the event to go ahead.

[electrotor]

Wow, seems I was way off!

Article 97 (3) (e)
A kite shall not be flown at a height of more than 60 metres above ground level.

keukpa, the article is 164 not 97.

164 Gliders, kites and parascending parachutes
(1) This article applies to gliders, kites and parascending parachutes within the United Kingdom.
(2) Except with the permission of the CAA:
(a) a glider or parascending parachute must not be launched by winch and cable or by ground tow to a height of more than 60 metres above ground level;
(b) a kite must not be flown at a height of more than 30 metres above ground level within the aerodrome traffic zone of a notified aerodrome during the notified operating hours of that aerodrome;
(c) a kite must not be flown at a height of more than 60 metres above ground level; and
(d) a parascending parachute must not be launched by winch and cable or by ground tow within the aerodrome traffic zone of a notified aerodrome during the notified operating hours of that aerodrome.

Don't know where the Police got 240 feet from as 60m is 197ft.

There is also an exception to Article 164.

253 Exceptions from application of provisions of the Order for certain classes of aircraft
(1) This article applies to:
(a) any small balloon;
(b) any kite weighing not more than two kg;
(c) any small unmanned aircraft; and
(d) any parachute including a parascending parachute.
(2) Subject to paragraph (3), nothing in this Order applies to or in relation to an aircraft to which this article applies.
(3) Articles 131, 138, 161, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 232 except 232(2)(a) and 255 apply to or in relation to an aircraft to which this article applies.

So if the kite was less than 2kg (not difficult for a kite) it appears that the 60m limit does not apply. Or am I reading this wrong?

[FPVSteve]

What constitutes a kite?

I used to tie string to a carrier bag when I was a kid.

Honestly I'm starting to think that carrier bags really should be banned, or at least regulated. It's a good thing they cost 5p now or they'd be everywhere - I hear some lout was flying one near Heathrow the other week and the damned thing nearly brought down an Airbus. I'm just glad it wasn't a bag for life or we could be looking at a massive overreaction.