Would you fly this low over water?

Yep, I fly GE over the water with no worries, but typically I'm in a light twin, I'm guessing they were in a Twin Commander. Near shore around here it's no big deal either even in a single. From 500-1000' off the beach you have the ability to glide to the beach line or close before setting it in, a bit further out and you're on the boat traffic track.
 
It's not the low flight that got me (though I do question his distance from the bridge), as much as the fact that he didn't seem at all concerned that he blew through the approach to 28R directly into the approach path for 28L. "Little bit of an overshoot, but what the heck?"
 
Actually, it looks like he has two options, one on each wing. As far as the bridge goes, I think he was visually above the top of the towers, which puts him just more than 500' above the actual bridge deck.
 
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Due to wicked headwinds at altitude (around 80kts) I crossed Lake Michigan in my Comanche and was never above 1000' awl during the crossing (LDM-MTW)
 
I've passed under the 500 deck of the JFK class B before (in otherwise nice weather).
 
When you leave or arrive Lake Hood to/from the north you'll cross 3+ miles of Cook Inlet with an airspace ceiling of 1200'.
 
Pinstriper said:
I mean, isn't this limiting your options? One must stay below 1,600' class B when you're around the bay unless they let you in it. But man he doesn't have very many options.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvIpTswUoIk&sns=em
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He was closer to some structures than he should have been. I don't think he really endangered anyone on the ground, there were places to go without landing on someones house or car if it got to that. Question is how he would have reacted. Thing that got my attention the most was he was still clean entering downwind, hadn't started the landing checks yet, didn't start putting the wheels down until base and then wonders why he not only overshot final but overshot so much he overshot the parallel runway. He's a flathatter. She was impressed and probably worth it.
 
luvflyin said:
He was closer to some structures than he should have been. I don't think he really endangered anyone on the ground, there were places to go without landing on someones house or car if it got to that. Question is how he would have reacted. Thing that got my attention the most was he was still clean entering downwind, hadn't started the landing checks yet, didn't start putting the wheels down until base and then wonders why he not only overshot final but overshot so much he overshot the parallel runway. He's a flathatter. She was impressed and probably worth it.
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That was my thought too, and he didn't need to be. I usually fly at about 1,500 feet when I fly under the 2,100 foot Bravo shelf to KHAF, which leaves me plenty of altitude for legal structure clearance over the City.
 
The airplane doesn't know how high it is,flying low ands,ow ,can be fun.
 
gprellwitz said:
It's not the low flight that got me (though I do question his distance from the bridge), as much as the fact that he didn't seem at all concerned that he blew through the approach to 28R directly into the approach path for 28L. "Little bit of an overshoot, but what the heck?"
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Or how he requested a closed runway, didn't read the NOTAMs "but what the heck"

As for his alttude, meh, I'm not too concerned.
 
frfly172 said:
The airplane doesn't know how high it is,flying low ands,ow ,can be fun.
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Until things go south and you become a statistic, and then everyone would be saying what a fool he was and how it's another black eye for GA and how stupid he was for flying low, getting into trouble and choosing to land in the traffic lanes killing multiple people ... Sigh...
 
Pinstriper said:
Until things go south and you become a statistic, and then everyone would be saying what a fool he was and how it's another black eye for GA and how stupid he was for flying low, getting into trouble and choosing to land in the traffic lanes killing multiple people ... Sigh...
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If you really believe that, then I'd recommend just staying on the ground. I guarantee there are plenty of other aspects of flying that are just as potentially dangerous as flying low over the water.

I have no problem flying 500-1000 feet over the water. I don't do it all that often, and when I do, I usually have a plan if things go south. Flying over water is not any more dangerous than flying over many areas on land.

It is one of the reasons I bought life jackets for the Waco. While I am within gliding distance of land 98% of the time, there are many areas I fly the biplane over where it may be preferable/safer to put down in the water of the engine quits.
 
