Aerobatic Flyer,
Thanks for the reply, Obviously I do tend to believe our FI over such a fundamental issue. My previous assumption was backed up by PFL practice down to a hundred feet or so with instructors on check-outs, which are, I have now learnt, exempted.
Plus before I came to France (2000/2001) I bought a copy of VFR Flight rules France by Daniel Casanova so as to gen up on any differences etc., its in the Transair Catalogue. Under Rules of the Air, Minimum VFR Level, it says the following, :
No VFR flight may be undertaken (except for take-off and landing procedure):
- over concentrations of population, towns or other built up areas, or over gatherings of people and animals in open areas, at less than 1000ft above the highest obstacle located within a radius of 600m of the aircraft;
- over an artificial obstacle (person, vehicle, ship, house..), at a height of less than 500 ft above ground or water and at a distance of less than 150m from it.
I read the above to be the same as the UK 500ft rule (I guess wrongly!), though looking at it again I can see how it should be understood....and it makes me wonder if anything else in the book is slightly grey!!
It does seem to point to flight over the sea being a no-no below 500ft, as the sea is water too!!
Regards, SD..
PS. I wonder how many of us actually think certain rules are not as they actually are and continue in ignorant bliss for years until a chance conversation or look at a thread on pprune......but then thats a whole different thread waiting to happen
