On Saturday, February 24, 2018 at 8:15:44 AM UTC-5, MNLou wrote:
"When you pull out the rule book you've already lost."

Sorry Greg - When you pull out the rule book, you are a disciplined pilot.. They aren't suggestions, they are rules of flight.

Lou

Well then let's go Jihad with 91.119. The low pass is as old as the modern sailplane and is universal throughout the soaring world. Low passes are a normal approach technique for gliders, thus legal.
Now all ye disciplined safe pilots who follow the rules of flight because it is the law, and the safe thing to do. 91.119 says (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.
If you look at enforcement cases the FAA has a very broad definition of 'congested area' and a limited one of 'sparsely populated.' Of course straight up not non subjective we have 500' from a 'person, vehicle or structure.' That's 500' from a hiker on a ridge. Or a ridgetop house. Two houses and you better be 1,000' over.
Farewell and adieu ridge soaring and picking thermals off slopes.
Those are the rules, and if we are to be good and safe pilots we must follow the rules, all of them, all of the time.