Narrative:

Today is the first day of this new, regulation sfar 71 for air tours in hawaii. It is already terrifying me to have to go out there with 21 other helicopters to try to show 3 waterfalls that are not big enough to be seen from 1500 ft AGL or MSL and vertical. For the first time of flying tours in hawaii for 4 yrs, I'm real close to slamming into another helicopter just because in the name of safety we are forced to go out there in all different sits. I don't know how it happened. All of a sudden I had this helicopter over me so close I saw everyone in the other machine. We have no reporting point like we did before. It looks like more people are going to die just because there's no one to stop this crazy sfar-71. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that flying this sfar-71 area was extremely scary the first 2 weeks. Every pilot he spoke with had had some near miss experience. The helicopters are compacted in with the fixed wing traveling at 150 mph and not sighted until quite close. The helicopter operators are challenging the sfar and there is a court date on jan/xx/94. Reporter indicates that even the NTSB says this is more dangerous than the old way. He states that the regulations are so strict that pilots are getting used to breaking the rules and in his mind will continue to go on a more regular basis. There are FAA personnel on the ramp trying to find a violation and they are flying a 172 and a 182 into the poor WX areas to 'catch' the pilots and find a reason to violate them. These aircraft add to the traffic congestion. The new rules also force the helicopters to go further off shore to avoid the WX than under the previous rules. They used to be able to cross some ridges to get to the sights and can no longer do so. Reporter feels that a 200 ft clearance below clouds would be sufficient as there are no air carrier or IFR aircraft at the levels these pilots fly. He never had a near miss before and has several recently. Position reports are no longer valid as the altitude does not allow specific indications of position. Pilots are no longer using mode C once in uncontrolled airspace as they can be tracked more easily. He actually feels the FAA is trying to put them out of business reporter feels a better solution would be to have aircraft fitted with IFR equipment and require all pilots to take some IFR training every 6 months so if the WX deteriorates rapidly as it often does in this area, they would have a backup method in which to fly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC WITHIN SFAR-71 AREA.

Narrative: TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THIS NEW, REG SFAR 71 FOR AIR TOURS IN HAWAII. IT IS ALREADY TERRIFYING ME TO HAVE TO GO OUT THERE WITH 21 OTHER HELIS TO TRY TO SHOW 3 WATERFALLS THAT ARE NOT BIG ENOUGH TO BE SEEN FROM 1500 FT AGL OR MSL AND VERT. FOR THE FIRST TIME OF FLYING TOURS IN HAWAII FOR 4 YRS, I'M REAL CLOSE TO SLAMMING INTO ANOTHER HELI JUST BECAUSE IN THE NAME OF SAFETY WE ARE FORCED TO GO OUT THERE IN ALL DIFFERENT SITS. I DON'T KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED. ALL OF A SUDDEN I HAD THIS HELI OVER ME SO CLOSE I SAW EVERYONE IN THE OTHER MACHINE. WE HAVE NO RPTING POINT LIKE WE DID BEFORE. IT LOOKS LIKE MORE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DIE JUST BECAUSE THERE'S NO ONE TO STOP THIS CRAZY SFAR-71. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT FLYING THIS SFAR-71 AREA WAS EXTREMELY SCARY THE FIRST 2 WKS. EVERY PLT HE SPOKE WITH HAD HAD SOME NEAR MISS EXPERIENCE. THE HELIS ARE COMPACTED IN WITH THE FIXED WING TRAVELING AT 150 MPH AND NOT SIGHTED UNTIL QUITE CLOSE. THE HELI OPERATORS ARE CHALLENGING THE SFAR AND THERE IS A COURT DATE ON JAN/XX/94. RPTR INDICATES THAT EVEN THE NTSB SAYS THIS IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE OLD WAY. HE STATES THAT THE REGS ARE SO STRICT THAT PLTS ARE GETTING USED TO BREAKING THE RULES AND IN HIS MIND WILL CONTINUE TO GO ON A MORE REGULAR BASIS. THERE ARE FAA PERSONNEL ON THE RAMP TRYING TO FIND A VIOLATION AND THEY ARE FLYING A 172 AND A 182 INTO THE POOR WX AREAS TO 'CATCH' THE PLTS AND FIND A REASON TO VIOLATE THEM. THESE ACFT ADD TO THE TFC CONGESTION. THE NEW RULES ALSO FORCE THE HELIS TO GO FURTHER OFF SHORE TO AVOID THE WX THAN UNDER THE PREVIOUS RULES. THEY USED TO BE ABLE TO CROSS SOME RIDGES TO GET TO THE SIGHTS AND CAN NO LONGER DO SO. RPTR FEELS THAT A 200 FT CLRNC BELOW CLOUDS WOULD BE SUFFICIENT AS THERE ARE NO ACR OR IFR ACFT AT THE LEVELS THESE PLTS FLY. HE NEVER HAD A NEAR MISS BEFORE AND HAS SEVERAL RECENTLY. POS RPTS ARE NO LONGER VALID AS THE ALT DOES NOT ALLOW SPECIFIC INDICATIONS OF POS. PLTS ARE NO LONGER USING MODE C ONCE IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE AS THEY CAN BE TRACKED MORE EASILY. HE ACTUALLY FEELS THE FAA IS TRYING TO PUT THEM OUT OF BUSINESS RPTR FEELS A BETTER SOLUTION WOULD BE TO HAVE ACFT FITTED WITH IFR EQUIP AND REQUIRE ALL PLTS TO TAKE SOME IFR TRAINING EVERY 6 MONTHS SO IF THE WX DETERIORATES RAPIDLY AS IT OFTEN DOES IN THIS AREA, THEY WOULD HAVE A BACKUP METHOD IN WHICH TO FLY.

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.