Title: 
Headings: 
FAA
 
Guide
 
to
 
Low-Flying
 
Aircraft
 

91.119
 
Minimum
 
safe
 
altitudes;
 
general
  


Content: Over
 
other
 
than
 
congested
 
areas
 
–
 
An
 
altitude
 
of
 
500
 
feet
 
above
 
the
 
surface
 
except
 
over
 
open
 
water
 
or
 
sparsely
 
populated
 
areas. In
 
that
 
case,
 
the
 
aircraft
 
may
 
not
 
be
 
operated
 
closer
 
than
 
500
 
feet
 
to
 
any
 
person,
 
vessel,
 
vehicle,
 
or
 
structure. Helicopters
 
–
 
Helicopters
 
may
 
be
 
operated
 
at
 
less
 
than
 
the
 
minimums
 
prescribed
 
In
 
paragraph
 
(b)
 
or
 
(c)
 
of
 
this
 
section
 
if
 
the
 
operation
 
is
 
conducted
 
without
 
hazard
 
to
 
persons
 
or
 
property
 
on
 
the
 
surface. In
 
addition,
 
each
 
person
 
operating
 
a
 
helicopter
 
shall
 
comply
 
with
 
routes
 
or
 
altitudes
 
specifically
 
prescribed
 
for
 
helicopters
 
by
 
the
 
Administrator. Helicopter
 
operations
 
may
 
be
 
conducted
 
below
 
the
 
minimum
 
altitudes
 
set
 
for
 
fixed-wing
 
aircraft. The
 
reason: they
 
have
 
unique
 
operating
 
characteristics,
 
the
 
most
 
important
 
of
 
which
 
is
 
their
 
ability
 
to
 
execute
 
pinpoint
 
emergency
 
landings
 
during
 
power-out
 
emergencies. Furthermore,
 
the
 
helicopter's
 
increased
 
use
 
by
 
law
 
enforcement
 
and
 
emergency
 
medical
 
service
 
agencies
 
requires
 
added
 
flexibility. For
 
more
 
information,
 
or
 
to
 
report
 
a
 
low-flying
 
aircraft,
 
please
 
contact
 
your
 
local
 
FSDO. For
 
a
 
list
 
of
 
FSDO’s
 
pertaining
 
to
 
your
 
area,
 
click
 
here.