HELI HOVERING AND DROPPING BAG OF FILM OVER PARKING LOT. UNSAFE OP.

Narrative

DURING A NORMAL PHOTO FLT; I INITIATED A LOW LEVEL HOVER OVER AN OPEN PARKING LOT IN ORDER TO LOWER ROLLS OF EXPOSED PHOTO FILM TO A PHOTO LAB IN A SMALL VINYL BAG LOWERED BY A THIN NYLON CORD. UPON STARTING THE OP IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT ALTHOUGH I HAD ROOM TO GO IN THE EVENT OF PWR LOSS; IT WAS NOT A SENSIBLE OP AND NOT TO BE REPEATED. I WAS COMMITTED TO COMPLETING SO I DID AND LEFT THE AREA. UPON INITIATING THE OP I CHKED AVAILABLE PWR AND AREAS TO PUT DOWN IN EVENT OF A PWR LOSS; THERE WAS NO RISK OF TANGLING BECAUSE THE BAG WAS LIGHT AND COULD EASILY BE DROPPED INTO THE OPEN LOT; BUT THE SIT MADE ME UNEASY AND I DID ABORT AND DROP THE BAG 20 FT. NEEDLESS TO SAY; I WAS NOT LOWERING THE BAG MYSELF; MY PHOTOGRAPHER WAS. THE NOISE OF THE HELI ATTRACTED THE ATTN OF SOME PEOPLE ON THE GND INCLUDING A CRUISING POLICE CAR. I CALLED THE LAB IMMEDIATELY UPON LNDG AND THE OFFICER I SPOKE WITH WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE OP AS WAS I. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT AND NO ONE WAS INJURED; HOWEVER; THE OP WILL NOT BE REPEATED BY ME.