A COMMERCIAL PLT TOOK OFF IN AN SMA HELI FROM A DESIGNATED CLASS E NON TWR ARPT WHEN WX CONDITIONS REQUIRED A SVFR CLRNC. THE PLT DID NOT HAVE A CLRNC; OR BELIEVED THAT HE NEEDED ONE; SINCE HE WAS OPERATING A HELI WHEN THE FLT VISIBILITY MET THE HELI FLT VISIBILITY REQUIREMENT.

Date: 1998-08 · Aircraft: Helicopter

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|inflight-event-encounter-vfr-in-imc|other-airspace-violation-entry-or-exit|other-unspecified

Synopsis

A COMMERCIAL PLT TOOK OFF IN AN SMA HELI FROM A DESIGNATED CLASS E NON TWR ARPT WHEN WX CONDITIONS REQUIRED A SVFR CLRNC. THE PLT DID NOT HAVE A CLRNC; OR BELIEVED THAT HE NEEDED ONE; SINCE HE WAS OPERATING A HELI WHEN THE FLT VISIBILITY MET THE HELI FLT VISIBILITY REQUIREMENT.

Narrative

DEPARTING NEWPORT ARPT; AT THE TIME OF DEP; THE W HALF OF THE ARPT WAS STARTING TO FOG IN. I HOVER-TAXIED TO THE FAR E END OF THE ARPT AND WAS ABLE TO TAKE OFF IN BLUE SKIES AND UNLIMITED VISIBILITY. THIS ARPT IS SET UP FOR A CTL ZONE WHEN THE VISIBILITY IS LESS THAN 3 MI AND A 1000 FT CEILING. THERE WAS ANOTHER HELI IN THE PATTERN WHOM I WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH. HE GAVE ME PERMISSION TO TAKE OFF FIRST AND THEN HE WENT IN AND LANDED. ALL OF THIS WAS DONE VFR ON THE E END OF THE FIELD WHILE THE W END WAS FOGGED IN. THE STANDARD FOR THE OTHER ARPTS WITH CTL TWRS HAS BEEN IF I WAS INSIDE OF THEIR CTL ZONE AND IT WAS IN EFFECT; THEY HAVE ALLOWED ME TO WORK INSIDE THE CTL ZONE WITHOUT A SPECIAL VFR IF I WAS IN THE STANDARD VFR CONDITIONS. ALL I NEEDED TO DO WAS MAKE RPTS OF MY LOCATIONS WHILE WORKING IN THEIR AIRSPACE. AS LONG AS I WAS VFR; I DID NOT NEED A SPECIAL VFR TO BE INSIDE THE AIRSPACE. MY POINT TO ALL OF THIS IS THAT IT IS NOT TAUGHT TO NEW STUDENTS THIS WAY SO IT BECOMES MORE LIKE JUST A STORY WHEN AN OLDER PLT DOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS. IT IS LEGAL TO DO BUT NOT GOOD FOR STUDENTS TO SEE. NOT SURE OF HOW OR WHERE TO MAKE A POINT OF THIS; OR IF MAYBE IT IS NOT A RELATIVE POINT TO MAKE AT ALL. HOPE THIS IS NOT TOO CONFUSING; AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.