OT: Aviation question (related to the game Saturday)

[michnittlion]

I mentioned this in a thread Saturday night but it sort of got buried ...... I do want to bring this back up. There was a rather unnerving experience late in the 3rd Quarter of Saturday's game that involved an airplane.

United flight 2248 was a Boeing 737 that flew from O'Hare into Lansing, landing at 6:12 PM EST: it flew to Lansing because it would become our charter flight back to State College. Note the track that this plane flew, however. It flew directly over the stadium as it was making it's turn to the north, and it flew at a very low altitude when over the stadium. If you click the track log for this flight, it was at only 2,000 feet above sea level at 6:09:53 PM (it's coordinates at that time are the EXACT coordinates of Spartan Stadium). Given that Lansing is at 850 feet elevation, it was only 1,150 feet above ground level.

My question, if anyone knows: this flight HAD to be in violation of FAA policy, correct??? Per my understanding, there's an actual FAA rule (NOTAM 4/3621) that enforces strict no-fly zones around major sporting events, restricting airplanes from being within 3 miles of the stadium unless they are over 3,000 feet above the ground. People, including myself, were freaking out a bit about this plane --- and deservedly so. I actually sent an e-mail to the FAA on this one late Saturday, but haven't heard back. Kind of surprised nobody is talking too much about this one. Is there any chance the pilots actually asked to do this and ATC would have cleared it???

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL2248/history/20151128/2230Z/KORD/KLAN

 

[manatree]

So does the UPark airport shut down during home games? It's within a three mile radius of Beaver Stadium.

 

[kgilbert78]

And Ohio Stadium is pretty much on the flight path to Port Columbus (as is Mapfre Stadium (aka Columbus Crew Stadium), which will be hosting a major event on Sunday). I often see the landing gear go down/up as planes come into/leave the airport here while at Crew games.

 

[jim cummings]

Just looking at the map, it doesn't appear the stadium is anywhere near the airport. That said, even if the stadium was along the pattern for approach into Lansing airport, it seems as though it's far enough Away from the airport where its altitude would pose no risk.

Airspace is an exact science. If there was a violation it would have been noted well before you even thought to log into your email and "report" it to the FAA.

But you do seem like the type who reports everything to everyone to make yourself feel special.

Do you call mall security and report cars that are slightly double parked?

Douche

 

[michnittlion]

Just looking at the map, it doesn't appear the stadium is anywhere near the airport. That said, even if the stadium was along the pattern for approach into Lansing airport, it seems as though it's far enough Away from the airport where its altitude would pose no risk.

Airspace is an exact science. If there was a violation it would have been noted well before you even thought to log into your email and "report" it to the FAA.

But you do seem like the type who reports everything to everyone to make yourself feel special.

Do you call mall security and report cars that are slightly double parked?

Douche

Given that:

(a) a sporting event was targeted 15 days prior to Saturday's PSU @ MSU game,

(b) airplanes have been used as weapons before, and

(c) there is scuttle-butt about terrorists wanting to attack the United States,

I would prefer that I not see Boeing 737s flying at only 1,000 feet above ground level directly over a 76K-person-full stadium that is within very non-congested airspace. Lansing's airspace is not NYC airspace, this is not like LaGuardia where planes have no choice but to fly low very near Citi Field.

I'd wager 500:1 odds that the pilots of this plane specifically requested this route from ATC. That is nice for them, they got an incredible view of Spartan Stadium! But they made several thousand other people nervous at the same time.

This topic is being discussed on an MSU message board too --- I'm not the only one who feels this way.

http://michiganstate.247sports.com/...mmercial-Plane-Fly-Over-Field-41486684?Page=2

Anyway, I also asked this on reddit. I got my answer. It was perfectly legal.

https://www.reddit.com/r/flying/comments/3uwmt6/a_few_questions_about_stadium_tfrs/

 

[81b&w]

so in other words you saw this on the MSU board and thought if you posted it here it would make it sound like you were actually at the game

 

[michnittlion]

so in other words you saw this on the MSU board and thought if you posted it here it would make it sound like you were actually at the game

Section 108, Row 9, Seat 24. I was there, with my Mom and brother. Penn State sideline, upper-deck, 50-yard line. This plane passed right behind me, moving from my left to my right.

First time I've been to a Penn State game with my Mom since our 2005 B1G clincher, also at MSU. We had a good time.

 

[jim cummings]

Given that:

(a) a sporting event was targeted 15 days prior to Saturday's PSU @ MSU game,

(b) airplanes have been used as weapons before, and

(c) there is scuttle-butt about terrorists wanting to attack the United States,

I would prefer that I not see Boeing 737s flying at only 1,000 feet above ground level directly over a 76K-person-full stadium that is within very non-congested airspace. Lansing's airspace is not NYC airspace, this is not like LaGuardia where planes have no choice but to fly low very near Citi Field.

I'd wager 500:1 odds that the pilots of this plane specifically requested this route from ATC. That is nice for them, they got an incredible view of Spartan Stadium! But they made several thousand other people nervous at the same time.

This topic is being discussed on an MSU message board too --- I'm not the only one who feels this way.

http://michiganstate.247sports.com/...mmercial-Plane-Fly-Over-Field-41486684?Page=2

Anyway, I also asked this on reddit. I got my answer. It was perfectly legal.

https://www.reddit.com/r/flying/comments/3uwmt6/a_few_questions_about_stadium_tfrs/

Man you took a beating in that reddit thread lol

 

[michnittlion]

Man you took a beating in that reddit thread lol

A "beating"?

I got my answer. That's all I wanted. I don't think I will be suffering any scars --- emotional or physical --- from that "beating."

People have rather large "internet muscles" when it comes to insulting people on message boards. You see that all the time, for example the two posts you made in this thread.

 

[jim cummings]

A "beating"?

I got my answer. That's all I wanted. I don't think I will be suffering any scars --- emotional or physical --- from that "beating."

People have rather large "internet muscles" when it comes to insulting people on message boards. You see that all the time, for example the two posts you made in this thread.

yeah except I don't think it's by any coincidence that you seem to be on the receiving end of those "insults" more often than others.

Wonder why...