Exemptions
Hmm... My inference from the excemptions had been that it is clearly not reasonable to prevent an aircraft from doing what is NECESSARY in order to land. The duty of care to those on the ground has to be balanced against the fact that the aircraft has to fly low in order to land.
My problem with using this exemption is that it is NOT necessary to fly past a serviceable, fairweather, suitable airfield and continue single-engine to fly over the city at low altitude. I can't help feeling that in circumstances where we know in advance that we will be single-engine we are bound by the rule to avoid the area if practicable.
Incidentally, I chatted with an SRG lawyer to ask whether this rule might apply in these circumstances, or whether it is simply a "low flying" rule, and in his opinion the rule would apply to this aircraft - although the circumstances the aircraft finds itself in may constitute exemption (i.e. if what it is doing is NECESSARY to land [my opinion in brackets]).