Altitude Prudence

What is taught in "low altitude flight training"?
 
What is taught in "low altitude flight training"?

It's a bit hard to say since it's not a course you can take at a local flight school. Some things from the top of my head: research/flight planning (sectional don't tell you enough), safe speeds in relation to altitude, bank angles (don't want to clip your wing on anything while in a bank), pitch angles (extreme example, but you don't want to descend at a 45 degree angle with a plan to level out 5ft above water with no terrain in the area), bird strikes (how to go around flying into a flock of birds), power line/tower cable avoidance, ect...
 
It's a bit hard to say since it's not a course you can take at a local flight school. Some things from the top of my head: research/flight planning (sectional don't tell you enough), safe speeds in relation to altitude, bank angles (don't want to clip your wing on anything while in a bank), pitch angles (extreme example, but you don't want to descend at a 45 degree angle with a plan to level out 5ft above water with no terrain in the area), bird strikes (how to go around flying into a flock of birds), power line/tower cable avoidance, ect...

I'm not sure how any of the above would be relevant unless somewhere were planning on flying "on the deck" which wasn't what was being discussed and isn't a particularly good idea regardless. Nor am I about to "teach" someone how to do it nor would any legit instructor out there unless it were for a job where it's needed.
 
I'm not sure how any of the above would be relevant unless somewhere were planning on flying "on the deck" which wasn't what was being discussed and isn't a particularly good idea regardless. Nor am I about to "teach" someone how to do it nor would any legit instructor out there unless it were for a job where it's needed.

Depends on how low you want to go...

Plus even 1000ft AGL can be an issue if there are mountains around.
 
300 FT AGL...all day long. :)
 
Training that will allow you to fly without killing yourself.

When I got my license, flying low was not a big deal. There were the usual restrictions but no " training" in low level flying. Please explain how this training is obtained. I did a lot of it including some hairy buzz jobs in a mooney. The only " training" was to be told by the CFI to buzz fast as possible , don't pull up abruptly and do not go back , keep on going. 3 minutes. This buzzing usually included combines, work boats , homes owned by a friend who was in the country or removed from a housing development, etc. at this time spin recovery was mandatory which I considered life saving.
 
When I got my license, flying low was not a big deal. There were the usual restrictions but no " training" in low level flying. Please explain how this training is obtained. I did a lot of it including some hairy buzz jobs in a mooney. The only " training" was to be told by the CFI to buzz fast as possible , don't pull up abruptly and do not go back , keep on going. 3 minutes. This buzzing usually included combines, work boats , homes owned by a friend who was in the country or removed from a housing development, etc. at this time spin recovery was mandatory which I considered life saving.

I can think of three ways to get it. One is you need to know someone who received that training in the military and is willing to teach you (which is how I got mine). You can commission yourself. Or you can go to a test pilot school that usually will have instructors who can teach you (I believe there is a school not too far from Boston that should be able to do that kind of training).
 
Down near 2000 AGL is where MOST birds hang out. In the Midwest I'm usually 3000 AGL up to 8-9000', depending on how far I'm going. The charted 'MEF' min altitude is a good guideline to use if going lower for weather. I don't like to be lower than the MEF away from the home area.

The winds factor in on a longer flight. I'm always looking for help as able.
 
Used to be pictures kicking around from a glider pilot of geese at 18,000' in wave. You guys that think you can climb high enough to go on full tv for avoiding stuff you are wrong.
 
Hypoxic geese. Now that would be a sight!
 
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