A close friend of mine, also a pilot, revels in flying low enough to view various features on the ground, to the extent a long cross-country flight in IMC not only bores him but seemingly can elevate any anxieties. I get it, and always enjoy that vista when I’m able. But I also subscribe to the maxim expressed on one of those humorous “rules of the air” plaques pilot shops often market as gifts for wall-mounting. The “rule” that applies here is the admonition to stay “in the middle of the air,” and not to get too close to its edges.
In this case, “edges” can refer to terrain and structures, where collisions can occur, but also to the limits of the aircraft’s performance envelope. On its face, the “rule” is absurd, but when one thinks about it some more, it’s not a bad way to operate an aircraft. Staying away from the things that can bite us is good policy.
