Minimum Heights over Nature Reserves/Protected Areas

[Bundy]

Morning all,

Just thought I'd share the following information about Minimum heights over Nature Reserve's, National Parks and Heritage sites.

My thanks to Brett Hickman and Justin Schoeman who participated in gathering information re this rather confusing state of Legislation.

The following AvCom thread refers...: http://www.avcom.co.za/phpBB3/viewtopic ... 9&t=141962

It has always been my understanding that the minimum height over a Nature Reserve is 1500ft AGL above the highest point in that reserve. This seems to be confirmed by Com Pilots and relevant Aviation Norms and Practice.... BUT.... the Protected Areas Act has brought confusion into the matter by stating the following:

A special nature reserve, national park or world heritage site includes the airspace above the reserve, park or site to a level of 2 500 feet above the highest point of the reserve, park or site.
...
No person or organ of state may fly over or cause an aircraft to fly over a special nature reserve, national park or world heritage site at a level of less than 2500 feet above its highest point, except as may be necessary for the purpose of subsections (2) or (3A).

As a pilot plotting a planned route on a VFR map....I can easily identify the FAP's FAR's and the FAD's....their minimum heights and restrictions etc etc... Simple.

Now along my line I hit a "green area"...and here the whole mess begins.

... Some are called "Nature Reserves", some are "Game Parks"...some are called "National Parks"....some are "Game Reserves", some are "Private Reserves", "Bird Sancturies"....take your pick?

With the extract above from the Protected Areas Act....I now need to decipher which ones are under this 2500ft restriction....

Justin found the following Database from the DEA (Dept Enviromental Affairs)

http://egis.environment.gov.za/sapad_de ... 3&amid=124

Brenton Blue Butterfly Nature Reserve
Prince Edward Island Special Nature Reserve

National Parks are:
Kruger National Park
Addo-Elephant National Park
Karoo National Park
Mountain Zebra National Park
Augrabies Falls National Park
Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Garden Route National Park
Bontebok National Park
Camdeboo National Park
Kalahari Gemsbok National Park
West Coast National Park
Richtersveld National Park
Vaalbos National Park
Tankwa-Karoo National Park
Marakele National Park
Table Mountain National Park
Augulhas National Park
Namaqua National Park
Mapungupwe National Park
Groenkloof National Park
Mokala National Park

World Heritage Sites are:
iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Cape Floral Region Protected Areas: Cederberg Wilderness Area
Cape Floral Region Protected Areas: Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area
Cape Floral Region Protected Areas: Boland Mountain Complex
Cape Floral Region Protected Areas: Boosmansbos Wilderness Area
Cape Floral Region Protected Areas: Swartberg Complex
Cape Floral Region Protected Areas: Baviaanskloof
Cape Floral Region Protected Areas: Table Mountain National Park (Buffer)
Cape Floral Region Protected Areas: Table Mountain National Park (Core)
Cape Floral Region Protected Areas: De Hoop Nature Reserve
Vredefort Dome
Vredefort Dome: The chocolate tablet breccia site
Vredefort Dome: The pseudotachylite (quarry) site
Vredefort Dome: The stromatolite/basal fault plane site
Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park
Fossil Hominid Sites of SA: Cradle of Humankind
Fossil Hominid Sites of SA: Makapan Valley(Buffer)
Fossil Hominid Sites of SA: Makapan Valley(Core)
Fossil Hominid Sites of SA: Taung Skull Fossil Site (Buffer)
Fossil Hominid Sites of SA: Taung Skull Fossil Site (Core)
Robben Island
The Richtersveld Cultural & Botanical Landscape (Buffer)
The Richtersveld Cultural & Botanical Landscape (Core)
Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape (Buffer)
Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape (Core)

The Above list should therefore be the Protected Areas under the 2500ft Restriction as stipulated in "The Act"

So if the Reserve (or any other type of sanctuary as indicated on the maps) is not on this list....then as far as I'm concerned the Minimum Height would be 1500ft as per normal.

Hope it is useful to someone.

Thanks again Brett and Justin.

