Title: How Low Can You Go? Your Guide To Minimum VFR Altitudes | Boldmethod
Headings: How Low Can You Go? Your Guide To Minimum VFR Altitudes
How Low Can You Go? Your Guide To Minimum VFR Altitudes
Finding The Highest Obstacle Or Terrain In Your Area
FAR 91.119 Covers Minimum Safe Altitudes
You're Flying Over A Congested Area (91.119-b)
Flying Low Passes
You're Flying Over "Other Than A Congested Area" (91.119-c)
Catch-All #1: Engine Failures (91.119-a)
Catch-All #2: "Careless Or Reckless" (91.13)
"Safety" Is Subjective
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Content: Unfortunately, the FAA doesn't define this. Rather, it's determined on a case-by-case basis. According to AOPA, in some pilot enforcement cases, "the FAA has successfully declared that a congested area includes a group of people on an airport ramp, sunbathers on a beach, a small subdivision covering less than a quarter-mile, and traffic on an Interstate highway." As the pilot, you have to remember the FAA will almost always take the most conservative viewpoint on what a "congested area" means. Flying Low Passes
For decades, the FAA has maintained the viewpoint that low passes aren't necessary for takeoff or landing. If you're not configured for landing (gear down, flaps out), the FAA will assume you weren't "performing a go-around," if that's your planned rationale. While it's unlikely the FAA will contact you for flying a low pass at your next fly-in camping trip, it's entirely within their power to do so. So, in this case, the "congested area" rule would still apply and the runway would need to be more than 2,000 feet away from any group on the ramp. Again, this is the most conservative viewpoint. You're Flying Over "Other Than A Congested Area" (91.119-c)
If you're flying over a depopulated area, like open fields or open water, the FAA is a little more lenient.