Fearless Tower said:
If you really believe that, then I'd recommend just staying on the ground. I guarantee there are plenty of other aspects of flying that are just as potentially dangerous as flying low over the water.

I have no problem flying 500-1000 feet over the water. I don't do it all that often, and when I do, I usually have a plan if things go south. Flying over water is not any more dangerous than flying over many areas on land.

It is one of the reasons I bought life jackets for the Waco. While I am within gliding distance of land 98% of the time, there are many areas I fly the biplane over where it may be preferable/safer to put down in the water of the engine quits.
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I'll see your 500' above water, I got no problem flying 200' above water all day long, just so long and it's not crazy choppy :D
 
Apparently overshooting is what he does, and then he banks 60 degrees to correct it... He who can't fly a pattern shouldn't fly a twin. Lol

https://youtu.be/Y-fYhoO-ze4

Goto 6 minutes in.

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I don't like being that low. I've been lower - 300' for a photo shoot before, but that was as uncomfortable as I can get. We were about 1000' away from the ship we were shooting at that altitude and had life jackets, but I wasn't kidding myself about the possibilities if the engine decided it's time was up.
 
In my misspent youth I crossed Lake Michigan at 50-100` due to awful headwinds. It was in a Seneca.
 
Pinstriper said:
He does like to overshoot all his approaches, and it doesn't seem to bother him :/
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Yes, very sad actually. I spent my first 7.1 hours at an uncontrolled airport. Then switched to an active class C for the rest of my training, KFAT to be specific. Turning left base for 29L into a regional jet on final for the parallel was pretty common.

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James331 said:
I'll see your 500' above water, I got no problem flying 200' above water all day long, just so long and it's not crazy choppy :D
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But aren't you basically on some kind of final the whole time in that case? Lol

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'Best flying ever has been low over Lake Powell. Incredible scenery. Around there, low or high, if you have trouble, you're going in the lake, as it's nothing but craggy rock for miles and miles. Argue the risk if you want, but some things are just worth it.
 
Pinstriper said:
He was a bit close to the traffic on the bay bridge though wouldn't you say? Closer than 500' for sure? Heck this was my instructor and I at 1,200' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUsolIUSzqc
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And that wasn't 1000 feet over Treasure Island, and the deck of both bridges looked close. Especially the Bay Bridge.

As for the low altitude over water, his options weren't much better at higher altitude. There aren't many survivable emergency landing spots in West Marin.
 
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MAKG1 said:
And that wasn't 1000 feet over Treasure Island, and the deck of both bridges looked close. Especially the Bay Bridge.

As for the low altitude over water, his options weren't much better at higher altitude. There aren't many survivable emergency landing spots in West Marin.
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I agree there aren't many survival spots along that route but I just think that this guy believes the rules don't apply to him or that he has little regard for others in the sky or on the ground? Look how low he is over the houses and golf course at KLLR (@ 31:00 in this video )

https://youtu.be/Z65RC7jEqUQ?t=31m
 
yah00 said:
Apparently overshooting is what he does, and then he banks 60 degrees to correct it... He who can't fly a pattern shouldn't fly a twin. Lol

https://youtu.be/Y-fYhoO-ze4

Goto 6 minutes in.

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Is it just me or is he landing that airplane like most doctors land Bos.....way too damn fast. Ate up a crap ton of runway in the flare.
 
CT4ME said:
'Best flying ever has been low over Lake Powell. Incredible scenery. Around there, low or high, if you have trouble, you're going in the lake, as it's nothing but craggy rock for miles and miles. Argue the risk if you want, but some things are just worth it.
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I've done Monument Valley at low level. That was beautiful.
 
mkosmo said:
But aren't you basically on some kind of final the whole time in that case? Lol

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Of course

"for the purpose of take off or landing"
 
Fearless Tower said:
Is it just me or is he landing that airplane like most doctors land Bos.....way too damn fast. Ate up a crap ton of runway in the flare.
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Yeah, this guy doesn't seem to care that he overshoots so much. I am amazed he hasn't had an incident thus far, pretty crazy.

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