[nicow]

Thanks Bundy

[Barryathome]

Very useful list - thanks Bundy!

[Louis Cole]

It is scary how easily one could fall foul of the laws and regulations.If one for example planned to fly around South Africa, it would complicate one's planning incredibly. Without this info I would certainly have been a multiple offender.

[Baitbird]

Flying anywhere close to Krugersdorp is now an issue.
Climbing to 2500 ft over mrs plessie now puts you in the Lanseria control area !!!

[justin.schoeman]

Flying anywhere close to Krugersdorp is now an issue.
Climbing to 2500 ft over mrs plessie now puts you in the Lanseria control area !!!

The whole Krugersdorp/Lanseria thing is a complete stuff up. Krugersdorp airfield is inside the Cradle of Humankind protected area, and so is most of Lanseria's air space. I am not sure what happened with the DEA/CAA 'negotiations' around this...

[HENNING JOHAN]

So if I want to take off on my farm surrounded by a nature reserve what are the rules for me?My uncle that have. the reserve also got a firebreak (landing strip) of about 1.2 km.He will give me also permission to land and to take off from the strip.Am I on the wrong side off the law.I also think that you missed the Suikerbosrand nature reserve @ Heidelberg.If you add 2500 ft then you in the boing,airbus way that's lining up for OR.

[Bundy]

So if I want to take off on my farm surrounded by a nature reserve what are the rules for me?My uncle that have. the reserve also got a firebreak (landing strip) of about 1.2 km.He will give me also permission to land and to take off from the strip.Am I on the wrong side off the law.I also think that you missed the Suikerbosrand nature reserve @ Heidelberg.If you add 2500 ft then you in the boing,airbus way that's lining up for OR.

More Johan

Those minimum heights do not apply to aircraft taking off or landing....the Law provides for this.... so no you would not be on the wrong side of the law at all.

The list above is only the Nature Reserves/Protected Areas where there is a 2500ft minimum....Suikerbos is not one of them so it would be 1500ft (If able to comply!)

It is important to note that if the Reserve is located within a TMA area or a Special Rules area for example it is much more important to follow those rules and restrictions which would obviously take preference. One cant bust a CTR or TMA just because part of the Law says you must fly at 1500ft or 2500ft?

Suikerbos (for example) is within the SRSouth area.....so if crossing it northbound you should be at 7500ft......if crossing southbound then you should be at 7000ft as per the Special Rules. Both those Altitudes are below the JHB TMA so no risk of interfering with ORT Traffic inbound.

That's the way I read and understand it.

As Justin correctly states above....there are MANY contradictory spots where the local airspaces and rules are not in line with the intended Legislation for minimum heights over Reserves and Protected Areas. Just another case of politicians writing into Law a regulation they are not qualified or informed enough about.

Bottom line for me is if you cannot avoid overflying a Nature Reserve....Obey the rules of the Airspace FIRST....then see if you can comply with the minimum height over the Nature Reserve. Outside of controlled Airspace, it is not a problem to fly at the 1500ft or 2500ft (whatever it may be) for that reserve.

[jtresfon]

Hey Bundy

Good topic... but just because it's a National Park does not automatically mean a 2500ft restriction. Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) for example covers almost the entire Cape Peninsula including the Cape Point Nature Reserve. Yet the reserve itself has a 2000ft restriction (any higher and on the False Bay side you will be in the TMA anyway!) Many other parts of the Peninsula have a 1500ft restriction or less despite technically being part of the TMNP. Air traffic in the West Coast National Park is routinely routed at 1500ft by Langebaan Approach. Depends on the Park I guess... but it certainly is important to be aware of the sensitivities around National Parks, especially in light of the rhino poaching issue.

Regards
Jean.

[Bundy]

Indeed Jean...

I just prefer to stay on the right side of the Law wherever possible but the Airspace rules will always come first.

Interestingly when we overflew Loskop there was one R44 circumnavigating the dam low level....and one fixed wing at about 500ft flying North South....

And we are the cowboys???

Oh the irony?

[mulderpm]

Interesting topic. I just wonder why our airspace's on our WAC's and on ATNS.com, does not include this information.