FAA Regs? What do you actually do?

[booboo]

The original rationale for 400 feet was that in general manned aircraft will be at or above 500 feet agl. 400 feet for models, etc. gives a 100-foot buffer between the two, manned/unmanned.

Phaedrus, that makes perfect sense...in the mind of a bureaucratic official. I gotta' get out of this. You guys are scaring yourselves to death. Bottom line? Use common sense. It's your best friend.

 

[Phaedrus]

And Will Rogers once said that if common sense were all that common, more people would have it!

 

[thoneter]

I was flying at 200 feet in my hometown city limits and had a Cessna almost take out my 920. Couldn't hear him coming as I was flying the river with trees on both sides. By the time I heard and saw him it was to late.

Do I report him? I'm sure it would never be his fault for flying 300 feet lower than what he should have! The airport manager in Luverne is awesome. He just said stay out of the glidepaths of the runway. Wish there was more guys like this!

Preaching to the choir about the rules is condescending and bragging about how anyone breaks the rules is simply bravado. Use common sense and stay off of the gov't's radar. The gov't is going to find an excuse to keep us out of the airwaves and big business like Amazon is already lobbying to control the airwaves anyway

 

[Phaedrus]

FWIW, here is Part 91.119 - Minimum Safe Altitudes

Sec. 91.119 — Minimum safe altitudes: General.
Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes:


(a) Anywhere. An altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface.

(b) Over congested areas. Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons, an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft.

(c) Over other than congested areas. An altitude of 500 feet above the surface, except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In those cases, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.

(d) Helicopters, powered parachutes, and weight-shift-control aircraft. If the operation is conducted without hazard to persons or property on the surface—

(1) A helicopter may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed in paragraph (b) or (c) of this section, provided each person operating the helicopter complies with any routes or altitudes specifically prescribed for helicopters by the FAA; and

(2) A powered parachute or weight-shift-control aircraft may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section.

 

[The_caged_bird]

FWIW, here is Part 91.119 - Minimum Safe Altitudes

Lol, ever seen a cropduster? I loved watching them go under the wires when I was a kid.

 

[Phaedrus]

Lol, ever seen a cropduster? I loved watching them go under the wires when I was a kid.

Part 91.119 only applies to Part 91 pilots only. Crop dusters fall under 14 CFR Part 137

14 CFR Part 137 - AGRICULTURAL AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS

Specifically Part 137.49 and Part 137.51,

And they are amazing to watch. Helicopter crop dusters are very cool as well.

 

[Fred Garvin]

I’m really lucky where I live in the DFW Metromess, having a few city parks to fly at within a couple miles of my house. The DFW Class B is 3k to 11k overhead, BUT the whole Metroplex is Class E 700, so that’s as high as I can fly Recreationally. I have to travel 20+ miles to get out where the E is no factor (14,500).