National wild life areas

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SpaceShipNine

New Member
hey guys, new here, question is: are you required by law to fly 2,000' above these areas? The sectional says pilots are requested to fly 2,000'AGL, while I cannot find anything on it in the FAR/AIM.

I know its good practice and all that to be above 2,000' but I just want to know for sure... Thanks.
 
AIM 7-4-6 talks about flight over wildlife refuges and parks. While you are correct in saying we are only requested to maintain 2000 AGL above such areas you should take several points into consideration.

1. This is for your safety. Wildlife refuges have some of the highest concentrations of bird nesting and migratory activity anywhere. Imagine scaring a huge flock of geese into your path while doing eights-on-pylons at 600 feet...

2. The AIM (while only informative) is what you should do, and if you piss off the wrong people in the FAA they will find a way to violate you. Either by careless and reckless actions or something else but rest assured it will happen.
 
2. The AIM (while only informative) is what you should do, and if you piss off the wrong people in the FAA they will find a way to violate you. Either by careless and reckless actions or something else but rest assured it will happen.[/quote]

yup. enough said.

BTW, why would you want to go lower than 2000' over one of these areas? They are typically pretty rugged terrain.
 
I wouldn't ever fly that low personally, its just that while doing this CFI thing, u get into all these arguments over petty things.
 
It's my understanding that while the FAA does not have an immediate interest in violating you for this, you can get in trouble with Forestry/Fish and Wildlife.
 
SpaceShipNine said:
its just that while doing this CFI thing, u get into all these arguments over petty things.
Click to expand...
The technical answer to your question is, no, you are not required by FAA.

91.119 is your regulatory guidance. All other arguments of "coulda, shoulda, woulda" are based on what the Wildlife Authority can do with the FAA on a 'careless or reckless' charge, which is purely speculatory.
 
SpaceShipNine said:
hey guys, new here, question is: are you required by law to fly 2,000' above these areas? The sectional says pilots are requested to fly 2,000'AGL, while I cannot find anything on it in the FAR/AIM.

I know its good practice and all that to be above 2,000' but I just want to know for sure... Thanks.
Click to expand...

A bit of history here. If you look on the San Francisco sectional, you will see numerous notices requesting pilots remain 2000' above specific wildlife areas. Back in the 80's and probably earlier, many of these notices read like the example below:

NOTICE TO PILOTS
The State of California Fish and Game Code prohibits
flights below 1000' AGL over CALIFORNIA SEA OTTER
GAME REFUGE

I'm not sure when the wording changed, but on a 1993 sectional it reads as it does today. I surmise that they (State Fish and Game Authority) realized they couldn't enforce the prohibition and it was changed to the present wording.
 
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