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Minimum altitudes for manned craft

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Are there rules or laws regarding minimum altitudes for manned aircraft. I was flying about 1.5 miles away from an active class G airport. I was at 400 feet in vlos and heard a plane loud . I quickly came down to 200 feet and a low flying piper cub came over most likely in route to the air port . I am sure he was lower than 1000 feet.
I have seen helicopters low too.

I was shocked, annoyed, scared and glad I was in vlos ......
 
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Are there rules or laws regarding minimum altitudes for manned aircraft. I was flying about 1.5 miles away from an active class G airport. I was at 400 feet in vlos and heard a plane loud . I quickly came down to 200 feet and a low flying piper cub came over most likely in route to the air port . I am sure he was lower than 1000 feet.
I have seen helicopters low too.

I was shocked, annoyed, scared and glad I was in vlos ......
Well it seems you answered your own question that you were 1.5 miles from an airport. So even if there were minimum altitude requirements they wouldn’t matter that close to the airport. Frankly if you are that close and flying that high I’d just call the airport and let them know where you are gonna be when.

That said, take off and landing aside there really should be a 1000’ ft minimum.
 
I live just outside of 5 miles from a non-towered air tanker base and general aviation airport (Class E starts at 700’ above it), and won’t fly anywhere closer to it than 5 miles due to the number of practice flights, active fire flights and general aviation traffic we get there. What makes it worse is that we are in a valley, so planes come over the surrounding hills without much sound. It’s not safe to be flying at 400’ near such a place, and I really think 1.5 miles close to one is way too close without approval from ATC.
 
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Are there rules or laws regarding minimum altitudes for manned aircraft.
§ 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
 
What app are you using for flight clearance. It should give you the ceiling for your flight.

Who, me or OP? Just like our airport, he said it was Class G. I assume it was like ours, not towered with Class E starting at 700 ft above it.
 
Who, me or OP? Just like our airport, he said it was Class G. I assume it was like ours, not towered with Class E starting at 700 ft above it.
Sorry... typing when your post went up.

To OP what clearance app are you using?
 
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Are there rules or laws regarding minimum altitudes for manned aircraft. I was flying about 1.5 miles away from an active class G airport. I was at 400 feet in vlos and heard a plane loud . I quickly came down to 200 feet and a low flying piper cub came over most likely in route to the air port . I am sure he was lower than 1000 feet.
I have seen helicopters low too.

I was shocked, annoyed, scared and glad I was in vlos ......


This might help you understand what the rules for "Hobby" sUAS are:
 
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The reason I ask is because what you are taught when studying for part 107 is that air planes should be 1000 feet agl except for landing and taking off. A mile out they shouldn’t be lower, but is there really a law they have to follow? Seems like it would be easier to check up in them.

While I was at the location many planes came over and they were all much higher.
 
The reason I ask is because what you are taught when studying for part 107 is that air planes should be 1000 feet agl except for landing and taking off. A mile out they shouldn’t be lower, but is there really a law they have to follow? Seems like it would be easier to check up in them.

While I was at the location many planes came over and they were all much higher.

Post #5 should answer your questions....
 
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Well then.... the Faa needs to crack down on manned aircraft. They need laws that are less vague.. perhaps the plane was at 500 ft but it is a very congested area and it was not at 1000.
 
Well then.... the Faa needs to crack down on manned aircraft. They need laws that are less vague.. perhaps the plane was at 500 ft but it is a very congested area and it was not at 1000.
Yea but in your case they were probably landing like you pointed out originally. Planes don’t have VTOL. And trust me I agree there should be 1000ft in all other cases
 
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Under 1000 feet 1.5 to 2 miles out landing? Prior to flying 107 When I used to call the airport they were fine with me flying at 400 feet in this location.

I’m sick of the vilification of uavs and believe manned aircraft need to be more strict about the law as well.. it’s a reality that they will be sharing the sky with UAVS. Whether or not UAVS are used recreationally.
 
Under 1000 feet 1.5 to 2 miles out landing? Prior to flying 107 When I used to call the airport they were fine with me flying at 400 feet in this location.

I’m sick of the vilification of uavs and believe manned aircraft need to be more strict about the law as well.. it’s a reality that they will be sharing the sky with UAVS. Whether or not UAVS are used recreationally.

I agree 100% but they were informed about it when you called that’s the difference. Legally you don’t have to now but if you want them to keep planes away from you how they gonna know to do that if you don’t tell them you are there?

1.5 miles is nothing for a plane. Believe me I’m the crusader for tougher altitude restrictions for planes but they have to have room to land and take off. They can’t go from on the runway to 1000’ instantly
 
If not over a congested area, pilots will typically use a shallow approach grade prior to landing and often start their descent approach over 5 miles out from the airport. So if one is just 1.5 miles under the approach to an airport, they may expect to have planes legally flying as low as 500 ft if it is not a congested urban area below them, giving only 100’ separation between plane and drone- crazy too close!
 
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Well then.... the Faa needs to crack down on manned aircraft. They need laws that are less vague.. perhaps the plane was at 500 ft but it is a very congested area and it was not at 1000.

Under 1000 feet 1.5 to 2 miles out landing? Prior to flying 107 When I used to call the airport they were fine with me flying at 400 feet in this location.

I’m sick of the vilification of uavs and believe manned aircraft need to be more strict about the law as well.. it’s a reality that they will be sharing the sky with UAVS. Whether or not UAVS are used recreationally.

At 2 miles, on a standard 3° guide slope, a landing aircraft will be at 550 ft AGL. You really should not be bleating about manned aircraft not following the law when you have absolutely no clue about even the most basic aspects of aviation. In fact you are a perfect example of the problem of allowing recreational pilots access to the NAS without any training at all.
 
At 2 miles, on a standard 3° guide slope, a landing aircraft will be at 550 ft AGL. You really should not be bleating about manned aircraft not following the law when you have absolutely no clue about even the most basic aspects of aviation. In fact you are a perfect example of the problem of allowing recreational pilots access to the NAS without any training at all.

He said he was a part 107 pilot so don’t be dragging us rec pilots into this.
 
“air planes should be 1000 feet agl except for landing and taking off. A mile out they shouldn’t be lower”... at a mile out, they’d have to fall at about a -19% descent rate to get down to surface, or a 5.3:1 ratio. A Piper Cub? On a 65 degree day, 1260#, engine idle, the glide ratio is 7.5:1, which means the pilot would have to be diving and increasing airspeed a lot to get down to the airport surface in less than 1 mile.
 
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