Narrative:

Broadcasting our position at well known reporting points 'in the blind' on appropriate VHF frequencys and using designated VFR cruise altitudes while below 3000 ft AGL, works well to aid the 'see and avoid' concept in everyone's efforts to avoid midair collisions. However, like most things, it works best when everyone participates. I am a part 135 fixed wing charter and tour captain in hawaii. On 2 occasions within the last yr, despite good scanning techniques, I have been 'surprised' by opposite direction military helicopters at close distance and altitudes. The first instance involved a 2500 ft MSL wbound, 2 rotor green camouflage helicopter roughly mid-channel between molokai, lanai, and west maui. The second instance involved a flight of 2, gray, single rotor helicopters, eastbound at 1000 ft MSL, were crossing the kalaupapa (lup) runway 5 departure extended centerline at the same time I was entering the runway 5 traffic pattern on a crosswind leg at 800 ft MSL (light airplane traffic pattern altitude for all airports in hawaii). Both instances resulted in less than 1 mi horizontal distance, and less than a 500 ft vertical distance between my aircraft and theirs. Contributing factors in both of these sits are: 1) no use of VHF position reports by the helicopters. 2) while not regulatory, inappropriate cruise altitudes for direction of flight below 3000 ft AGL. 3) camouflage paint scheme of the military helicopters makes visual detection very difficult. These types of sits pose a very real midair collision hazard. The potential can be greatly reduced if the military will please observe the operating procedures which have proven very effective for the civilian operators here in hawaii. They are: 1) position reporting on kapalua west maui's (jhm) CTAF 122.7 while in the area roughly south of kaunakakai on molokai to ship wreck beach on the north shore of lanai, east to lahaina, north to nakalele point and northwest to cape halawa on molokai. 2) position reporting on 122.85 while in the summit area of haleakala on maui. 3) position reporting on multicom 122.9 in other locations not otherwise under ATC control. 4) using appropriate, while non regulatory, cruise altitudes at or below 3000 ft AGL: wbound at 1000 MSL, 2000 ft MSL, or 3000 ft MSL, and eastbound at 1500 ft MSL, and 2500 ft MSL. I know there are many military helicopter pilots observing the above mentioned practices already. However, I believe everyone will agree that a 100 percent participation should be our goal to help ensure the safest possible hawaiian skies. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that there are recommended altitudes to fly below 3000 ft in hawaiian airspace and the helicopters are not complying. The worst part is that they are flying right through the traffic pattern when pilots are in a very busy cockpit atmosphere and having difficulty sighting aircraft in the pattern without being concerned about other aircraft busting through such airspace. There is also a pacific charts supplement which indicates the same direction of flight altitudes. Reporter feels this is extremely poor operating practice on the part of the military and very bothersome in the air traffic area. Reporter flies PA31 and partanavia aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI ACFT HAS CLOSE PROX TO MIL HELIS FLYING IN TFC PATTERN.

