![]() Wildlife Refuges, Parks, and Forest Service Areas. The language of the “rule” says that “Pilots are requested to maintain a minimum altitude of 2,000 feet above the surface…” Surely you can’t confuse a “request” with a “requirement.”īefore I go any further, I want to point out paragraph c of the same AIM part (7-4-6):įederal statues prohibit certain types of flight activity and/or provide altitude restrictions over designated U.S.Instead, it’s described in the AIM, which is informational in nature. The “rule” is not included in the FARs, which are the regulations governing flight in the U.S.I can offer two arguments for why pilots are not required to fly 2,000 feet above charted wilderness areas: But Is It A Rule?īut the real question should be, is this really a rule? Something that must be followed? Something that could get you in trouble with the FAA if you ignore it? So when you ask a helicopter pilot to fly 2,000 feet above the ground, we’re not going to like it. That’s also where small planes might be operating - and we’re trained to stay away from them. We seldom fly 2,000 feet above anything - that’s nosebleed territory for us. It’s important to note that a requirement like this is extremely difficult for helicopter pilots to deal with, primarily because helicopters normally operate 500 to 1,000 feet above the ground. ![]() So if you’re flying over a 1,000 foot deep canyon and the canyon is only 1,500 feet wide, you should be 2,000 feet above the canyon walls - not 2,000 feet over the bottom of the canyon. The Advisory Circular note goes a bit further to explain that the lowest point in the wilderness area that you should consider when setting your altitude is the highest point 2,000 feet from your aircraft in any direction. And this chart excerpt from the Phoenix terminal area chart (TAC) illustrates how two areas look on an actual chart: The Hells Canyon Wilderness area (left) and Lake Pleasant Bald Eagle Breeding Area (right): This entry from the Aeronautical Chart User’s Guide shows what to look for. They’re normally surrounded by a blue line that has dots on the inside of the area. First Glance InterpretationĪt first glance, the “rule” seems pretty straightforward: you’re supposed to fly at least 2,000 feet above the ground in any charted wilderness area, etc.Ĭharts, by the way, make it very easy to identify these areas. Forest Service.įAA Advisory Circular AC 91-36, Visual Flight Rules (VFR) Flight Over Noise-Sensitive Areas, defines the surface of a national park area (including parks, forests, primitive areas, wilderness areas, recreational areas, national seashores, national monuments, national lakeshores, and national wildlife refuge and range areas) as: the highest terrain within 2,000 feet laterally of the route of flight, or the upper-most rim of a canyon or valley. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Wilderness and Primitive areas administered by the U.S. Pilots are requested to maintain a minimum altitude of 2,000 feet above the surface of the following: National Parks, Monuments, Seashores, Lakeshores, Recreation Areas and Scenic Riverways administered by the National Park Service, National Wildlife Refuges, Big Game Refuges, Game Ranges and Wildlife Ranges administered by the U.S. Wildlife Refuges, Parks, and Forest Service Areas.” Paragraph b pertains to this topic:ī. The FARs are the rules pilots are required to comply with.Ī search of the Aeronautics Information Manual (AIM) for “wilderness” results in “ Part 7-4-6: Flights Over Charted U.S. It’s interesting to note that a search for “wilderness” and “2,000 feet” in the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) does not provide any guidance related to operations over charted wilderness areas. The “Rule”īefore I interpret the rule, it’s a good idea to know exactly what the rule is and where it can be found. He was interested in my interpretation of the rule about flying at least 2,000 feet above wilderness areas. ![]() Although he mentioned the June 2012 wire strike helicopter crash in the Verde River area, he wasn’t interested in the safety aspects of maintaining a high enough altitude to clear obstacles. This reader, who asked to remain anonymous and not be quoted verbatim, was wondering about “bending” rules. My reader noticed, after consulting some aeronautical charts, that much of the area I’d flown over was designated as wilderness area. The photos include views of the Verde and Salt Rivers north and east of Phoenix, including some of the lakes along the rivers. A week or two ago, I got an email message from a reader who had read my November 2011 post, “ A Few Aerial Views from Today’s Flight.” That post shows off a bunch of photos captured by my helicopter’s “nose cam,” a GoPro Hero2 camera I sometimes use in flight.
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