Beach Runs?

While surfing in 2003, when I lived in Wilmington, NC saw a Pitts
flying about 20 feet high and 200-300 feet from the shore, probably
doing around 100kts. How legal was he? Do have any nice experiences
about Beach Runs?

-Nik

"Nik" wrote in message
ups.com...
While surfing in 2003, when I lived in Wilmington, NC saw a Pitts
flying about 20 feet high and 200-300 feet from the shore, probably
doing around 100kts. How legal was he? Do have any nice experiences
about Beach Runs?

100 knots can be perfectly legal.

200-300 feet from shore can be perfectly legal.

20 feet high can be perfectly legal.

The speed is entirely irrelevant here. Given that he was over water, his
height is probably irrelevant, unless he came within 500' of any boats or
people on the water. The biggest question is whether at 200-300 feet from
the shore, he came within 500' of an object on the land (and of course, a
related question is whether you have any good reason for trusting your
estimate of 200-300 feet).

Pete

Nik wrote:

While surfing in 2003, when I lived in Wilmington, NC saw a Pitts
flying about 20 feet high and 200-300 feet from the shore, probably
doing around 100kts. How legal was he? Do have any nice experiences
about Beach Runs?

Back in spring 2003 I rented a C172 out of Palm Springs, California, then
took my father for a ride over to San Diego, California. In addition to
flying the VFR corridor over the San Diego International airport and into
the bay, I also dropped below the San Diego class B airspace, which
mandated altitudes of less than 500 feet msl, and flew along Mission Beach,
about 1,000 feet from the shore.

Flying relatively low over the water is legal, assuming no airspace
restrictions and one remain at least 500 feet from any person, craft, or
building in the water or on land. It can also be exhilarating, assuming
the pilot understands the risks and manages them accordingly.

--
Peter

"Nik" wrote:
While surfing in 2003, when I lived in Wilmington, NC saw a Pitts
flying about 20 feet high and 200-300 feet from the shore, probably
doing around 100kts. How legal was he? Do have any nice experiences
about Beach Runs?

When I lived near Santa Cruz in California, a fair number of pilots
would fly low just off shore. There were times I knew they were
violating the FARs - there are houses actually on the beach and often
surfers in the water, and planes on rare occasions sometimes flew so low
you had to look _down_ at them from the cliff top - a typical cliff
height is shown he

http://www.californiacoastline.org/c... year=current

Here's where houses sit on the water (this looks to be at low tide):

http://www.californiacoastline.org/c... year=current

I think the biggest problem with buzzing the shoreline in that area is a
higher risk of bird strikes. When schools of fish are just off shore,
the number of birds in the air goes way up.

Jim Logajan wrote in
:

http://www.californiacoastline.org/c...image=20050725
0&mode=sequential&flags=0&year=current

http://www.californiacoastline.org/c...image=20050724
2&mode=sequential&flags=0&year=current

Slightly off-topic, I had to chuckle to myself when I went to the
California Coastal Records Project Website. As a public service,
Kenneth and his wife Gabrielle (both Angel Flight Pilots) wanted a
record made of the entire California coastline so, apparently, there
is comprehensive "stake in the ground" showing coastline conditions
for research and environmental enforcement.

No surprise when Mr and Mrs Barbra Streisand claimed invasion of
privacy concerning their beachfront home.

See http://makeashorterlink.com/?H28762BCD

--

On 18 Sep 2006 17:01:08 -0700, "Nik" wrote in
. com:

How legal was he?

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text...1.3.10&idno=14
§ 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. 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 any
routes or altitudes specifically prescribed for helicopters by the
Administrator.

John Godwin wrote in
. 3.50:

Jim Logajan wrote in
:

http://www.californiacoastline.org/c...image=20050725
0&mode=sequential&flags=0&year=current

http://www.californiacoastline.org/c...image=20050724
2&mode=sequential&flags=0&year=current

Slightly off-topic, I had to chuckle to myself when I went to the
California Coastal Records Project Website. As a public service,
Kenneth and his wife Gabrielle (both Angel Flight Pilots) wanted a
record made of the entire California coastline so, apparently, there
is comprehensive "stake in the ground" showing coastline conditions
for research and environmental enforcement.

No surprise when Mr and Mrs Barbra Streisand claimed invasion of
privacy concerning their beachfront home.

See http://makeashorterlink.com/?H28762BCD

I especially like the picture of the big fat check Streisand
had to write to the project when she lost the case, for the
legal fees incurred in their defense.

Brian
--
http://www.skywise711.com - Lasers, Seismology, Astronomy, Skepticism
Seismic FAQ: http://www.skywise711.com/SeismicFAQ/SeismicFAQ.html
Quake "predictions": http://www.skywise711.com/quakes/EQDB/index.html
Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes?

All those seagulls make me nervous in that zone.

mike

"Peter R." wrote in message
...

Flying relatively low over the water is legal, assuming no airspace
restrictions and one remain at least 500 feet from any person, craft, or
building in the water or on land. It can also be exhilarating, assuming
the pilot understands the risks and manages them accordingly.

--
Peter

Nik wrote:
While surfing in 2003, when I lived in Wilmington, NC saw a Pitts
flying about 20 feet high and 200-300 feet from the shore, probably
doing around 100kts. How legal was he? Do have any nice experiences
about Beach Runs?

How else would you land on the beach? :-)

Actually, Copalis in Washington has a designated a section of beach as
an airport. Otherwise, it is probably a real good idea to make sure you
are not violating any state of local ordinances by landing on a beach.

The main reason I don't like to fly low over the beach is because I own my
own airplane. The salt spray for the surf can and does often extend above
500 feet. I just don't need all the rust, corrosion and maintenance.

But if I were a typical renter, I'd be smoking, spilling Coke, climbing in
with dirty boots, spitting, bouncing, skidding tires and flying in the salt.
What RENTER cares? That's why the rental fleet is so ugly...........ugly
pilots that don't give a damn about anything but CHEAP!


Karl