B

Brian Shirley

Member
Cant anyone give me the FAR regarding landing one a road? Im not in trouble, just wondering? Is it legal or not? Thanks Brian Shirley
 
Brian Shirley said:
Cant anyone give me the FAR regarding landing one a road? Im not in trouble, just wondering? Is it legal or not? Thanks Brian Shirley
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I really should proof read. I meant, can anyone give me the FAR regarding landing on a road? Brian
 
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Brian Shirley said:
I really should proof read. I meant, can anyone give me the FAR regarding landing on a road? Brian
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Brian, that's what the little "Edit" button at the lower right of your post is for :)...
 
No taking your plane to show and tell

Brian, you can't fly your plane to work. I know how cool it would make you look and you could really show up that guy with the new Vette, but you just can't do it. :D
 
Ive tried finding it in the FARs but its not in there, that I can find. Im not talking busy hiways. Just county roads, blacktop and dirt. When traffic allows. Brian
 
I'm not sure why this would be any different than landing at your farm. Wouldn't it be up to the governing municipality to lay down these kinds of rules?
 
I could be wrong but.......

I don't think there is a FAR that directly allows off airport landings. More importantly I don't think there is one that says you can't.
 
Out where I grew up in the Midwest (western South Dakota), it's not at all unusual to see planes landing on roads....just not the main paved ones! Dusters use them all the time, and many of the Ranchers (including my dad) use roads all the time....I landed at my uncles house last fall on the county road (gravel) in the RV-6 and no one complained! There is a small town not too far where I grew up from that people routinely fly to (landing on the highway that runs through town) to stop and eat, etc... My dad's "runway" is actually just a widened out portion of his road and it works fine...you just have to be used to landing on something that's much narrower than most runways.

Don't know if it's technically legal or not, but in a state where there is more antelop that people...no one pays too much attention! Heck, the local Game & Fish guy who's job is to fly around and shoot coyotes from a Super Cub lands in some unorthodox places as well....just ask Larry Vetterman - he has quite a bit of experience at that!

Cheers,
Stein.
 
Insurance companies...?

The big spoiler here I'll bet would be what your insurance would do for you if something happened...like dinging a prop or something. :eek:

Jeff
-8 wings
 
I remember whan I was a young (pre-private) pilot and our Explorer Post wanted to take our J-3 Cub to a big Scouting exposition at the Minnesota State Fair Grounds. The empty Midway area was a perfect place to land. We called the FAA, and they said that they had no regulation against us landing anywhere we wanted - but that we should check on local ordinances.I've always remembered that guidance - the FAR's don't care, but someone else might....

(It was a great landing by the way!) :D

Of course, this was 30 years ago, and interpretations might chnage...

Paul
 
Drive it then...

N916K said:
Brian, you can't fly your plane to work. I know how cool it would make you look and you could really show up that guy with the new Vette, but you just can't do it. :D
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Is there an FAR for driving it on the road to work though? ;)
 
Landing on roads

Mornin' everybody,
I'm in my 36th year of ag work in Central Ga and we land on roads often in order to avoid long ferries to the fields. Other than unseen powerlines and mailboxes, your problem is not with the FAA but the local gendarmes. A State patrolman once showed up after someone complained and told me that this was illegal to do. I told him that I'd never seen an FAA reg that prohibited it so he started looking through a big, fat book of regulations and finally said, "Aha, there it is! Obstructing traffic!" I was way out in the country in the middle of nowhere but he had his mind made up. When I told him that we send a pickup down to the curve and when there's no traffic, he flashes his headlights and I take off. This went back 'n forth until he finally made it clear that I can't do this because I'm overwidth, unlicensed (No tag), no turn signals, no horn...blah, blah...so I figured that since he works for the government he's probably a dummycrat anyway. He took my driver's license and I had to go and see our local Sheriff who called in for me and took care of things.
Pierre
 
I have landed on many roads and unusual places in Alaska...Nothing too specific in FAR's ...however, you can always land...to meet the needs of the emergency...however, They (FAA) can always site you for operating an aircraft in an unsafe matter, or flying too close to other residential/structures....kind of subjective sometimes isn't it??? Enter this "arena" with caution.
 
