“A normal category aircraft is certified for the following “non-acrobatic” operation: Stalls, lazy eights, chandelles, and steep turns, in which the angle of bank is not more than 60°.”
“No person may operate an aircraft in aerobatic flight:
-Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement;”
So Art, there you go straight from the FAA in two descriptions: what defines a non-aerobatic maneuver, and what defines one of the ground violations (over a settlement). If you have a problem with the FAA’s ruling, you should have them tell you directly why they did it. Ignoring FAA rules can get both those in the air and those on the ground killed, and they are there for a reason. If you don’t understand that, I hope you are not an active pilot.
Exactly. VFR is staying 500 feet from any person, structure/object, or place if not in a landing or takeoff phase. That low runway flyby broke that rule too as he was NOT landing but instead doing a high speed pass which had nothing to do with a landing maneuver under normal glider ops.
Exactly Jim! The Kathryn’s Report website is full of these FAA rule ignoring yahoos who wind up getting themselves, and sometimes others, killed. And had something gone wrong and he spiraled into an occupied building or the road killing occupants (along with himself), it would have yet been another black eye on General Aviation which is constantly under attack as it is by some so-called activist groups calling it “unnecessary.”
I’m sure many pilots have done a precautionary low pass to clear wildlife from the runway. My bowing to an FAA Inspectors opinion and not doing that low pass caused me to hit a deer with my RV-6 some years ago. I will not always do the low pass to inspect the landing zone when landing late in the day or early in the AM.
As a glider CFI and instrument rated power guy I see lots of good comments here. But I would like to say that I know Bruno well enough to know that he wore a parachute (most glider pilots do) and was doing nothing many high-performance glider pilots would consider extreme in the least. 60 degree banks, +/- 30 degrees pitch, flight at critically low airspeed or those near redline and flying within 200’ of other aircraft are all NORMAL glider ops and something pilots train for. From both the video and Bruno’s explanation, he endangered no one but certainly did break at least one FAR and he’s accepting responsibility for that. If you listen to his calm description of what he is doing and how he communicated with the helicopter, you might realize that this is no adrenaline “Hold My Beer” moment for Bruno. Consider also that Bruno’s well done videos have made thousands think about aviation.
Bingo. Looks like what he would normally do in a high performance glider. I see that all the time at rural uncontrolled airports around here. Saying “put on a show” is just flying like he normally would for fun!
BS. When you are “cleared for the option” the runway is 100% yours to land, land 3 times, t&g, or low pass. Same here where uncontrolled. YOU ARE NOT BOUND BY LAW to land when in a landing phase. Period.
Having taken a few glider lessons, I do know that steep banks and flying near both the upper and lower speed limits are normal. But I didn’t realize performing loops in a glider was a “normal” maneuver.