would you fly w/out insurance?

[MrMorden]

Congested area gets more interesting as the FAA has never defined it! It’s definition seems to be based on how bad they want to get you.

That's exactly right. A few years ago a guy in Texas got busted for overflying two houses set in a wilderness area with no other structures around. "Congested Area" my ass... If the FAA doesn't like what you are doing for whatever reason, and can't find any true reason to bust you, the congested area is their #2 tactic, right after "careless and reckless" (also undefined).

[Warmi]

Well, I seem to recall a rule stating that you can’t get closer than 500 feet to any person/structure regardless of this is a congested area or not.
But ultimately yeah, you are right ... it is kind of like being accused of public disturbance of some kind - it is a Soviet style “will get you for something or other” type of law...

[Jim Hardin]

Yes the 500 foot rule always applies. I belive that MrMorden was citing an example of a pilot that was beyond the 500 feet but below the 1000 feet above any... But the FAA used the undefined ‘congested area’ rule to make his flight a violation.

I think every FSDO office has one, AH Inspector position. Luckily, most never fill it.

I had a seaplane student fly across a little uninhabited island one day. We cleared the trees by less than 50 feet but flew over a group of boaters on the other side. sweated that one for a while.

[Izzy]

I will not fly without insurance.