Narrative:

A helicopter crossed over the airport and through the traffic pattern at 500ft AGL. The pilot had announced his intentions while five miles from the airport. At the time an unmanned vehicle was operating in the traffic pattern for runway 5. A training aircraft was 5 miles north preparing for a 45 entry into the downwind for runway 5. Both the unmanned vehicle operator and the training aircraft instructor advised the helicopter pilot of their location and intentions. The helicopter pilot acknowledged but did not change his intent to fly through the traffic pattern enroute at 500 AGL. The uas is not allowed to operate in the pattern with manned aircraft and made an attempt to head toward its holding location a few miles northwest of the airport while proceeding on the left downwind for runway five. When the uas operator saw the helicopter approaching quickly at low level from the southeast he took evasive action turning the uas right 180 degrees to the east. This maneuver put the uas on a collision course with the training aircraft attempting to enter the pattern on the 45. Both aircraft had to take evasive action in order to avoid a mid-air. The helicopter continued through the traffic pattern over the airport enroute to his final destination never deviating from his initial course.low overflights of the airport with and without traffic in the pattern by helicopters has been an ongoing problem over the last year. They have been advised on multiple occasions that the pattern is active with training aircraft yet they continue to cross over the field at 500 AGL flying under and over aircraft in various phases of takeoff and landing. Today it came to a head by causing a potential mid-air between a manned and unmanned aircraft. Our fixed wing tpa is 1000 ft AGL; with no provision for helicopter traffic. This airport is unique in that it is [a high traffic training airport]. In addition; unmanned vehicle operates from the field for research; development; and training purposes. There is no operational reason (both law enforcement and otherwise) for helicopters to cross over at 500 ft.I feel it is important that action be taken to stop this helicopter practice due to the risk that it imposes on both students and instructors operating aircraft in the pattern.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA-28 instructor pilot reported a government helicopter flew through the CTAF VFR pattern with a PA-28 and UAS in the pattern. The UAS had to change course to avoid the helicopter; but that put it in conflict with the PA-28. Both training aircraft took evasive action; but the helicopter pilot apparently did not.

Narrative: A helicopter crossed over the airport and through the traffic pattern at 500ft AGL. The pilot had announced his intentions while five miles from the airport. At the time an unmanned vehicle was operating in the traffic pattern for runway 5. A training aircraft was 5 miles north preparing for a 45 entry into the downwind for runway 5. Both the unmanned vehicle operator and the training aircraft instructor advised the helicopter pilot of their location and intentions. The helicopter pilot acknowledged but did not change his intent to fly through the traffic pattern enroute at 500 AGL. The UAS is not allowed to operate in the pattern with manned aircraft and made an attempt to head toward its holding location a few miles northwest of the airport while proceeding on the left downwind for runway five. When the UAS operator saw the helicopter approaching quickly at low level from the southeast he took evasive action turning the UAS right 180 degrees to the east. This maneuver put the UAS on a collision course with the training aircraft attempting to enter the pattern on the 45. Both aircraft had to take evasive action in order to avoid a mid-air. The helicopter continued through the traffic pattern over the airport enroute to his final destination never deviating from his initial course.Low overflights of the airport with and without traffic in the pattern by helicopters has been an ongoing problem over the last year. They have been advised on multiple occasions that the pattern is active with training aircraft yet they continue to cross over the field at 500 AGL flying under and over aircraft in various phases of takeoff and landing. Today it came to a head by causing a potential mid-air between a manned and unmanned aircraft. Our fixed wing TPA is 1000 ft AGL; with no provision for helicopter traffic. This airport is unique in that it is [a high traffic training airport]. In addition; unmanned vehicle operates from the field for research; development; and training purposes. There is no operational reason (both law enforcement and otherwise) for helicopters to cross over at 500 ft.I feel it is important that action be taken to stop this helicopter practice due to the risk that it imposes on both students and instructors operating aircraft in the pattern.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.