Propeller Plane Noise over OKW/SSR

[wildernessDad]

We just got back from a 3-night stay at OKW, my first. I liked OKW, but really didn't use much of the facilities during our stay.

Anyway, we had a late lunch at the Turf Club Bar and Grill at SSR and I noticed a prop plane fly overheard. I didn't actually see the plane, but heard the noise. Later that night, I heard the noise when we were hitting the sack at around 10 pm.

Like I said, this was my first time at OKW. Has anybody else experienced prop plane noise over OKW or SSR?

 

[Deb & Bill]

I've seen a few planes dragging banners behind them while we were at WDW. So I'd imagine there might be prop planes around.

 

[Caskbill]

All of Walt Disney World is a no-fly zone. Disneyland also.

If there was a plane they had to have special clearance. Maybe they were taking photographs or something.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-fly_zone

 

[Hazzard101]

In September we were at All Star Music and there was a prop plane that makes Smiley faces and writes Jesus Loves You and things like that. Maybe he has special permission. Everyone there said he does it all the time.

 

[bmalonef45]

When we were down at WDW over Thanksgiving we saw the skywriting plane also. I hadn't even thought about the no fly zone issue.

 

[DonnaL]

Like Caskbill, I had thought WDW was a no fly zone also......however, on our last two trips we also saw the skywriting prop plane and he definitely was directly over WDW property as he was writing.

 

[disneynutz]

The noise was probably the tour helicopters that fly around the perimeter of WDW. We notice them day and night.

 

[wildernessDad]

The noise was probably the tour helicopters that fly around the perimeter of WDW. We notice them day and night.

It didn't seem like helicopter noise to me. It did seem to be flying pretty low.

 

[Hazzard101]

I did notice many helicopters in the area last week but it is hard to mistake a helicopter with a prop plane. The chop, chop, sound of a copter is very specific. a prop plane is more constant whherrrrrrrrring. I bet it was a plane.

 

[dtheboys]

I guess you have not heard...
It is the NEW Magical Express....
Disney drops you off right at your resort....the parachute costs ( hey, it's tough times they have to charge for something!!) a few extra dollars, but it is so much faster than the bus....

 

[BayouMickey]

Taken at HS Thanksgiving Day:

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Is there a "no fly zone" over WDW??

Well... Sort of.
This airspace is only restricted up to 3,000 feet. In addition, it's only restricted to some aircraft. If an aircraft is flying on an IFR flightplan, they are often routed directly over WDW at low altitudes. This is especially true when landing at the Kissimmee Gateway Airport (ISM).
I personally have been routed directly over the top of Magic Kingdom, and VWL as low as 1,500 feet while approaching the ISM airport.
Now, I don't fly a prop, but the rules are the same regardless of aircraft type.

MG

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I should add... About two weeks ago I flew directly over Downtown Disney & SSR at 1,500 feet. This was around 9:00 pm.

MG

 

[DisZip]

All of Walt Disney World is a no-fly zone. Disneyland also.

If there was a plane they had to have special clearance. Maybe they were taking photographs or something.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-fly_zone

Looks like MG beat me to it, and as a pilot he would know and can correct any mis-statements below.

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed pilot (so any of you out there can correct me if I am wrong).

But as I understand it, reading the FAA NOTAM, the no fly zone is limited to a 3 mile radius, and from ground level to 3000ft, from a point in Bay Lake, between the Wilderness Lodge and the Contemporary, so mostly covering the MK and MK resorts.

That circle does not extend to include OWK or SSR, or most of Epcot, or any of HS or AK.

Those of you with Google Earth can use this KML file to see the restricted airspace.

http://www.parkinfo2go.com/wdw-nofly.kml

And here is the Disneyland no fly zone:

http://www.parkinfo2go.com/dl-nofly.kml

 

[disney aviator]

I am blessed to have a single engine Cessna that I fly to Disney World three or four times a year from North Carolina. I was just there in fact. I purposely flew in VFR (Visual Flight Rules) and flew right around the edge of the Disney Restricted Airspace. I was surprised how little airspace it covered laterally. As a previous poster stated, the restriction mainly covers the Magic Kingdom area. The outlying areas of the property are not in the restricted area. I was able to fly practically right over Animal Kingdom on my approach into the Kissimmee airport.

On departure, I flew on an instrument flight plan out of Kissimmee and at low altitude (I was slowly climbing out) I flew just east of the magic kingdom and right over the north side of Bay Lake with the boat docks for maintenance, the monorail barn, etc. It was really cool!

 

[wildernessDad]

Looks like MG beat me to it, and as a pilot he would know and can correct any mis-statements below.

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed pilot (so any of you out there can correct me if I am wrong).

But as I understand it, reading the FAA NOTAM, the no fly zone is limited to a 3 mile radius, and from ground level to 3000ft, from a point in Bay Lake, between the Wilderness Lodge and the Contemporary, so mostly covering the MK and MK resorts.

That circle does not extend to include OWK or SSR, or most of Epcot, or any of HS or AK.

Those of you with Google Earth can use this KML file to see the restricted airspace.

http://www.parkinfo2go.com/wdw-nofly.kml

And here is the Disneyland no fly zone:

http://www.parkinfo2go.com/dl-nofly.kml

OKW and SSR are outside the circle, as you said.