Read it yourself
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PhantomPilots
You contradicted your own statement by quoting the regs LOL.
Also take into consideration there could be many other special purpose flights in the area including: Law Enforcement, MediVac, Surveillance, Industrial Inspection (power line right of way clearing etc), AG Spraying, Fire Fighting, Para Gliders and many other manned aircraft well below 500' AGL.
Let's take a single application from above:
Right of Way Clearing... here in the mountains of NC (and many other places around the country/world) helicopters are used to cut back the Right of Way to keep trees and such clear of power lines. They use a huge set of saw blades suspended below the aircraft whirling away. We watch them do this 2x a year here from my office. They come across the ridge following the power lines cutting the growth back. When they get to the highway and lake they rise up slightly above the lines and fly straight line to the next section about a mile away (over golf course, lake, fields, houses, etc.) During this relocating flight they are probably 200' AGL. This isn't a pic I took but it shows the set up I'm talking about:
Here's one showing it on the ground
For flights to/from their base they do climb up to cruise altitude (I'm guessing at least 2,000 AGL) but when hopping from one line to the next and such they are flying in the same heights we normally fly our drones.
[quote="Starman1224]
Over Open Water or Sparsely Populated Areas: an altitude allowing for
a linear distance greater than 500 feet from any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure;
Helicopters: If without hazard to persons or property on the surface, an altitude lower than in definitions 2, 3, and 4 above, provided in compliance with any routes or altitudes specifically prescribed for helicopters by the FAA.[/quote]
Take note that it states LINEAR distance not AGL. Makes a huge difference.
To put out a blanket statement that
"all manned aircraft, unless close to an airport, will be flying above 500' per FAA regs" is wrong all day long.