For those who are posting on this thread, here are a couple of facts that should be well known to professional aviators:
ICAO Annex 2 - Rules of the Air (with which most states comply), Chapter 3.1.2:
3.1.2 Minimum heights
Except when necessary for take-off or landing, or except by permission from the appropriate authority, aircraft shall not be flown over the congested areas of cities, towns or settlements or over an open-air assembly of persons, unless at such a height as will permit, in the event of an emergency arising, a landing to be made without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface.
FAR 91.119 - the rule for all aviators who have to comply with FARs:
§ 91.119 Minimum safe altitudes: General.
Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes:
(a) Anywhere. An altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface.
Those who demand that arguments should be backed by statistics should be aware of two issues that would effect collection, collation and analysis of the data:
- Engine failures do not have to be reported under Annex 13 Standards
- The number of SE helicopters flying over cities in breach of the regulations is not known.
None of the rules that have been posted on this forum (perhaps with the exception of the Canadian CARs - which are in a revised form) are recent. The exclusion of singles over the congested area of cities is almost as old as the regulations themselves.
Jim