Narrative:

Sedona airport (sez) is in class G airspace. The only runway (runway 3/21) slopes downhill from north to south. Airplanes normally land uphill and take off downhill when winds are light. There is a transient heliport at the southwest end of the runway. Taxiway construction has closed the middle third of the parallel, requiring back-taxi on the runway, causing congestion and confusion for transient airplane traffic. On jun/xa/99, with significant transient and local tour airplane traffic, a flight of 3 military cobra helicopters arrived. They asserted the right-of-way accorded formation flts and executed an approach to runway 21 while airplanes waited. The formation then slowly air taxied the length of the runway, past the restaurant and terminal. I was waiting to take off and cross the runway behind them (in a helicopter). I asked if they knew where the helipads were. They said yes, and I verified they were landing there, also affirmative. After the last cobra passed, I hover taxied across the runway and diverged from their route to their parking spots, a luxury not enjoyed by the airplanes waiting. Later, another flight of 4 cobra helicopters arrived and did the same approach to the north end of the runway with a slow air taxi down the runway to the south parking area while airplane traffic waited to back-taxi. It appeared these military pilots were taking advantage of the opportunity to display their aircraft for spectators at runway center, rather than expeditiously clearing the fixed-wing pattern and landing. Apparently far 91.126(a)(2) requiring helicopters to avoid the flow of the fixed-wing aircraft is unfamiliar to them. I am also submitting a proposed change to the aim, section 4-3-17 to: 1) amend the title of the section to read, 'VFR helicopter operations at airports.' 2) add a new paragraph 4-3-17c5 to read, 'at airports without control towers, helicopters should announce their intentions on CTAF. They normally exit the airport area from their takeoff location expeditiously, and when landing normally proceed directly to their destination on the airport. Helicopters avoid the flow of fixed-wing aircraft, and are not expected to use the fixed-wing aircraft pattern unless noise abatement procedures recommend doing so.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN AIR TAXI TOUR HELI RPTS A FORMATION OF MIL HELIS APCHED THE UNCTLED ARPT AT WHICH HE WAS WAITING ON THE HELIPAD FOR TKOF AND AIR TAXIED THE FULL LENGTH OF THE RWY TO PARKING.

Narrative: SEDONA ARPT (SEZ) IS IN CLASS G AIRSPACE. THE ONLY RWY (RWY 3/21) SLOPES DOWNHILL FROM N TO S. AIRPLANES NORMALLY LAND UPHILL AND TAKE OFF DOWNHILL WHEN WINDS ARE LIGHT. THERE IS A TRANSIENT HELIPORT AT THE SW END OF THE RWY. TXWY CONSTRUCTION HAS CLOSED THE MIDDLE THIRD OF THE PARALLEL, REQUIRING BACK-TAXI ON THE RWY, CAUSING CONGESTION AND CONFUSION FOR TRANSIENT AIRPLANE TFC. ON JUN/XA/99, WITH SIGNIFICANT TRANSIENT AND LCL TOUR AIRPLANE TFC, A FLT OF 3 MIL COBRA HELIS ARRIVED. THEY ASSERTED THE RIGHT-OF-WAY ACCORDED FORMATION FLTS AND EXECUTED AN APCH TO RWY 21 WHILE AIRPLANES WAITED. THE FORMATION THEN SLOWLY AIR TAXIED THE LENGTH OF THE RWY, PAST THE RESTAURANT AND TERMINAL. I WAS WAITING TO TAKE OFF AND CROSS THE RWY BEHIND THEM (IN A HELI). I ASKED IF THEY KNEW WHERE THE HELIPADS WERE. THEY SAID YES, AND I VERIFIED THEY WERE LNDG THERE, ALSO AFFIRMATIVE. AFTER THE LAST COBRA PASSED, I HOVER TAXIED ACROSS THE RWY AND DIVERGED FROM THEIR RTE TO THEIR PARKING SPOTS, A LUXURY NOT ENJOYED BY THE AIRPLANES WAITING. LATER, ANOTHER FLT OF 4 COBRA HELIS ARRIVED AND DID THE SAME APCH TO THE N END OF THE RWY WITH A SLOW AIR TAXI DOWN THE RWY TO THE S PARKING AREA WHILE AIRPLANE TFC WAITED TO BACK-TAXI. IT APPEARED THESE MIL PLTS WERE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISPLAY THEIR ACFT FOR SPECTATORS AT RWY CTR, RATHER THAN EXPEDITIOUSLY CLRING THE FIXED-WING PATTERN AND LNDG. APPARENTLY FAR 91.126(A)(2) REQUIRING HELIS TO AVOID THE FLOW OF THE FIXED-WING ACFT IS UNFAMILIAR TO THEM. I AM ALSO SUBMITTING A PROPOSED CHANGE TO THE AIM, SECTION 4-3-17 TO: 1) AMEND THE TITLE OF THE SECTION TO READ, 'VFR HELI OPS AT ARPTS.' 2) ADD A NEW PARAGRAPH 4-3-17C5 TO READ, 'AT ARPTS WITHOUT CTL TWRS, HELIS SHOULD ANNOUNCE THEIR INTENTIONS ON CTAF. THEY NORMALLY EXIT THE ARPT AREA FROM THEIR TKOF LOCATION EXPEDITIOUSLY, AND WHEN LNDG NORMALLY PROCEED DIRECTLY TO THEIR DEST ON THE ARPT. HELIS AVOID THE FLOW OF FIXED-WING ACFT, AND ARE NOT EXPECTED TO USE THE FIXED-WING ACFT PATTERN UNLESS NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS RECOMMEND DOING SO.'

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.