HELI TAKING OFF DID SOMETHING TO UPSET A LOT OF PEOPLE; TWR HAD TO INTERVENE TO CHANGE HIS TKOF DIRECTION BECAUSE RPTR MISHEARD CLRNC; ARPT MGR WAS FILING A COMPLAINT; THE OWNER OF A HANGAR ADJACENT TO THE HELIPAD AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE ALL WERE FILING COMPLAINTS.

Narrative

I WAS AT SANTA MONICA ARPT; HOVERING ON THE HELIPAD. I ASKED THE TWR FOR CLRNC TO DEPART STRAIGHT OUT. MY NOSE OF THE HELI WAS POINTING TO THE E. I HEARD THE TWR GIVE ME CLRNC TO HOVER TO THE RWY AND DEPART WITH NO DELAY. I HOVERED TO THE RWY APPROX MIDFIELD AND STARTED TO DEPART TO THE E. AT THAT POINT I HEARD THE TWR TELL ME; 'HELI RWY 21.' I REVERSED COURSE OVER THE RWY AND DEPARTED TO THE W. I DID NOT HEAR THE TWR TELL ME RWY 21 WHEN I GOT CLRNC DUE TO THE FACT THERE WAS A LOT OF TFC ON THE RADIOS. IT COULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE HE TOLD ME RWY 21; I THINK AT THAT TIME THE TWR MIGHT HAVE HAD INTERFERENCE. I MADE MY TURN OVER THE RWY ABRUPTLY; BUT IT WAS A SAFE TURN AND THERE WAS NO TFC AROUND ME ON THE GND OR IN THE AIR. A COMPLAINT IS BEING MADE AGAINST ME FROM THE ARPT MGR AND SOMEONE NAME UNKNOWN THAT OWNS A HANGAR NEXT TO THE HELIPAD. I SPOKE WITH A WOMAN NAMED X AT THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE AT SMO; SHE TOLD ME THERE WAS A COMPLAINT ALSO FROM THE CTLR IN THE TWR AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. I CALLED SANTA MONICA ARPT TWR AND SPOKE TO BOTH THE SUPERVISING CTLR NAMED Y AND THE CTLR THAT I WAS COMMUNICATING WITH AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. HIS NAME IS Z; AND THEY BOTH TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO COMPLAINT FROM THE TWR AND AS FAR AS THEY WERE CONCERNED; MY ACTIONS WERE SAFE AND NOT RECKLESS; WITH NO POSSIBLE THREAT TO ANY ACFT ON THE GND OR IN THE AIR. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS JUST A COM PROB. THE SUPVR TOLD ME THERE WAS NOT GOING TO BE ANY COMPLAINT FILED BY THEM. I CALLED THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE AGAIN AFTER I SPOKE WITH THE SUPVR AND TOLD HER WHAT THE SUPVR HAD TOLD ME. THEY INSISTED THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE IS GOING TO FILE A COMPLAINT. I THINK THIS IS WRONG. IF THE TWR THINKS MY ACTIONS WERE SAFE; WHY WOULD THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE WANT TO MAKE A COMPLAINT ABOUT MY ACTIONS.