Question for any helicopter pilots out there or anyone that may know the answer to the following questions.

What is the minumum altitude a helicopter can hover over a populated area?

Legally, how long can a helicopter hover over a residential area at there minimum allowed altitude?

Is there any agency you can file a complaint about nusance helicopters hovering over a residential area for long periods? Or I'm I just S.O.L.?

Min altitude for part 91 says so as not to cause a hazard to persons or property on the ground.
Part 135, 300 feet.
Public use (cops) don't have to play by any rules.

As for the complaint I would respectfully ask you make an attempt to find out who the operator is and why they were doing what they were doing. We are all in the same boat (aviation) and have enough enemy's without turning on each other. IE. why is that airplane landing on that dirt road/strip/gravel bar, etc. who do I call to stop that.

300 ft?? That's it? Wow! I had thought it would be at least 1000 ft in a populated area, just like fixed wing aircraft.

The reason I ask, is that I'm staying at my sisters house in Brea, CA and these news helicopters have been hovering over the OctoMom's house down the street on a regular basis at all hours of the day. Seems unbelievable to me that these news company's have that much disrespect for the nieghbors that they will allow there helicopters to hover over a residential area for hours at very low altitudes to cover what I believe is not a very note worthy story.

I know the pilots are just doing there job and I'm not trying to sound like I'm complianing against the pilots. But these news helicopters are out of hand! It just really anoys me that some of these news company's will waste all that fuel and time over some lady coming home with two baby's (and there's six more to come home later).

And these are the same company's that will report about how much our government and big corporations waste money (oh wait, that's the taxpayers money, so that's a differant story, I guess).

Anyway, I guess I'm just sounding like a grumpy old man. Just thought I'd blow off some steam.

Thanks for the rest of the story. They may not even be held to 300 feet if the aircraft are station owned. I would certainly not be afraid to blow off some steam at the news channels. They will end up ruining a good tool for us all. Personally I think the pilots should know better as well. Be fun to treat them to some of their own medicine. Not sure who to blame more the news company's or the folks who think it's even worth watching. Crazy world we live in and getting more crazy all the time.

I don't know if you guys remember the Elks building in Clinton MO. collapsing about 3 years ago but I was in that deal. Anyway, about 4 news choppers showed up and circled for hours. There were quite a few guys still trapped inside the partially collapsed and unstable building who were yelling out to chase the choppers off. They were circling so low that they were shaking dirt, building parts, etc. down on the guys and they were worried the building would come the rest of the way down on 'em. I got home late that night, around midnight, after going to the emergency room and the S.O.B. news stations had and were calling me trying to get a story. Ever since then I've hated news people.
Wirsig.

Most of the news helicopters utilize the Steadycam systems that don't require low level flight. They do their work at 1500 feet or higher. I have been on fires in the L.A. area and have had them as high as 3-4000 feet above us. Point being is that if its hovering down low over Idiomom's house it's probably a charter from some gossip rag. Most of the news pilots in SoCal are members of the Professional Helicopter Pilots Association and work to avoid operations like that.

Interesting info! Thanks. There were 3 helicopters hovering and flying well below 1000 ft AGL last night, so yeah, makes since that those were more than likely the "gossip rag" ones.

Came home tonight and did notice 2 helicopters hovering much higher (I'd say atleast 1500 ft), so those must have been the new's copters.

Oh well, i'm over it for now. But thanks again for the info!

Thanks Kenny, good point.

58Skylane wrote:Is there any agency you can file a complaint about nusance helicopters hovering over a residential area for long periods? Or I'm I just S.O.L.?

You don't need no stinkin' agency. Just give a half dozen green lasers to the kids in the neighborhood and tell 'em to laser down the low flying "invaders".
tom

Brea, CA? Whew, I thought you were going to say Mosul, Iraq. I was going to rebut that I wasn't that low.

Brett

Brea, CA? Whew, I thought you were going to say Mosul, Iraq. I was going to rebut that I wasn't that low.

You know I laughed at that until I think back and realize there is probably more truth in there than I want to admit. Thanks for your service.

Call it in to the FAA, they have no right to hover that low. Get the tail number if you can,.

MauleOne wrote:Call it in to the FAA, they have no right to hover that low. Get the tail number if you can,.

Or just post the tail number here. Apparently the FAA has this site "under surveillance" anyway.

Good point groundlooper

GroundLooper wrote:

MauleOne wrote:Call it in to the FAA, they have no right to hover that low. Get the tail number if you can,.

Or just post the tail number here. Apparently the FAA has this site "under surveillance" anyway.

I hear you on that one!!

But, I think the Octomom thing finally died off a little. Which is good.