That's truly crazy, but I bet it was awesome.
Besides probably getting fined by the FAA, it's a dumb idea to do that anywhere where you can't verify you have clear airspace. Even a jet 10 miles away can close that distance in about a minute.
He said at the beginning he was cleared up to 18000 feet
Thanks, I missed that. Good for him!
Exactly. While it sounds like that guy had clearance, it didn't look like he had a radio to stay in contact with anyone. Maybe I'm wrong and it wasn't in the video.
Yea, he's probably violating some FAA rules by flying that high.
Max VFR altitude is 20,000. As long as he's not inside someone's airspace, you can do pretty much whatever you want. Although O2 requirements kick in at 12,500. Above 20,000 you must file IFR.
Thanks for the info. So I guess his flight could be completely legal then.
When I get to the top of Mt. Whitney at 14,496 feet I am truly hypoxic. Can verify. Hiking at 10,000 plus feet is hard.
Class A is 18,000, not VFR.
Didn't watch the vid to know that it's Tucker Gott. He's been reported to the FAA 8 times and never been in trouble. He knows the sport well and knows the laws regarding the hobby to the tee.
VFR traffic is permitted up to FL180 (18,000ft) were class A airspace begins. In class A airspace he would need an IFR certification and ATC clearance.
I'm not sure if the FAA has altitude restrictions for gliders/ultralights though.
He would need supplemental oxygen beyond 14,000ft as well.
Edit: After watching the video, he's definitely in violation of several FAA rules, and he's a moron.
At 500 knots groundspeed an airliner would chew him up. It'll take one incident and this sport of freedom will be regulated into something unrecognizable.
Just because you can do it anywhere below class A airspace doesn't mean you should.
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