Narrative: BROADCASTING OUR POS AT WELL KNOWN RPTING POINTS 'IN THE BLIND' ON APPROPRIATE VHF FREQS AND USING DESIGNATED VFR CRUISE ALTS WHILE BELOW 3000 FT AGL, WORKS WELL TO AID THE 'SEE AND AVOID' CONCEPT IN EVERYONE'S EFFORTS TO AVOID MIDAIR COLLISIONS. HOWEVER, LIKE MOST THINGS, IT WORKS BEST WHEN EVERYONE PARTICIPATES. I AM A PART 135 FIXED WING CHARTER AND TOUR CAPT IN HAWAII. ON 2 OCCASIONS WITHIN THE LAST YR, DESPITE GOOD SCANNING TECHNIQUES, I HAVE BEEN 'SURPRISED' BY OPPOSITE DIRECTION MIL HELIS AT CLOSE DISTANCE AND ALTS. THE FIRST INSTANCE INVOLVED A 2500 FT MSL WBOUND, 2 ROTOR GREEN CAMOUFLAGE HELI ROUGHLY MID-CHANNEL BTWN MOLOKAI, LANAI, AND WEST MAUI. THE SECOND INSTANCE INVOLVED A FLT OF 2, GRAY, SINGLE ROTOR HELIS, EBOUND AT 1000 FT MSL, WERE XING THE KALAUPAPA (LUP) RWY 5 DEP EXTENDED CTRLINE AT THE SAME TIME I WAS ENTERING THE RWY 5 TFC PATTERN ON A XWIND LEG AT 800 FT MSL (LIGHT AIRPLANE TFC PATTERN ALT FOR ALL ARPTS IN HAWAII). BOTH INSTANCES RESULTED IN LESS THAN 1 MI HORIZ DISTANCE, AND LESS THAN A 500 FT VERT DISTANCE BTWN MY ACFT AND THEIRS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN BOTH OF THESE SITS ARE: 1) NO USE OF VHF POS RPTS BY THE HELIS. 2) WHILE NOT REGULATORY, INAPPROPRIATE CRUISE ALTS FOR DIRECTION OF FLT BELOW 3000 FT AGL. 3) CAMOUFLAGE PAINT SCHEME OF THE MIL HELIS MAKES VISUAL DETECTION VERY DIFFICULT. THESE TYPES OF SITS POSE A VERY REAL MIDAIR COLLISION HAZARD. THE POTENTIAL CAN BE GREATLY REDUCED IF THE MIL WILL PLEASE OBSERVE THE OPERATING PROCS WHICH HAVE PROVEN VERY EFFECTIVE FOR THE CIVILIAN OPERATORS HERE IN HAWAII. THEY ARE: 1) POS RPTING ON KAPALUA WEST MAUI'S (JHM) CTAF 122.7 WHILE IN THE AREA ROUGHLY S OF KAUNAKAKAI ON MOLOKAI TO SHIP WRECK BEACH ON THE N SHORE OF LANAI, E TO LAHAINA, N TO NAKALELE POINT AND NW TO CAPE HALAWA ON MOLOKAI. 2) POS RPTING ON 122.85 WHILE IN THE SUMMIT AREA OF HALEAKALA ON MAUI. 3) POS RPTING ON MULTICOM 122.9 IN OTHER LOCATIONS NOT OTHERWISE UNDER ATC CTL. 4) USING APPROPRIATE, WHILE NON REGULATORY, CRUISE ALTS AT OR BELOW 3000 FT AGL: WBOUND AT 1000 MSL, 2000 FT MSL, OR 3000 FT MSL, AND EBOUND AT 1500 FT MSL, AND 2500 FT MSL. I KNOW THERE ARE MANY MIL HELI PLTS OBSERVING THE ABOVE MENTIONED PRACTICES ALREADY. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE EVERYONE WILL AGREE THAT A 100 PERCENT PARTICIPATION SHOULD BE OUR GOAL TO HELP ENSURE THE SAFEST POSSIBLE HAWAIIAN SKIES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THERE ARE RECOMMENDED ALTS TO FLY BELOW 3000 FT IN HAWAIIAN AIRSPACE AND THE HELIS ARE NOT COMPLYING. THE WORST PART IS THAT THEY ARE FLYING RIGHT THROUGH THE TFC PATTERN WHEN PLTS ARE IN A VERY BUSY COCKPIT ATMOSPHERE AND HAVING DIFFICULTY SIGHTING ACFT IN THE PATTERN WITHOUT BEING CONCERNED ABOUT OTHER ACFT BUSTING THROUGH SUCH AIRSPACE. THERE IS ALSO A PACIFIC CHARTS SUPPLEMENT WHICH INDICATES THE SAME DIRECTION OF FLT ALTS. RPTR FEELS THIS IS EXTREMELY POOR OPERATING PRACTICE ON THE PART OF THE MIL AND VERY BOTHERSOME IN THE ATA. RPTR FLIES PA31 AND PARTANAVIA ACFT.

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.