1. Except where necessary for takeoff of landing, the FAA prohibits the operation of an aircraft below the following altitudes:

1. Over Congested Areas Over any congested area of a city, town or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons, an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft.
2. Over other than Congested Areas An altitude of 500 feet above the surface, except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In that case, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle or structure.

2. The pilot must obtain a proper waiver before operating an aircraft in the situations outlined above. Thus, the pilot must either have his/her own FAA-approved motion picture manual or operate under an FAA-approved company manual. A certificate of waiver, which is usually incorporated in the manual, must be in effect.

1. Before a stunt or sequence is to be performed, all persons involved shall be thoroughly briefed. There should be a dry run on the ground at the site.
2. Per FAA guideline, the persons necessary for the filming will be briefed as to any potential hazards and safety questions prior to the filming.
3. A preplanned stunt will not be changed in any way without the authorization of the pilot and the aerial coordinator, if any.
4. If there is a question as to the safety of any aerial filming sequence involving low, over-the-camera shots, a briefing will be held between the pilot and concerned persons as to whether the use of a locked-off camera is necessary.

3. Only persons and crew necessary for the purpose of filming will be in the area. FAA regulations require all other personnel to be five hundred feet (500) away from the flying aircraft. All persons without written or verbal permission shall be excluded from the area.
4. Communication between ground and air must be maintained at all times during the operation of the aircraft.
5. Where required by the FAA-approved manual or appropriate governmental agency, there will always be an aerial coordinator on the ground when an aircraft is in the air or taxiing. An aerial coordinator will be appointed by the holder of the manual or the designated chief pilot.
6. If safety becomes a question at any time, the aerial coordinator or the involved pilot shall have the authority and responsibility to call an abort of the operation.
7. Aircraft engines shall not be started and the aircraft shall not be taxied in spectator, cast or crew areas unless appropriate measures are taken to preclude creating a hazard to spectators, cast or crew. Cast, crew and equipment shall be protected from debris thrown back by airplanes taxiing out or taking off. If an aircraft is being filmed with the engine running, adequate safety precautions shall be taken in connection with activity in front of the propeller, which includes designated ground personnel.
8. No smoking is permitted within one hundred feet (100') of the aircraft or support truck.
9. Aircraft structures can be damaged easily while on the ground. Never push, handle, sit on or in, or lay any objects of any kind on an aircraft without the pilot's permission. If a foreign object falls into or against an aircraft, report it immediately to the pilot or aerial coordinator.
10. Each end of an operational runway or landing area should be cleared during take-off and landing, and appropriate safety precautions should be taken as to the placement of camera equipment when filming the take-off or landing.
11. Acrobatic maneuvers shall be conducted in a direction which will most nearly parallel the boundaries of the designated crew and equipment area or in a direction away from such area.
12. The front of the studio call sheet should contain a statement to the effect that:

"An aircraft is being used and will be flown in close proximity to crew and equipment. Anyone objecting will notify the production manager or 1st Assistant Director prior to any filming."