Narrative:

We were cleared for takeoff on runway 28, and immediately after we started rolling, tvc tower cleared a coast guard copter to take off from the parallel taxiway. The tower told the coast guard aircraft to stay north of the parallel taxiway, but as we were airborne the helicopter rose to 2 - 300' and started drifting towards us (or so it appeared). We started an immediate left turn to offer greater separation. Comment: tvc is very lax in their mixing of rotary and fixed wing aircraft. In the past we have departed runway 10 only to see a coast guard helicopter coming right at us the opposite direction, and been cleared for take off only to abort after having a helicopter arc over our aircraft at 50 - 100' coming in for a landing. If tvc ATC needs to launch coast guard helicopters for rescue or drills, fine, stop all other ATC departures and let them go. But to continue this unsafe mixing as described in the incidents I am writing about is going to cause an accident. In all incidents mentioned, coast guard aircraft were doing training or non-critical operations. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter says that he has talked to the tvc tower facility manager about the situation, and that the tower chief said that he agreed there was a problem with the ATC procedure and that they would try to exercise more positive control to separate helicopters from fixed wing aircraft. Reporter says he has not encountered any conflicts since that conversation, and is satisfied that situation is much improved. He will report again to ASRS if there are further problems. Helicopter lndgs and takeoffs are normally on taxiway to north of east/west runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW COMPLAINT REF ATC PROC IN HANDLING ROTARY WING ACFT IN ARPT AREA. CITES EXAMPLES OF CLOSE PROX BETWEEN HELICOPTERS AND FIXED WING ACFT.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR TAKEOFF ON RWY 28, AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER WE STARTED ROLLING, TVC TWR CLRED A COAST GUARD COPTER TO TAKE OFF FROM THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY. THE TWR TOLD THE COAST GUARD ACFT TO STAY NORTH OF THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY, BUT AS WE WERE AIRBORNE THE HELI ROSE TO 2 - 300' AND STARTED DRIFTING TOWARDS US (OR SO IT APPEARED). WE STARTED AN IMMEDIATE LEFT TURN TO OFFER GREATER SEPARATION. COMMENT: TVC IS VERY LAX IN THEIR MIXING OF ROTARY AND FIXED WING ACFT. IN THE PAST WE HAVE DEPARTED RWY 10 ONLY TO SEE A COAST GUARD HELI COMING RIGHT AT US THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, AND BEEN CLRED FOR TAKE OFF ONLY TO ABORT AFTER HAVING A HELI ARC OVER OUR ACFT AT 50 - 100' COMING IN FOR A LANDING. IF TVC ATC NEEDS TO LAUNCH COAST GUARD HELIS FOR RESCUE OR DRILLS, FINE, STOP ALL OTHER ATC DEPARTURES AND LET THEM GO. BUT TO CONTINUE THIS UNSAFE MIXING AS DESCRIBED IN THE INCIDENTS I AM WRITING ABOUT IS GOING TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. IN ALL INCIDENTS MENTIONED, COAST GUARD ACFT WERE DOING TRAINING OR NON-CRITICAL OPERATIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR SAYS THAT HE HAS TALKED TO THE TVC TWR FAC MGR ABOUT THE SITUATION, AND THAT THE TWR CHIEF SAID THAT HE AGREED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ATC PROC AND THAT THEY WOULD TRY TO EXERCISE MORE POSITIVE CTL TO SEPARATE HELIS FROM FIXED WING ACFT. RPTR SAYS HE HAS NOT ENCOUNTERED ANY CONFLICTS SINCE THAT CONVERSATION, AND IS SATISFIED THAT SITUATION IS MUCH IMPROVED. HE WILL REPORT AGAIN TO ASRS IF THERE ARE FURTHER PROBLEMS. HELI LNDGS AND TKOFS ARE NORMALLY ON TXWY TO NORTH OF E/W RWY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.