I’m working on a much longer blog post, with photos, about my recently completed autumn vacation, but I thought I’d put this shorter post out because it’s quick and on my mind.
It started with someone on Twitter sharing a video from inside the cockpit of a helicopter flying low and fast over a forest road. There were no cars on the road and no poles or wires. It was an exciting little flight that reminded me of the kind of canyon flying I used to do in some very familiar, remote areas of Arizona. See for yourself.
Here’s a screenshot from the video in question.
What followed was a bunch of comments, including some from a few people too lazy to look up the regulations who claimed that flying like that was illegal. When I pointed out that it was not illegal in the US, a particularly lazy, uninformed idiot quoted my tweet with a portion of the FARs in an attempt to prove me wrong. He didn’t. All he proved is that like so many people these days, he’s only capable of reading until he gets confirmation of what he wants the truth to be. The rest doesn’t matter.
Here’s the entire FAA regulation covering minimum flight altitudes in the US:
§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.
[Doc. No. 18334, 54 FR 34294, Aug. 18, 1989, as amended by Amdt. 91-311, 75 FR 5223, Feb. 1, 2010]
Did you read paragraph (d) and paragraph (1) right beneath it? I did, but the know-nothing twit pretending to be an expert on Twitter didn’t. It basically says that the paragraphs he quoted (paragraphs (b) and (c) above) don’t apply to helicopters.
I distinctly remember this FAR coming up during my primary training back in the late 1990s. It basically gives helicopter pilots permission to fly at any altitude they need or want to, given that “if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface.”
Take a look at the video. It looks to me as if the pilot is 50-100 feet off the ground. He’s moving at a good clip — at least 60 knots. (I tried to read the airspeed indicator but couldn’t.) With that altitude and airspeed combination, he’s not operating in the shaded area of the height/velocity diagram (or “deadman’s curve“). That means that a safe emergency landing is possible. And with nice smooth pavement beneath him, there’s plenty of suitable space for a landing if it was necessary. So it’s not in violation of paragraph (a) either.
Time for a shameless plug…
If you like helicopters, you’ll love the FlyingMAir YouTube Channel. Check it out for everything from time-lapse annual inspections to cockpit POV autorotation practice to a flight home from a taco dinner at a friend’s house — and more.
Lots of people don’t get this. They assume the altitude rules apply equally to all aircraft. But they don’t. This makes it pretty clear. Trouble is, there are too many self-important assholes out there — especially on Twitter — who share inaccurate or incomplete information as fact — and too many lazy people willing to believe them without doing their own homework.
If you want to read more about this topic, here’s an old, long, rambling post I wrote about an experience related to this years ago.
Oh, and by the way, this post is about whether the flight is legal in the US. I won’t make any comments about whether it’s safe or whether the pilot is using good judgement. That’s a whole different topic.
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Reading the post, great viewpoints, and true, many people don’t even consider the exemptions for paragliders and “non-fixed wing craft” because helos and paragliders require MUCH less landing area while making a non-powered landing, essentially using the very thing they depend on for lift as the force that saves the craft and crew. Helos autorotate, paragliders can descend as a parachute is intended to do, actually making both safer in general, as opposed to say, a Cessna that suddenly loses power. The pilot has to rely on limited options if an airport is out it of glide range, and there is nothing but rugged terrain below, making it MUCH riskier to put it down. Landing horizontally into trees is more dangerous than descending straight into them …
Add to the fact that this video is from Fred North, taken while on location for a movie… and everything makes a lot more sense… just look at his instagram account.
Hey Maria! That video is pretty cool and I find myself worrying about somebody coming the other way. Which reminds me of a story (at my age everything reminds me of a story) a friend of mine and Vietnam era helicopter pilot told me. He flew Hueys, but later during his time in-country flew the OH-6 Cayuse Loach. I think the civilian version is the Hughes 500. Anyway, he said going from the Huey to the Loach was like going from your grandpa’s Eldo to your dad’s Porsche. He had a couple of weeks left in country and was flying low and fast down some little river. He was rounding a fairly sharp bend when he met another Loach coming the other way. He said neither of them knew the other was there and fortunately they both broke to their right. So other than justifiably soiled linens, everybody was fine. So when the guy in this video went around that bend in the road I immediately thought of my friend’s little escapade and thought I’d share it with you. George
And they missed that the context of the video is that it’s of Fred North, a stunt pilot shooting a movie. It’s a closed road and he’s done all of the diligence to allow this. Not just any recreational weekend pilot. And you’re correct on regs- this is certainly legal.
As usual in the media and especially on Twitter, nuance and crucial details get thrown under the bus when there is a point to be made. Just because you don’t know anything about a topic doesn’t mean you can’t blather on extemporaneously, all you need is an audience.
And as far as “self-important assholes” go…well, that IS the essence of Twitter, isn’t it?
To be fair though, a lot of airplane pilots also get this part wrong when it comes to helicopters. They have it drilled into them during training that there is always some sort of minimum altitude, unless you are taking off or landing. As usual in the rags, the devil is in the details.
Autogyro anyone? There are M0DERN, technically current gyrocopters from Europe using Certificated engines. Fully enclosed available. Typically 11O-17O kph, so inherently slow & aBit thirsty too. But SAFE done properly. NlCE writing here, THANX!
I learned to fly an gyro a few years ago and got as far as soloing, but never went further to get my certificate. The reason: I don’t have access to a gyro and can’t see trying to maintain a skill I’d likely never use. But I did like flying it and wouldn’t mind owning one. I think it’s a great alternative to helicopters, as long as you don’t need to hover.
If you’re interested you can read about my gyro training here: Learning to Fly Gyros
First, love your blog. Very informative.
However, you are only partly correct here. You are right that what this video shows isn’t illegal under that specific regulation. But it is still illegal to “operate an aircraft in a careless or reckless manner so as to endanger the life or property of another.” 14 CFR 91.13(a). Also, a cursory search did not reveal any obvious federal preemption of state law, so it is potentially illegal under state law as well.
Of course, as people pointed out, this pilot was apparently doing it over a closed road for a movie, which is hardly reckless. But the average pilot doing this over an open, public road could be committing multiple crimes.
Who judges what’s “careless or reckless”?
State law? What state law do you know of that governs any part of aviation? I’m curious because I can’t think of a single one.
After reading this… Quick I will point out, A. The internet has turned to social media haters and basement attackers hiding behind ignorance. B. It also is worth noting that yes as a rated Helicopter and Fixed wing pilot, no one grasps the meaning behind the FAR rules mentioned. It is all about Safety. In a Helicopter you Want to fly at low but safe altitude! If a fire broke out … It is straight down and exit vehicle… Example. But more than this is simple Aircraft separation! If airplanes are flying around at FAR 500-1000 agl, it is actually safer to fly below the airplane traffic which is fly along at a much much faster clip then an average 90-100+ knots in a helio! Now this is all terrain depending and visually safe to do so. So in short, the fixed wings look down to find a Helicopter call most likely… A clue, they dont paint the rotor patterns for visability on the bottom of the blades… Its on the top! Very ignorant post by anyone to say it is dangerous to fly low in a helio, it is by most accounts the safest….done properly, and safely.