A J2 CUB PLT WAS ACCUSED OF FLYING TOO LOW BY A METRO POLICE HELI PATROL. THE RPTR DISPUTES THIS.

Narrative

ON THIS DATE OF JAN/XA/98 I DEPARTED THE ARPT ON MY ANNUAL FLT. AT APPROX XA10 LCL TIME; I DEPARTED VGT ON A L DOWNWIND DEP FROM RWY 7. DEPARTING TO THE W TOWARDS LONE MOUNTAIN; AND CLR OF THE VGT ATA; I TAKE UP A HDG TOWARDS THE NW IN THE DIRECTION OF THE LCL PRACTICE AREA. PROCEEDING ON COURSE AND CLBING TO APPROX 3500 FT MSL; AHEAD AND TO MY LOWER R; I OBSERVED A HELI IN A SLOW R TURN; AS THE HELI CAME AROUND IN HIS R TURN AND FACING MY DIRECTION; I BANKED MY WINGS IN HOPES HE WOULD SEE ME; AND CONTINUED ON MY WAY. ABOUT THIS TIME VGT TWR MADE A CALL TO A METRO POLICE HELI; INFORMING THEM THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER HELI W OF THEM HDG TO LEE CANYON NW OF LAS VEGAS. METRO POLICE HELI ACKNOWLEDGED AND SAID ALSO THAT THEY HAD A SUPER CUB IN THEIR VICINITY (WHICH WAS ME). VGT TWR CALLED ME ADVISING ME TO THE 2 HELIS. I RESPONDED TALLYHO ON BOTH. BEING THAT THIS WAS A FLT WITH NO KNOWN DEST IN MIND; I PROCEEDED TO MAKE SOME CASUAL TURNS TO THE L AND R AND PARTAKING OF THE BEAUTIFUL SCENERY BELOW. AFTER SOME TIME I TAKE UP A HDG TOWARD THE S IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF LONE MOUNTAIN. AS I WAS PROCEEDING ON COURSE TO THE S; I AGAIN OBSERVED A HELI TO MY LOWER L MOVING IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION. AS HE WENT ASTERN; I MADE SOME TURNS TO THE L AND R HOPING TO SEE WHERE AND WHAT HE WAS DOING. I LOST SIGHT OF HIM AND PROCEEDED S AND PASSED JUST TO THE E OF LONE MOUNTAIN. COMING ABEAM OF LONE MOUNTAIN AND THEN FOLLOWING THE NEWLY INSTALLED PWR LINES ALONG THE WESTERN SIDE ON THE NEW LAS VEGAS BELT WAY; STAYING AT 3700 FT MSL; KNOWING THAT THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OF 4000 FT MSL LAY AHEAD IF I WERE TO CONTINUE ON THIS SOUTHERLY HDG. ABEAM OF RED ROCK CANYON; I TURNED W FOLLOWING THE HWY THAT LED TO THE RED ROCK CANYON AREA; SPENDING A FEW MINS THERE AND SATISFIED ALL IS WELL; TURNED AROUND; PROCEEDED IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION FOR THE RETURN FLT TO VGT. I LISTENED TO THE ATIS AT VGT AND THEN CALLED THE VGT TWR; RECEIVED CLRNC TO LAND ON RWY 7; AND TO CALL AT THREE LAKES FOR A STRAIGHT-IN TO RWY 7. A COUPLE OF MI OUT; I CALLED VGT TWR WITH A REQUEST TO MAKE A R TURN AT RWY 12 INTXN. VGT TWR'S RESPONSE WAS APPROVED AS REQUESTED. LNDG WAS EXECUTED SUCCESSFULLY AND RETURNED TO THE HANGAR AREA; PARKING THE ACFT IN FRONT OF HANGAR DOOR. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; A WHITE TRUCK PULLS UP ALONGSIDE OF MY ACFT AND 2 METRO HELI POLICE OFFICERS EXIT FROM THE WHITE PICKUP TRUCK. THE METRO HELI POLICE OFFICERS SAID THAT I WAS FLYING TOO LOW WHEN ABEAM OF SUN CITY SUMMERLIN COMMUNITY AREA; WHICH IS ADJACENT TO THE PWRLINE AND THE BELT PARKWAY JUST S OF LONE MOUNTAIN. THE METRO HELI POLICE OFFICERS ASKED IF I HAVE A PLT LICENSE; AND WOULD I SHOW IT TO THEM. AND WITH THE SAME GREAT PANACHE; I TOO PRODUCED MY PLT LICENSE. THE LICENSE IS EXAMINED AND INFO IS NOTED ON A WRITING PAD. LICENSE IS RETURNED TO ME; THE METRO HELI POLICE OFFICERS INFORM ME NOT TO FLY LOW IN THE SUN CITY SUMMERLIN AREA IN THE FUTURE; AND DEPART. MY ACFT IS A 1937 J2 CUB BUILT BY TAYLOR ACFT COMPANY OF LOCK HAVEN; PA.