So you are coming into a fly-in and you decide to
do a low approach and then make a high-speed pass down the runway and pull up
before joining the circuit. Hey, there are lots of people there because the
fly-in was widely advertised in town. So who is it going to hurt, you aren’t
breaking any rules, are you? Maybe you had to pull up and go around anyway,
right?
The CARs say: Certification Requirements for Special Aviation Events - 603.01 No
person shall conduct a special aviation event unless the person complies with
the provisions of a special flight operations certificate - special aviation
event issued by the Minister pursuant to section 603.02.
Was your buzz job a special aviation event? The definition of a “Special
Aviation Event” is in CAR 101: “special aviation event” - means an air show, a
low level air race, an aerobatic competition, a fly-in or a balloon festival
Was your buzz job an airshow? The definition of “air show” is also in CAR 101:
“air show” - means an aerial display or demonstration before an invited assembly
of persons by one or more aircraft.
Was your buzz job a demonstration? If you did not perform a standard approach
and a normal overshoot and climb-out followed by a normal cross-wind and then
down-wind, it could easily be established that you were performing a
demonstration and therefore an air show and one that was in direct contravention
of CAR 603.01 because you did not have an operations certificate. Note that the
assembly of persons just has to be invited, not “paying”.
CAR 103.08 lays out the penalties for non-compliance with the CARS. Violations
of CAR 603.01 carry a maximum penalty of a $1000 fine for individuals and $5000
if a company owns your airplane.
If TC thinks that your “buzz job” was a hazard in addition to an illegal air
show then you can expect to also be charged under CAR 602.01.
Reckless or Negligent Operation of Aircraft - 602.01 No person shall operate an
aircraft in such a reckless or negligent manner as to endanger or be likely to
endanger the life or property of any person.
CAR 103.08 specifies the maximum penalty for that offence as $5,000 for
individuals and $25,000 for corporations.
Pilots who feel the need to show off are imperilling the very existence of
fly-ins in Canada. TC inspectors have informed COPA that they think some pilots
are acting recklessly at fly-ins in the name of showing off and consequently TC
has been pressing for much more control over fly-ins. COPA has been opposing
TC’s proposed regulation of fly-ins, but every time another pilot cannot resist
the urge to show off it makes COPA’s arguments less effective. The end result
may be that fly-ins will disappear in Canada, buried under a mountain of
paperwork requirements that will make them impossible to hold.
If that happens it will be because some pilots couldn’t just show up at a fly in
and land their plane – they had to show-off and “buzz” the airport. Please think
about the consequences and if you see someone showing off, urge them to stop,
for the sake of our freedom to fly.