Lowest Altitude You've flown?

ScottM

ScottM

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We talk sometimes about how high we have flown but how low have you gone? When I flew in England I was practicing engine outs and was -20' MSL at one point of East Anglia old WW2 airfield. I was level with a river canal that was higher than the roads thanks to the levees.

Scott
 
Re: Lowest Altidue You've flown?

smigaldi said:
We talk sometimes about how high we have flown but how low have you gone? When I flew in England I was practicing engine outs and was -20' MSL at one point of East Anglia old WW2 airfield. I was level with a river canal that was higher than the roads thanks to the levees.

Scott
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Both for fun or filming for the website, we do tree top or tundra level or run the rivers and glaciers at about 2 to 20 feet in Cessnas, Cubs and Pipers from time to time when conditions are right but, your question reminds me more of a chapter I just finished reading about ferry pilots in AIR VAGABONDS. It seems this one pilot when flying on the last of many long legs over Afrika and being very sleepy, would often fly fast and close to the ground for long enough to get enough adrenaline pumping to wake him up for awhile.

Once, while employing his "technique" a loud crash to the Piper brought his aircraft down in arid country where he listened all night in the bent remains of the cockpit as the hyenas and lions battled and gorged on the giraffe he'd inconveniently decapitated...
 
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Re: Lowest Altidue You've flown?

smigaldi said:
We talk sometimes about how high we have flown but how low have you gone? When I flew in England I was practicing engine outs and was -20' MSL at one point of East Anglia old WW2 airfield. I was level with a river canal that was higher than the roads thanks to the levees.

Scott
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I took this video of the mooney flying low over the colorado river last year. I believe altitude is your friend. You need altitude in case something goes wrong, however flying low gives a whole new view of the same old scenery.

video:
http://www.bodylineautobody.com/Mooney/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?cid=1&lid=4
 
Re: Lowest Altidue You've flown?

I just put up a few pictures of.. some low flying last night.

low1.jpg

low2.jpg

low3.jpg

I just put these up last night, The large one in the center was me. All the others were my dad or grandpa.
low4.jpg

buzz.sized.jpg
 
Re: Lowest Altidue You've flown?

In MSL terms, I believe I saw about -75 feet on the pressure altimeter of an A-6 in Death Valley once. In AGL terms, I've seen 35 feet on the radar altimeter somewhere in central Oregon, also in an A-6. In both cases, we were on a low-level route at something around 360 knots (usual low-level training speed in the Intruder).
 
Re: Lowest Altidue You've flown?

KTRM -113 MSL, just after lift off.
 
Re: Lowest Altidue You've flown?

well i've been at 350 MSL over the water going under JFKs airspace, and that to low never do it again i'll go over top Dave G.
 
Re: Lowest Altidue You've flown?

1200 feet below sea level

Landed at the Masada Airport adjacent to the Dead Sea in Isreal, the lowest airstrip in the world. A/C was a Cessna 172.

Jon
 
Re: Lowest Altidue You've flown?

smigaldi said:
We talk sometimes about how high we have flown but how low have you gone? When I flew in England I was practicing engine outs and was -20' MSL at one point of East Anglia old WW2 airfield. I was level with a river canal that was higher than the roads thanks to the levees.

Scott
Click to expand...


Death Valley, California.
-211 MSL
 
Re: Lowest Altidue You've flown?

I get nevrvous below FL410 anymore. Its ashame me, perfectly good GA pilot has turned into a scaredy cat turbine snob. I just don't know when it happened....I need to check into small plane re-hab. I spend my time trying to stay out of "Indian Country" below 10,000ft. Miss that down low flying. As far as airport elevations I have no idea, but I have seen some below sea level readings on the altimeters a couple of times. Really freaks out the FMZ, and Electronic altimeters.
 
Re: Lowest Altidue You've flown?

I routinely fly at 1 foot AGL more than once on every flight.

:<)

Len
 
Re: Lowest Altidue You've flown?

Bones said:
I get nevrvous below FL410 anymore. Its ashame me, perfectly good GA pilot has turned into a scaredy cat turbine snob. I just don't know when it happened....I need to check into small plane re-hab. I spend my time trying to stay out of "Indian Country" below 10,000ft. Miss that down low flying. As far as airport elevations I have no idea, but I have seen some below sea level readings on the altimeters a couple of times. Really freaks out the FMZ, and Electronic altimeters.
Click to expand...
What a wimp! You need some time in the Extra!
 
Re: Lowest Altidue You've flown?

I need lots of time in the extra! But I don't think my body can make it through an hour even. I need to get on a rehab program for light aircraft flying.
 
Re: Lowest Altidue You've flown?

smigaldi said:
We talk sometimes about how high we have flown but how low have you gone? When I flew in England I was practicing engine outs and was -20' MSL at one point of East Anglia old WW2 airfield. I was level with a river canal that was higher than the roads thanks to the levees.

Scott
Click to expand...

3-5 feet off the ground, back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth...
 
0 feet AGL - a few seconds into the take-off roll and right after landing. :rolleyes:
 
Hey Michael, Where was that video taken? That was rad!
 
Once, when I was still a student pilot, about 50' lower than the runway I'd just taken off from.
 
Joe Williams said:
Once, when I was still a student pilot, about 50' lower than the runway I'd just taken off from.
Click to expand...

Ruh ro relroy :hairraise:
 
Re: Lowest Altidue You've flown?

Len Lanetti said:
I routinely fly at 1 foot AGL more than once on every flight.

:<)

Len
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I routinely fly at 2' AGL from the ramp in front of our hangar to the runway. And back again after landing ...

Actually I practiced a running takeoff with a CFI today, with the skids just kissing the runway up through effective translational lift. So I guess you could say I flew at 0' AGL for a hundred feet or so!

:heli:
 
Been to Death Valley, so there's the low MSL.

As far as AGL, I've taken the V-Tail to about 10' over the desert, and we've flown the Cessna and the Stinson at eye level to the house. And we regularly fly the planes below the mountain peaks.
 
Re: Lowest Altidue You've flown?

Funny how some types of flying sound so kewl.... til you get past the first line!
I always jump at some new airplane, some new location, a new type of flying. The glider towing was exciting. For a while, but it reminds me a bit of the repetition of spraying ....or maybe diver-dropping.


Henning said:
3-5 feet off the ground, back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth back and forth and back and forth...
Click to expand...
 
Re: Lowest Altidue You've flown?

Let'sgoflying! said:
Funny how some types of flying sound so kewl.... til you get past the first line!
I always jump at some new airplane, some new location, a new type of flying. The glider towing was exciting. For a while, but it reminds me a bit of the repetition of spraying ....or maybe diver-dropping.
Click to expand...

I spray for the money, not love of the job, believe me. Only way you can make a living flying without being a bus driver. As to dropping divers, I run a "fire Diver" scuba certification post if anyone is interested.
www.firediver.com
 
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