Why are planes allowed to fly so low?
Planes cannot make a steep decent from cruising altitudes to the ground, and generally must follow a smooth glide path. Under a landing approach where pilots are required to use an instrument landing system (required during poor weather), pilots must abide by strict FAA standards. Under certain circumstances, a pilot may need to deviate from these rules but first must request permission from the Air Traffic Control Tower. Any pilot who does not follow these rules is subject to penalty. In good weather, pilots have more discretion on altitude but still have guidelines that they must follow.
