Chapter 6.32
AIRCRAFT OPERATION
Sections:
6.32.010 Altitude restrictions.
6.32.020 Dangerous maneuvers—Dropping articles while in flight.
6.32.030 Landing within city limits.
6.32.040 Establishing flying or landing fields—Permit.
6.32.010 Altitude restrictions.
A. General. No person shall operate or fly any aircraft, other than a helicopter, over any portion of the area embraced within the limits of the city of Yakima at such an altitude as to endanger human life or safety; and in no event shall such craft, other than a helicopter, be operated or flown over any portion of the city at an altitude lower than two thousand ninety-five feet above sea level except when embarking from or alighting upon a regularly established landing place or flying field.
B. Helicopters. Except in an emergency, or except as authorized by a helicopter landing permit issued pursuant to Section 6.32.050 of this chapter, no person shall operate a helicopter over any congested area of the city, or over any open-air assembly of persons, at an altitude lower than one thousand feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of two thousand feet of the helicopter; provided, notwithstanding the minimum altitude provided by this subsection, no person shall operate a helicopter below an altitude which would allow an emergency landing to be made without undue hazard to persons or property on the earth surface in the event of a power failure to the helicopter. Provided, further, the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to helicopters landing or taking off from a helicopter landing space established by resolution of the city council pursuant to Section 6.32.040 of this chapter. (Ord. 2754 § 1, 1984: Ord. B-566 § 1, 1942).
6.32.020 Dangerous maneuvers—Dropping articles while in flight.
No person shall operate or fly over the city any aircraft in such a manner as to endanger human life or safety by the performance of unusual or dangerous maneuvers; and no person shall drop or throw any missile, paper or other article whatsoever from an aircraft while in flight unless authorized to do so by a helicopter landing permit issued pursuant to Section 6.32.050 of this chapter. (Ord. 2754 § 2, 1984: Ord. B-566 § 2, 1942).
6.32.030 Landing within city limits.
Except in case of an emergency, no person shall land any aircraft within the city limits of the city of Yakima except upon a regularly established field or landing space, except as authorized by a helicopter landing permit issued pursuant to Section 6.32.050 of this chapter. (Ord. 2754 § 3, 1984: Ord. B-566 § 3, 1942).
6.32.040 Establishing flying or landing fields—Permit.
No flying field or landing place for aircraft, including helicopters, shall be established or maintained within the limits of the city of Yakima without a permit therefor first having been granted by resolution of the city council, and any landing place or flying field established within the limits of the city shall be subject to such regulations as the city council may from time to time by resolution adopt. (Ord. 2754 § 4, 1984: Ord. B-566 § 4, 1942).
6.32.050 Helicopter landing.
A. Helicopter Landing Unlawful—Exception. It is unlawful for any person to land a helicopter within the city of Yakima at any place other than a helicopter landing space designated in accordance with Section 6.32.040 of this chapter without complying with the following regulations:
1. A helicopter landing permit must be obtained from the chief of the Yakima police department in accordance with subsection B of this section.
2. The helicopter operator must have obtained approval for helicopter operation and landing plan from the local district office of the Federal Aviation Authority, which plan shall include coordination with the air traffic controller at the Yakima air terminal.
3. Each flight must be conducted at an altitude and over a route that will allow the helicopter to be landed in an emergency without hazard to persons or property on the earth surface.
4. The landing space shall be at least one and one-half times the length of the rotorblade measured from end to end.
5. The landing space shall be protected by rope, barricade or similar means suitable for restraint of persons. Personnel shall be stationed at points inside the restricted area to guard against persons from entering the landing space.
B. Permit—Application.
(1) Application for a helicopter landing permit shall be made in writing to the chief of police at least thirty days in advance of the date of the contemplated helicopter landing; provided, the chief, in his discretion, may reduce or waive the application time period for an unexpected occasion when such reduction or waiver will not result in or contribute to creating a hazardous condition. The application shall be made in writing on a form approved by the chief of police and shall be accompanied by documentation to show that the applicant has the approval of the local district office of the Federal Aviation Authority for the helicopter operation and landing for which the permit is sought.
(2) The helicopter landing permit application shall be made on a form approved by the chief of police and shall include the following information, together with any additional information deemed by the chief of police to be necessary or desirable to administer the provisions of this chapter:
a. The name, address and telephone number of the applicant; name, address and telephone number of any sponsoring organization; name, address and telephone number of any persons having charge or control of the helicopter landing;
b. The date and time of the proposed helicopter operation and landing;
c. The location of the proposed helicopter operation and landing place;
d. The time of takeoff from the landing space;
e. The route to be traveled by the helicopter in approaching and leaving the landing space; and
f. The purpose for the helicopter operation and landing.
C. Permit—Effect. A permit issued pursuant to the provisions of subsection B of this section shall authorize the helicopter operation and landing conducted in accordance with the permit. The chief of police may impose conditions on the issuance of the permit and may impose regulations to the helicopter operation and landing in addition to those provided by this chapter, all as the chief may deem necessary for the safety of persons or property. The permit may include a provision allowing the dropping or throwing of pamphlets or other nonhazardous items from the helicopter, on conditions which the chief of police may impose at his discretion in the interests of public safety, including a requirement for cleaning up any surplus paper or other material so dropped or thrown. (Ord. 2754 § 5, 1984).