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"Jose" wrote in message
. com... I wonder how one can legally practice engine-out procedures (trim for best glide, find a suitable field...) since part of the practice is to see if one can actually =make= the field one has picked out by using the procedures one is practicing. FYI... As it happens, I just flew with an instructor yesterday, doing my BFR. During our ground discussion, he told me that he was involved in an incident in which the FAA cited him for violating the minimum safe altitude regulations. In his case, he was not doing engine-out practicing, but that did come up, and here's what the local FAA inspector said... * There is no "sparsely settled" area anywhere within the Puget Sound region, even in locations where it is miles to the nearest structure. The FAA does not provide any guidance as to what *is* a sparsely settled area, but apparently if there's any settlement anywhere within some apparently long distance, that's not "sparse". * There is no exception to the minimum safe altitude rules for the purpose of practicing engine-out procedures. If you are not over a sparsely settled area (of which there are none around here, and by this interpretation there would be none around ANY significantly populated region), then you may not descend below 500', and that goes up to 1000' above the highest obstacle within 2000' of the aircraft if the area is considered "congested" (note that they don't restrict that to man-made obstacles...if there's a 100' tree around, quite common here in the Northwest and elsewhere, your minimum altitude is actually 1100' AGL, for example). * The inspector readily admitted that there is no formal definition of the terms, and declined to offer any formal definition of the terms. They are playing by the rules set forth by the NTSB in past judgments, in that the FAA is permitted to interpret their rules as they see fit, and are not required to make any explicit statements about the specifics of the rules. So, if they see a pilot flying lower than the FAA inspector thinks he should be, and the altitude is below *some* minimum safe altitude specified, the inspector need only describe the area as an area where a higher altitude is required, and there's no defense that the pilot can mount against that. So, as far your actual question goes...it depends on what you mean by "see if one can actually make the field", but if that would require flight below 500' and you're not at an airport, then no, you can't do that practically anywhere that people live. If you're flying in a congested area (and remember, there's no formal definition of "congested area"), that minimum is the 1000' given. With a minimum altitude of 1000' above the highest obstacle within 2000', I'd say it'd be pretty hard to know for sure that you've got the field made. An experienced instructor could make a reasonably accurate judgment call, but from that altitude, all sorts of things could screw up the glide. Frankly, I think it's pretty lame for the FAA to have rules for which they don't include definitions of the terms used. I'm not one to just broadly paint the FAA as being bad, but this is certainly one area in which they need some serious improvement. Pete |
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