Can you see the windsock?

[pdw]

at least 500 ft above circuit altitude

1500 on flyover is same distance as 1000 ft mid downwind

[dpm]

at least 500 ft above circuit altitude

1500 on flyover is same distance as 1000 ft mid downwind

Even less, I think, unless you fly very tight circuits.

[pdw]

Basic math skills required.

[dpm]

Basic math skills required.

Not sure if you're referring to me or you, but I like this kind of problem, so here goes. (Since we're dealing with a small area, let's assume the world is flat, to avoid spherical geometry.)

Flying almost directly over the windsock at 1,500 ft AGL, 200 ft offset to the side (so that you can look down at it) = sqrt(1,500² + 200²) = 1,513 ft slant distance

Flying abeam the windsock at 1,000 ft AGL on a downwind 1/2 statute mile parallel to the runway = sqrt(1,000² + 2,640²) = 2,823 ft slant distance

So you're actually a lot closer when you're overflying the windsock at 1,500 ft (my "even less" was understatement). The question is whether the regs are allowing for the horizontal distance in addition to vertical (I seriously doubt they thought it through that far).

[digits_]

let's assume the world is flat

oh-oh...

[pdw]

I seriously doubt they thought it through that far

They probably just printed the necessary .. saved us the details ... to save paper back then (no luxury of PDAs .. limit-less gigs)


2813 ft slant ?

That's likely why ... flyover was trained 2000ft at our airport ..

[Oldguystrtn2fly]

at least 500 ft above circuit altitude

1500 on flyover is same distance as 1000 ft mid downwind

It would still be odd to only require the sock be visible from 1000 ft above the sock as both situations are more than 1000 ft from the sock.