RE: 5000+ feet video flight
Sounds like the beginning of a new competition class... i.e. Mellon Divers-grin.
Just for discussion, isn't the rule N.T.E. 400 feet within a 3 mile radius of an airport? I don't recall anything mentioned for outside the 3 mile radius. We fly thousands of feet high above the Sod Farm on thermals. It is normal to fly a couple thousand feet. I had one plane, 72" wing span, nearly out of sight in a monster thermal... Struggling to lose some altitude, I listened to the other "cooks" and bam... folded the wing. That plane, jart, landed 25' away from us as it ended it's 45 second straight down path. It was really scary because I had no control of the plane as it headed straight at us. The sight and sound of that incoming plane was frightening and the impact??? I definitely learned to respect thermals after that one! My point, we constantly fly above 300, 400, and even 500 feet. If there is a ceiling... I would like to know more about this rule. As long as the plane remains in visual range and we can see which direction it's pointing... this would be the limit to altitude and distance. Am I right?
Rob