"JJ Sinclair" wrote in message
...
Andy,
The FAR's say you can't go within 500 feet of people, places or things.
This
means you can't come down the tie-down ramp at 10 feet for all 3 reasons.
There
are people there, it is a place (airport) and there are things there
(motorhomes, etc)

You can go right down to the deck, anywhere that there isn't people,
places or
things, like ridge tops, ridge soaring, etc.

That brings me to another buzz-job, story. A friend came down the tie-down
area
at 10 feet and 145 knots, pulled up, made a pattern and landed. Looked
good,
everyone thought it was REAL SPECIAL. Later that evening, he asked me to
take a
look at his instruments, because he thought they weren't working right. I
found
several massive leaks in his static system caused by him nicking the tubes
with
a drill he used to install a new GPS in the rear seat of his ASH-25. What
happens when we have slightly pressurized cockpit air entering nicked
static
lines? The airspeed indicators will drop. I have seen a 10 knot drop in
G-103
at pattern airspeed.What does the pilot do when he sees his airspeed is 10
knots below desired airspeed? He lowers the nose to obtain the desired
airspeed. How much OVER RED-LINE did my friend go when the airspeed
indicated
145 knots? FLUTTER anyone?

I have made my case that I think in SSA sanctioned contests, we should
have a
mandatory 500' / 1 mile finish cylinder. I am NOT trying to tell pilots
not
flying in a SSA sanctioned contest what they should be doing. That's
between
you and the FAA.
Please no more hate mail, I have a package with an Ephrata post-mark on it
and
I'm afraid to open it.
JJ Sinclair

This 500 ft/ 1 miile finish would in no way prevent subsequent low passes
over the airport, and the idea's originator doesn't claim it will. I
personally always plan for a 700 ft surplus on my final glides, which is
quite consistent with the proposed finish gate, and I when I choose to I
have no trouble doing a nice low pass from this set-up.

Now I personally don't have a problem with people doing all the low passes
they want, but I don't accept that people should do them over my head
without my permission in advance. While most of the people where I fly are
very skilled pilots, there are a few who give me some doubts; the problem is
that those few don't know who they are. Stay over the runway, or an
unihabited area of the field, make appropriate radio calls, and do whatever
you choose. I believe that this is consistent with the FARs, safety, and
personal responsibility.