Rav Dovid Feinstein and the Flight Over a Cemetery
A kohen learned his flight home from Israel would pass over a Jewish cemetery. Rav Dovid Feinstein ruled he must spend whatever it took to avoid it, so he bought a new ticket.
One time, my father-in-law, Rabbi Aaron Yosef HaKohen Katz, was visiting his son in Israel. At that time, it was determined that his scheduled return flight was going to fly over a Jewish cemetery. He consulted with his Rebbe Muvhak, HaGaon Rav Dovid Feinstein, zt”l. He ruled that, as a kohen, my father-in-law was forbidden to knowingly fly over the cemetery. He further ruled that since a negative precept was involved, my father-in-law was obligated to spend whatever money he had to avert this transgression. He spent over $1,000 purchasing a one-way ticket on a different airline. His original ticket was non-refundable.