What minimum obstacle clearance applies in mountainous areas?

What minimum obstacle clearance applies in mountainous areas?

• A. 200 feet
• B. 1,000 feet
• C. 2,000 feet
• D. 3,000 feet

Answer: (C)

In mountainous areas, terrain can rise abruptly and reach great heights, so pilots must maintain a larger safety margin from obstacles. The established minimum obstacle clearance in these rugged regions is two thousand feet above the highest obstacle, ensuring a robust buffer against weather, navigation errors, and occasional control surprises. This higher clearance isn't needed in flatter, non-mountainous terrain, where a smaller margin of about one thousand feet is deemed sufficient. The other options fall short or exceed the standard practice: two hundred feet would not provide adequate protection against peaks, and three thousand feet, while safer, is not the standard requirement for regular operations.

In mountainous areas, terrain can rise abruptly and reach great heights, so pilots must maintain a larger safety margin from obstacles. The established minimum obstacle clearance in these rugged regions is two thousand feet above the highest obstacle, ensuring a robust buffer against weather, navigation errors, and occasional control surprises. This higher clearance isn't needed in flatter, non-mountainous terrain, where a smaller margin of about one thousand feet is deemed sufficient. The other options fall short or exceed the standard practice: two hundred feet would not provide adequate protection against peaks, and three thousand feet, while safer, is not the standard requirement for regular operations.