AIM
5/19/22
do not require the radio altimeter, and inform Air
Traffic Control (ATC).
c.
Inflight Reporting. Pilots should report any
radio altimeter anomaly to ATC as soon as practical.
d.
Post Flight Reporting.
1.
Pilots are encouraged to submit detailed
reports of radio altimeter interference/anomalies post
flight as soon as practical, by internet via the Radio
Altimeter Anomaly Reporting Form at
https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/nas/RADALT_repor
ts/.
2.
The post flight pilot reports of radio altimeter
anomalies should contain as much of the following
information as applicable:
(a)
Date and time the anomaly was observed;
(b)
Location of the aircraft at the time the
anomaly started and ended (e.g., latitude, longitude or
bearing/distance from a reference point or naviga-
tional aid);
(c)
Magnetic heading;
(d)
Altitude (MSL/AGL);
(e)
Aircraft Type (make/model);
(f)
Flight Number or Aircraft Registration
Number;
(g)
Meteorological conditions;
(h)
Type of radio altimeter in use (e.g.,
make/model/software series or version), if known;
(i)
Event overview;
(j)
Consequences/operational impact (e.g.,
impacted equipment, actions taken to mitigate the
disruption and/or remedy provided by ATC, required
post flight pilot and maintenance actions).
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3. VFR in Congested Areas
A high percentage of near midair collisions occur
below 8,000 feet AGL and within 30 miles of an
airport. When operating VFR in these highly
congested areas, whether you intend to land at an
airport within the area or are just flying through, it is
recommended that extra vigilance be maintained and
that you monitor an appropriate control frequency.
Normally the appropriate frequency is an approach
control frequency. By such monitoring action you can
“get the picture” of the traffic in your area. When the
approach controller has radar, radar traffic advisories
may be given to VFR pilots upon request.
REFERENCE
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AIM, Para 4
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15, Radar Traffic Information Service.
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4. Obstructions To Flight
a. General.
Many structures exist that could
significantly affect the safety of your flight when
operating below 500 feet AGL, and particularly
below 200 feet AGL. While 14 CFR Part 91.119
allows flight below 500 AGL when over sparsely
populated areas or open water, such operations are
very dangerous. At and below 200 feet AGL there are
numerous power lines, antenna towers, etc., that are
not marked and lighted as obstructions and; therefore,
may not be seen in time to avoid a collision. Notices
to Air Missions (NOTAMs) are issued on those
lighted structures experiencing temporary light
outages. However, some time may pass before the
FAA is notified of these outages, and the NOTAM
issued, thus pilot vigilance is imperative.
b. Antenna Towers.
Extreme caution should be
exercised when flying less than 2,000 feet AGL
because of numerous skeletal structures, such as radio
and television antenna towers, that exceed 1,000 feet
AGL with some extending higher than 2,000 feet
AGL. Most skeletal structures are supported by guy
wires which are very difficult to see in good weather
and can be invisible at dusk or during periods of
reduced visibility. These wires can extend about
1,500 feet horizontally from a structure; therefore, all
skeletal structures should be avoided horizontally by
at least 2,000 feet. Additionally, new towers may not
be on your current chart because the information was
not received prior to the printing of the chart.
c. Overhead Wires.
Overhead transmission and
utility lines often span approaches to runways,
natural flyways such as lakes, rivers, gorges, and
canyons, and cross other landmarks pilots frequently
follow such as highways, railroad tracks, etc. As with
antenna towers, these high voltage/power lines or the
supporting structures of these lines may not always be
readily visible and the wires may be virtually
impossible to see under certain conditions. In some
locations, the supporting structures of overhead
transmission lines are equipped with unique sequence
flashing white strobe light systems to indicate that
there are wires between the structures. However,
many power lines do not require notice to the FAA
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Potential Flight Hazards