Narrative:

On may/xa/99 I was contracted to pull 7 ft lettered banners over orioles park at camden yards in baltimore. Prior to this the FAA issued a temporary flight restr banning flight over the stadium below 1500 ft except for media helicopters and police aircraft. Flying, I was granted permission to enter class B airspace at 1600 ft. After several mins, control asked what my banner said. I replied that I didn't read them I just flew them. A media helicopter below me read the message to the controller. It was a political statement. Once the controller received the information, I was ordered out of the airspace and told to stay 3 mi away from the stadium. Over the next 2 1/2 hours, I was not permitted into the stadium area. Each time I called for clearance I was asked if I was towing a banner. After replying in the affirmative, I was denied entry. At one point, the controller said that he was ordered not to allow banner planes into the area. It should be noted that in the 4 yrs of banner towing in the baltimore metropolitan area, I have never been asked to let the tower know the message that I was pulling. I feel that in the attempt to deny political group their right to free speech I was unfairly discriminated against -- first by the nature of the temporary flight restr that did not apply to all aircraft, and then by the discrimination based on the content of my message. The time frame of this incident was approximately XA30. The flight conditions were VFR. It should be noted that media helicopters hovered and flew directly over the stadium the entire time of this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BANNER TOW ACFT IS SENT AWAY FROM THE BWI STADIUM FOR HAULING THE WRONG MESSAGE ON THE BANNER.

Narrative: ON MAY/XA/99 I WAS CONTRACTED TO PULL 7 FT LETTERED BANNERS OVER ORIOLES PARK AT CAMDEN YARDS IN BALTIMORE. PRIOR TO THIS THE FAA ISSUED A TEMPORARY FLT RESTR BANNING FLT OVER THE STADIUM BELOW 1500 FT EXCEPT FOR MEDIA HELIS AND POLICE ACFT. FLYING, I WAS GRANTED PERMISSION TO ENTER CLASS B AIRSPACE AT 1600 FT. AFTER SEVERAL MINS, CTL ASKED WHAT MY BANNER SAID. I REPLIED THAT I DIDN'T READ THEM I JUST FLEW THEM. A MEDIA HELI BELOW ME READ THE MESSAGE TO THE CTLR. IT WAS A POLITICAL STATEMENT. ONCE THE CTLR RECEIVED THE INFO, I WAS ORDERED OUT OF THE AIRSPACE AND TOLD TO STAY 3 MI AWAY FROM THE STADIUM. OVER THE NEXT 2 1/2 HRS, I WAS NOT PERMITTED INTO THE STADIUM AREA. EACH TIME I CALLED FOR CLRNC I WAS ASKED IF I WAS TOWING A BANNER. AFTER REPLYING IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, I WAS DENIED ENTRY. AT ONE POINT, THE CTLR SAID THAT HE WAS ORDERED NOT TO ALLOW BANNER PLANES INTO THE AREA. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT IN THE 4 YRS OF BANNER TOWING IN THE BALTIMORE METRO AREA, I HAVE NEVER BEEN ASKED TO LET THE TWR KNOW THE MESSAGE THAT I WAS PULLING. I FEEL THAT IN THE ATTEMPT TO DENY POLITICAL GROUP THEIR RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH I WAS UNFAIRLY DISCRIMINATED AGAINST -- FIRST BY THE NATURE OF THE TEMPORARY FLT RESTR THAT DID NOT APPLY TO ALL ACFT, AND THEN BY THE DISCRIMINATION BASED ON THE CONTENT OF MY MESSAGE. THE TIME FRAME OF THIS INCIDENT WAS APPROX XA30. THE FLT CONDITIONS WERE VFR. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT MEDIA HELIS HOVERED AND FLEW DIRECTLY OVER THE STADIUM THE ENTIRE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT.

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.