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(Video) Ultralight flies inches over the waves at crowded beach.
A friend of mine had her Flip handy and caught this video of an ultralight operating at extremely low altitude over a beach full of vacationers in Duck, NC. Now I'm by no means an expert, but this strikes me as highly irresponsible operation of an aircraft this close to a populated beach. The waves here this week have been highly unpredictable and the winds off the ocean have been rather strong. It wouldn't take much of a miscalculation to send that thing into a family on the beach, or… (www.youtube.com) עוד...
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As long as he's 50ft away from any people, buildings, vehicles or vessels, what he's doing is completely legal, if a little foolhardy.
I belive the FAA regulation you are referring to is FAR 91.119 which states "500 feet" from any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure. But even then, while it may be over "open water" ... the FAA could easily clasify it as a congested area in which there are no provisions to be that low. Finally, if that didn't work, the FAA could cite that the pilot is too low to make a safe emergency landing or simply that it is careless and "reckless manner" (FAR 91.13)
I hope the idiot flying that ultralight isn't insured by my carrier. My rates are already high enough.
I think the writer is sensationalizing this for effect. True he had no alternatives if the engine quit ( unless swimming was under consideration). He appears to be in compliance with the FARs. However, implications of danger seem a bit much. " it wouldn't take much to send that thing into a family..." seems more inflammatory than factual. Every day I see families standing on a corner, waitng to cross the street, with cars wizzing past mere 10s of feet away, in greater numbers, size, weight under the control of drivers engaged in many activities that take their focus away from driving. Yet, I do not see any hue and cry that it wouldn't take much....
To be fair, a family approaching a street corner are aware of traffic. Most people sitting on a beach aren't expecting an aircraft to be operating in extreme proximity, unless they're at St. Maartin's.
Whilst I agree about it being oversensationalised - I understood the 500ft rule (at least in here the UK) applied hoizontally as well as vertically (even over open water) and this guy looks like he's closer than 500ft to the populated beach, IMHO.
Still, nice bit of flying... :)
Still, nice bit of flying... :)
