Narrative:

While shooting a sunrise promotional of the tv station helicopter on private property, it became apparent that a home owner near the location was not informed of what was going on. The property was a grass landing strip called windy acres near ocoee, fl. The camera was set up on the runway and all shots were of the helicopter hovering at 50-100'. I was told that everyone had been notified and approved and I asked for and saw written permission from the landowner of the grass strip. After shooting several shots the person whose house was less than 50' from the runway came walking out to the camera crew. By radio I asked if there was a problem. They said yes, and I terminated the operation. The person said he was not notified and didn't approve of the shoot, saying that we were too close to his house. If I had known this I never would have done this shoot and at no time did I feel that the operation was unsafe. All shots were of the helicopter hovering at 50' or higher with no more than 15 KTS indicated airspeed. In the future I will personally contact anybody in the area of such an operation that might be affected by such an operation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: home owner was a competitor helicopter pilot and had not been contacted reference the operation in the early morning hours, upset by the noise. Threatened to contact the FAA, but reporter thinks he thought better of that since they do share jobs. Has not had any contact from the FAA. Normal arrangements are handled by the tv station, but in this instance an outside contractor was used. He had contacted the local FSDO office for ASRS forms and they implied they were not available and that they did not think much of the program. Would like to see more publicity reference to ASRS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOISE COMPLAINT DURING EARLY MORNING PROMOTIONAL OPERATION FOR A TV STATION.

Narrative: WHILE SHOOTING A SUNRISE PROMOTIONAL OF THE TV STATION HELI ON PVT PROPERTY, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT A HOME OWNER NEAR THE LOCATION WAS NOT INFORMED OF WHAT WAS GOING ON. THE PROPERTY WAS A GRASS LNDG STRIP CALLED WINDY ACRES NEAR OCOEE, FL. THE CAMERA WAS SET UP ON THE RWY AND ALL SHOTS WERE OF THE HELI HOVERING AT 50-100'. I WAS TOLD THAT EVERYONE HAD BEEN NOTIFIED AND APPROVED AND I ASKED FOR AND SAW WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE LANDOWNER OF THE GRASS STRIP. AFTER SHOOTING SEVERAL SHOTS THE PERSON WHOSE HOUSE WAS LESS THAN 50' FROM THE RWY CAME WALKING OUT TO THE CAMERA CREW. BY RADIO I ASKED IF THERE WAS A PROB. THEY SAID YES, AND I TERMINATED THE OPERATION. THE PERSON SAID HE WAS NOT NOTIFIED AND DIDN'T APPROVE OF THE SHOOT, SAYING THAT WE WERE TOO CLOSE TO HIS HOUSE. IF I HAD KNOWN THIS I NEVER WOULD HAVE DONE THIS SHOOT AND AT NO TIME DID I FEEL THAT THE OPERATION WAS UNSAFE. ALL SHOTS WERE OF THE HELI HOVERING AT 50' OR HIGHER WITH NO MORE THAN 15 KTS INDICATED AIRSPD. IN THE FUTURE I WILL PERSONALLY CONTACT ANYBODY IN THE AREA OF SUCH AN OPERATION THAT MIGHT BE AFFECTED BY SUCH AN OPERATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: HOME OWNER WAS A COMPETITOR HELI PLT AND HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED REF THE OPERATION IN THE EARLY MORNING HRS, UPSET BY THE NOISE. THREATENED TO CONTACT THE FAA, BUT RPTR THINKS HE THOUGHT BETTER OF THAT SINCE THEY DO SHARE JOBS. HAS NOT HAD ANY CONTACT FROM THE FAA. NORMAL ARRANGEMENTS ARE HANDLED BY THE TV STATION, BUT IN THIS INSTANCE AN OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR WAS USED. HE HAD CONTACTED THE LCL FSDO OFFICE FOR ASRS FORMS AND THEY IMPLIED THEY WERE NOT AVAILABLE AND THAT THEY DID NOT THINK MUCH OF THE PROGRAM. WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE PUBLICITY REF TO ASRS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.