Title: faa regulations - What is the difference between "anywhere" and "other than congested areas" in regard to minimum safe altitude? - Aviation Stack Exchange
Headings: 
What is the difference between “anywhere” and “other than congested areas” in regard to minimum safe altitude?
2 Answers
2
Your Answer
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged faa-regulations altitude far-91 or ask your own question.

Content: Most pilots also wouldn't want to be that close to the barn at that low an altitude (unless engaging in an approved aerobatic demonstration with appropriate waivers) anyway, so it's usually a non-issue. That leaves congested areas - cities, suburbs, crowded beaches, etc - where the FAA bumps up the minimum obstacle clearances / altitudes for the comfort and safety of folks on the ground. One could contrive a scenario where you could safely fly at 1500AGL next to a 2000-foot building (like a long, clear, mostly-empty park adjacent to it that you could fly over & use for the "anywhere" emergency landing requirement), but again if something else went wrong you might go into the side of the building. As there are more people in "congested areas" to be freaked out by an airplane flying at a safe-but-rather-close distance, and more people who could be hurt by an unexpected departure from controlled flight, the margins are increased to provide a higher minimum level of safety. As with Bessie in the barn, most pilots probably don't want to be this close to buildings full of people (and the associate mechanical turbulence), and while circling your friends house in the suburbs is fun it doesn't have to be done low enough to pick out the individual bricks in their driveway and you really should be high enough to land on their street safely if your engine quits, which these minimums will likely allow. Share
Improve this answer
answered Jul 16 '16 at 19:40
voretaq7
voretaq7
65.9k 8
8 gold badges
209
209 silver badges
320
320 bronze badges
3
Add a comment
|
0
It probably makes sense to state that this regulation will have some variances in different countries. In the UK, when I sat my pilot exam in 2000, aircraft are only allowed to fly below 500 ft during take off, landing, whilst ridge soaring (gliding aircraft only) and to avoid low cloud. Share
Improve this answer
answered Jul 17 '16 at 13:29
Michael Shaw
Michael Shaw
345 1
1 silver badge
8
8 bronze badges
Add a comment
|
Your Answer
Thanks for contributing an answer to Aviation Stack Exchange! Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!