Deep sigh. It really is difficult to get a meaningful response without pilots resorting to the high and mighty stance isn't it. Yes I have a PPL (30 years if you must know), yes I fly regularly, yes I fly in controlled airspace, and yes I like to be thorough in areas I haven't flown in before. Thanks for your high and mighty response - typical of so many PPL's here (where exactly did I even mention about 500 feet?). I was after tips, not the stuff we find in ERSA (yes I have read it) and other places, but the everyday information that pilots share between themselves. You had a go at providing some of that (and thankyou for it) - wasn't hard to just share with a fellow aviator was it? I'm sorry if my thorough and broad based approach to planning a flight in an area is a just a bit difficult for you to grasp. Perhaps I should just do what I normally do when required and ask the professional pilots who fly the areas regularly and are more than happy to share info without being condescending.