Used to fly a Champ in the California high desert, near Lucerne Valley. Kept it in a hangar/workshop on my partners property. No airport, we just landed it on one of the dirt roads and taxied to the hangar. It was about 1/4 mile off the paved main highway and about 8 miles from town. Never had a problem except one day as I got out of the plane to open the gate, there was a San Bernardino Co. Sheriff getting out of his car behind me. He asked if everything was alright, I explained what I was doing and pointed to the hangar with the wind sock on it. Trying to act like it was an everyday occurrence, nothing out of the ordinary. He explained that someone had reported an airplane going down and since it was on his way home he was just checking it out. I think after seeing my 8 yr old daughter and seeing that we weren't trying to hide anything or that the champ isn't exactly a drug hauler, he tipped his hat and bid us a nice day.
I believe it is totally up to the local/state authorities to allow or deny this type of operation. I've never seen an FAR that specifically addresses the situation.
Would agree your insurance co may not like it.
 
what they like vs actual policy

I seem to remember asking my insurance company (Avemco) about off airport landings. At first they gave me vauge answer on this but then they finally said it was ok. It basicly came down to the fact that my policy specifically didn't forbid it. Now if you file a claim involving an off airport landing I'm sure they may try to find a way out of paying it. Of course they do that for just about any claim anyways.
 
David_Nelson said:
This might help for those of us in Texas. <quote>A
commissioners court of a county may enact ordinances to ensure the
safe use of county roads by aircraft.</quote>

Sections 24.021 and 24.022

http://law.justia.us/texas/codes/tn/003.00.000024.00.html

I tried googling for some of of local counties but can't find any specifics.

/\/elson
RV-7A - Fuselage
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I wonder where I could find this info for here is Kansas or other states?
 
Harvey L. Sorensen said:
If there is a 55mph speed limit you may be breaking the law. Also how about being to wide? Just a thought.
Working on wings.
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So go into ground effect before reaching the speed limit. :rolleyes:

The states (and counties) which own the roads regulate their use. Which sucks because you must look at the state law and county code to figure out whether it is legal.

E.g. in California:

California Public Utilities Code Section 21662.1:
(b) The landing, takeoff, or taxiing of an aircraft on a public freeway, highway, road, or street is unlawful except in the following cases:
(1) A forced landing.
(2) A landing during a natural disaster or other public emergency if the landing has received prior approval from the public agency having primary jurisdiction over traffic upon the freeway, highway, road, or street.
(3) When the landing, takeoff, or taxiing has received prior approval from the public agency having primary jurisdiction over traffic upon the freeway, highway, road or street. The prosecution bears the burden of proving that none of the exceptions apply to the act which is alleged to be unlawful.
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In Texas, you have this:
TRANSPORTATION CODE
Sec. 24.021. TAKING OFF, LANDING, OR MANEUVERING AIRCRAFT ON HIGHWAYS, ROADS, OR STREETS; OFFENSE. (a) A person commits an offense if the person takes off, lands, or maneuvers an aircraft, whether heavier or lighter than air, on a public highway, road, or street except:

(1) when necessary to prevent serious injury to a person or property;

(2) during or within a reasonable time after an emergency; or

(3) as provided by Section 24.022.

Sec. 24.022. USE OF AIRCRAFT ON COUNTY ROADS. (a) A commissioners court of a county may enact ordinances to ensure the safe use of county roads by aircraft. An ordinance may:

(1) limit the kinds of aircraft that may use the roads;

(2) establish the procedure that a pilot shall follow before using a road, including requiring the pilot to furnish persons with flags at both ends of the road to be used; or

(3) establish other requirements considered necessary for the safe use of the roads by aircraft.

(b) A pilot who follows the ordinances adopted under Subsection (a):

(1) may land or take off in the aircraft on a county road; and

(2) is not subject to the traffic laws of this state during the landing or takeoff.
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So in Tejas if you follow the rules the man can't bust you for speeding at least.
 
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