Narrative:

Departing newport airport, at the time of departure, the west half of the airport was starting to fog in. I hover-taxied to the far east end of the airport and was able to take off in blue skies and unlimited visibility. This airport is set up for a control zone when the visibility is less than 3 mi and a 1000 ft ceiling. There was another helicopter in the pattern whom I was in radio contact with. He gave me permission to take off first and then he went in and landed. All of this was done VFR on the east end of the field while the west end was fogged in. The standard for the other airports with control towers has been if I was inside of their control zone and it was in effect, they have allowed me to work inside the control zone without a special VFR if I was in the standard VFR conditions. All I needed to do was make reports of my locations while working in their airspace. As long as I was VFR, I did not need a special VFR to be inside the airspace. My point to all of this is that it is not taught to new students this way so it becomes more like just a story when an older pilot does something like this. It is legal to do but not good for students to see. Not sure of how or where to make a point of this, or if maybe it is not a relative point to make at all. Hope this is not too confusing, and thank you for your time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIAL PLT TOOK OFF IN AN SMA HELI FROM A DESIGNATED CLASS E NON TWR ARPT WHEN WX CONDITIONS REQUIRED A SVFR CLRNC. THE PLT DID NOT HAVE A CLRNC, OR BELIEVED THAT HE NEEDED ONE, SINCE HE WAS OPERATING A HELI WHEN THE FLT VISIBILITY MET THE HELI FLT VISIBILITY REQUIREMENT.

Narrative: DEPARTING NEWPORT ARPT, AT THE TIME OF DEP, THE W HALF OF THE ARPT WAS STARTING TO FOG IN. I HOVER-TAXIED TO THE FAR E END OF THE ARPT AND WAS ABLE TO TAKE OFF IN BLUE SKIES AND UNLIMITED VISIBILITY. THIS ARPT IS SET UP FOR A CTL ZONE WHEN THE VISIBILITY IS LESS THAN 3 MI AND A 1000 FT CEILING. THERE WAS ANOTHER HELI IN THE PATTERN WHOM I WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH. HE GAVE ME PERMISSION TO TAKE OFF FIRST AND THEN HE WENT IN AND LANDED. ALL OF THIS WAS DONE VFR ON THE E END OF THE FIELD WHILE THE W END WAS FOGGED IN. THE STANDARD FOR THE OTHER ARPTS WITH CTL TWRS HAS BEEN IF I WAS INSIDE OF THEIR CTL ZONE AND IT WAS IN EFFECT, THEY HAVE ALLOWED ME TO WORK INSIDE THE CTL ZONE WITHOUT A SPECIAL VFR IF I WAS IN THE STANDARD VFR CONDITIONS. ALL I NEEDED TO DO WAS MAKE RPTS OF MY LOCATIONS WHILE WORKING IN THEIR AIRSPACE. AS LONG AS I WAS VFR, I DID NOT NEED A SPECIAL VFR TO BE INSIDE THE AIRSPACE. MY POINT TO ALL OF THIS IS THAT IT IS NOT TAUGHT TO NEW STUDENTS THIS WAY SO IT BECOMES MORE LIKE JUST A STORY WHEN AN OLDER PLT DOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS. IT IS LEGAL TO DO BUT NOT GOOD FOR STUDENTS TO SEE. NOT SURE OF HOW OR WHERE TO MAKE A POINT OF THIS, OR IF MAYBE IT IS NOT A RELATIVE POINT TO MAKE AT ALL. HOPE THIS IS NOT TOO CONFUSING, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

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.