By Howard Deevers
If you have been flying long enough, you have probably given rides to friends or relatives. As new pilots, we were eager to show off our new skills. For some of the rides that I have given over the years, it was their first time in an aircraft of any kind. For first time riders, I always check to see if they have a problem with motion sickness.
You may have had this happen also; when discussing how the flight will proceed, the rider askes: “Can we ‘buzz’ my house?” I usually just smile and comment, you must have watched too many of those old Barnstormer movies, or even more recently Top Gun. In the old Barnstormer movies, the pilot and passenger were usually in an open cockpit bi-wing airplane and made very low passes over some houses, or other features, just clearing the trees or roofs. Someone called it “buzzing” and the term caught on.
In Top Gun, there was to be no buzzing either, but Maverick disobeyed both military standards, and a superior officer! The spectacular flying scenes are not anything we can duplicate in single engine piston airplanes, but it was lots of fun to watch on film. Being a movie, these were of course staged, much as something that you might see at an air show in very controlled circumstances.
After explaining to my passenger that we don’t Buzz anything, and there are actually FAA rules (regulations) on how low you can fly. We are not performing in an air show, so we need to know and understand the rules.
You will find the basic Minimum Safe Altitude, General in that 2 pound book, the FAR AIM in section 91.119. It starts off with, “Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes:” I like to quote that opening statement, because just about every airport in the country will have complaints from some resident withing a couple of miles of the airport that “they saw a low flying airplane near the airport!”
Then the rule 91.119 goes on to define altitudes:
(a) Anywhere. An altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface. (notice the Anywhere and reference to engine loss here).
More definitions:
(b) Over congested areas. Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or any open air assembly of persons, an altitude of 1000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2000 feet of the aircraft. (Remember banner towing over major sporting events? Now there is a TFR over major sporting events, even if it is a closed dome stadium.)
Further definitions:
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.
The regulation further defines helicopters and powered parachutes, but still wants them to keep that 500 foot distance.
Most of my friends or relatives that I have given rides to live in the city. Easily defined in this regulation as requiring at least 1000 feet above the house they want me to “buzz.” So, I let them know in advance that we can fly over, or circle the house, but will not go below that 1000 foot clearance. Of course, all of this changes if the house we are looking for happens to be within the Class B or Class C airspace. Then you are going to have to work with the ATC for that area.
Years ago, I had one rider that wanted to fly over the Davis-Monthan AF Base in Tucson so he could get a picture of the “Bone Yard.” As soon as we were off, I called Tucson Approach and asked for VFR site seeing over D-M. The controller was very helpful. He said “Sure. Climb to 6600 feet and proceed over the Base.” The top of the Class C airspace is 6600 feet. It is still better to be talking to ATC than not talking to them, but I doubt that I would do any site seeing trips in Class B airspace.
The term “Buzz” just seems to stick around. It is one of those left overs from the past that just won’t go away. As responsible pilots, we just have to know the rules, and politely steer our friends in the right direction, and discourage the “Buzz” term from being used.
Remember that your ARIZONA PILOTS ASSOCIATION, and the FAASTeam proved free safety seminars at many locations in the State. Check the Web site for a locations near you. And, “Don’t forget to bring your wingman!”