Narrative:

I was PIC of helicopter. A helicopter CFI was also on board with me during the whole flight. We flew over the town of harrisburg, ar, to film a parade which was taking place. We landed the helicopter behind my house and also behind my father's house. We have a rule at my flight school that no one will fly below 300' AGL unless they are taking off or landing. Absolutely, positively at no time were we below 300' AGL. There was no time when we were flying that if an engine loss had occurred that we could have not put the aircraft down without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface. The entire flight was intended to be flown at 500' AGL or higher. There were times when we were hovering at 500' AGL with a 10-15 KT tailwind. With this wind we were hovering in effective translational lift with a direct tailwind. When we moved forward to start our forward flight we lost effective translational lift, and the helicopter wanted to sink because we were out of ground effect. Because of this it took more forward cyclic than normal to get our forward airspeed up. Due to this, at times, the helicopter appeared from the ground to be pitched extremely nose low. The nose was pitched lower than normal to get the aircraft in effective translational lift sooner for a safer flight. In other words, when you depart with a tailwind, you go from effective translational lift, then out of it, then back in it again. This may also look from the ground as being very squirrely when the aircraft is in this situation. But at no time was it out of control and we always tried to maintain 500' AGL. But never went below 300' AGL. The reason I am writing this is because a police officer contacted my office with a complaint and stated 1) the helicopter was diving, and 2) the helicopter was flown too low, and 3) there was a danger if there had been an engine loss. The officer told me that I was low enough that he could read my numbers. But my helicopter has large numbers on the under side of the fuselage that can be seen with the eyes at approximately 500' AGL. The officer did not state if they were using binoculars or not. I am not writing this because I think I have some something wrong. I am writing it because some people on the ground interpreted it as being wrong, and they also told me that they were going to contact the FAA. I am not a foolish person in an aircraft, I have an ATP in helicopter, a commercial fixed wing, instrument instructor in both fixed-wing and rotor-wing. I am also an FAA designated examiner for private and commercial applicants. I did not get this far by putting myself or other people in jeopardy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF HELICOPTER ALLEGEDLY FLEW TOO LOW OVER POPULATED AREA. CITIZEN COMPLAINTS. CIVIL AUTHORITY FOLLOWUP.

Narrative: I WAS PIC OF HELI. A HELI CFI WAS ALSO ON BOARD WITH ME DURING THE WHOLE FLT. WE FLEW OVER THE TOWN OF HARRISBURG, AR, TO FILM A PARADE WHICH WAS TAKING PLACE. WE LANDED THE HELI BEHIND MY HOUSE AND ALSO BEHIND MY FATHER'S HOUSE. WE HAVE A RULE AT MY FLT SCHOOL THAT NO ONE WILL FLY BELOW 300' AGL UNLESS THEY ARE TAKING OFF OR LNDG. ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY AT NO TIME WERE WE BELOW 300' AGL. THERE WAS NO TIME WHEN WE WERE FLYING THAT IF AN ENGINE LOSS HAD OCCURRED THAT WE COULD HAVE NOT PUT THE ACFT DOWN WITHOUT UNDUE HAZARD TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY ON THE SURFACE. THE ENTIRE FLT WAS INTENDED TO BE FLOWN AT 500' AGL OR HIGHER. THERE WERE TIMES WHEN WE WERE HOVERING AT 500' AGL WITH A 10-15 KT TAILWIND. WITH THIS WIND WE WERE HOVERING IN EFFECTIVE TRANSLATIONAL LIFT WITH A DIRECT TAILWIND. WHEN WE MOVED FORWARD TO START OUR FORWARD FLT WE LOST EFFECTIVE TRANSLATIONAL LIFT, AND THE HELI WANTED TO SINK BECAUSE WE WERE OUT OF GND EFFECT. BECAUSE OF THIS IT TOOK MORE FORWARD CYCLIC THAN NORMAL TO GET OUR FORWARD AIRSPEED UP. DUE TO THIS, AT TIMES, THE HELI APPEARED FROM THE GND TO BE PITCHED EXTREMELY NOSE LOW. THE NOSE WAS PITCHED LOWER THAN NORMAL TO GET THE ACFT IN EFFECTIVE TRANSLATIONAL LIFT SOONER FOR A SAFER FLT. IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN YOU DEPART WITH A TAILWIND, YOU GO FROM EFFECTIVE TRANSLATIONAL LIFT, THEN OUT OF IT, THEN BACK IN IT AGAIN. THIS MAY ALSO LOOK FROM THE GND AS BEING VERY SQUIRRELY WHEN THE ACFT IS IN THIS SITUATION. BUT AT NO TIME WAS IT OUT OF CONTROL AND WE ALWAYS TRIED TO MAINTAIN 500' AGL. BUT NEVER WENT BELOW 300' AGL. THE REASON I AM WRITING THIS IS BECAUSE A POLICE OFFICER CONTACTED MY OFFICE WITH A COMPLAINT AND STATED 1) THE HELI WAS DIVING, AND 2) THE HELI WAS FLOWN TOO LOW, AND 3) THERE WAS A DANGER IF THERE HAD BEEN AN ENGINE LOSS. THE OFFICER TOLD ME THAT I WAS LOW ENOUGH THAT HE COULD READ MY NUMBERS. BUT MY HELI HAS LARGE NUMBERS ON THE UNDER SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE THAT CAN BE SEEN WITH THE EYES AT APPROX 500' AGL. THE OFFICER DID NOT STATE IF THEY WERE USING BINOCULARS OR NOT. I AM NOT WRITING THIS BECAUSE I THINK I HAVE SOME SOMETHING WRONG. I AM WRITING IT BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE ON THE GND INTERPRETED IT AS BEING WRONG, AND THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE GOING TO CONTACT THE FAA. I AM NOT A FOOLISH PERSON IN AN ACFT, I HAVE AN ATP IN HELI, A COMMERCIAL FIXED WING, INSTRUMENT INSTRUCTOR IN BOTH FIXED-WING AND ROTOR-WING. I AM ALSO AN FAA DESIGNATED EXAMINER FOR PRIVATE AND COMMERCIAL APPLICANTS. I DID NOT GET THIS FAR BY PUTTING MYSELF OR OTHER PEOPLE IN JEOPARDY.

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.