Helicopter flight 25 mi over water legality.

Attributes
ACN	194912
Time
Date	199111
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mth
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	194912
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Aircraft was flown on a photo flight. After flight, question was raised among myself and another pilot on what the actual definition of a photo flight was compared to a tour flight in which the passenger just wanted to take pictures of the area. (Tour flight must remain within 25 SM radius of departure art.) called FAA! They said it was a gray area and what the difference is had to usually be settled in court. I feel the FARS should state a clear cut difference. Is a photo flight someone with a camera or a professional photo man. Many operators say a tour flight is a photo flight to exceed the 25 mi.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI FLT 25 MI OVER WATER LEGALITY.

Narrative: ACFT WAS FLOWN ON A PHOTO FLT. AFTER FLT, QUESTION WAS RAISED AMONG MYSELF AND ANOTHER PLT ON WHAT THE ACTUAL DEFINITION OF A PHOTO FLT WAS COMPARED TO A TOUR FLT IN WHICH THE PAX JUST WANTED TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE AREA. (TOUR FLT MUST REMAIN WITHIN 25 SM RADIUS OF DEP ART.) CALLED FAA! THEY SAID IT WAS A GRAY AREA AND WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS HAD TO USUALLY BE SETTLED IN COURT. I FEEL THE FARS SHOULD STATE A CLR CUT DIFFERENCE. IS A PHOTO FLT SOMEONE WITH A CAMERA OR A PROFESSIONAL PHOTO MAN. MANY OPERATORS SAY A TOUR FLT IS A PHOTO FLT TO EXCEED THE 25 MI.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.