Originally Posted by
ira d
What full scale aircraft can and should be doing is two entirely different thing's any full scale pilot with a ounce of common sense will not be flying as low as 500' over a closed airport where there is model activity present
unless he has some assurance it is safe to proceed. In case of some type of emergency it really dont matter what altitude the models may be at because in that case there could be a conflict.
First, flight at 500 feet is routine in rural areas. Last time I took a Stearman out with my friend, I don't think we were above 500 feet the entire time. There's also crop dusters, helicopters, and even general aviation. And actually, there's nothing that prohibits flying over a closed runway. But Ah, you added "when there is model activity present."
Pilots check NOTAMs for the area and route of flight before flying. If you'd bothered to go read the NOTAMS for AAS airport (note 1), you'd see this: !LOU 07/127 AAS RWY 05/23 CLSD SUN 1400-1900 2107111400-2107161900. Riddle me this: how are pilots to know "there is model activity present" when it's not even listed in the NOTAM for the airport where the "model activity is present?"
That's a rural area, and there's nothing patently unsafe about flying at 500 feet. I've done it a lot. Stearman, 150's, H6s, H58s, H60, Beavers, Otters, heck even a Mustang transiting back from an outlying field. The reality is there's often a lot of traffic at 500 feet or so in rural areas.
Note 1:
https://notams.aim.faa.gov/notamSearch/nsapp.html#/