PLT OF AN AIR TAXI TOUR HELI RPTS A FORMATION OF MIL HELIS APCHED THE UNCTLED ARPT AT WHICH HE WAS WAITING ON THE HELIPAD FOR TKOF AND AIR TAXIED THE FULL LENGTH OF THE RWY TO PARKING.

Narrative

SEDONA ARPT (SEZ) IS IN CLASS G AIRSPACE. THE ONLY RWY (RWY 3/21) SLOPES DOWNHILL FROM N TO S. AIRPLANES NORMALLY LAND UPHILL AND TAKE OFF DOWNHILL WHEN WINDS ARE LIGHT. THERE IS A TRANSIENT HELIPORT AT THE SW END OF THE RWY. TXWY CONSTRUCTION HAS CLOSED THE MIDDLE THIRD OF THE PARALLEL; REQUIRING BACK-TAXI ON THE RWY; CAUSING CONGESTION AND CONFUSION FOR TRANSIENT AIRPLANE TFC. ON JUN/XA/99; WITH SIGNIFICANT TRANSIENT AND LCL TOUR AIRPLANE TFC; A FLT OF 3 MIL COBRA HELIS ARRIVED. THEY ASSERTED THE RIGHT-OF-WAY ACCORDED FORMATION FLTS AND EXECUTED AN APCH TO RWY 21 WHILE AIRPLANES WAITED. THE FORMATION THEN SLOWLY AIR TAXIED THE LENGTH OF THE RWY; PAST THE RESTAURANT AND TERMINAL. I WAS WAITING TO TAKE OFF AND CROSS THE RWY BEHIND THEM (IN A HELI). I ASKED IF THEY KNEW WHERE THE HELIPADS WERE. THEY SAID YES; AND I VERIFIED THEY WERE LNDG THERE; ALSO AFFIRMATIVE. AFTER THE LAST COBRA PASSED; I HOVER TAXIED ACROSS THE RWY AND DIVERGED FROM THEIR RTE TO THEIR PARKING SPOTS; A LUXURY NOT ENJOYED BY THE AIRPLANES WAITING. LATER; ANOTHER FLT OF 4 COBRA HELIS ARRIVED AND DID THE SAME APCH TO THE N END OF THE RWY WITH A SLOW AIR TAXI DOWN THE RWY TO THE S PARKING AREA WHILE AIRPLANE TFC WAITED TO BACK-TAXI. IT APPEARED THESE MIL PLTS WERE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISPLAY THEIR ACFT FOR SPECTATORS AT RWY CTR; RATHER THAN EXPEDITIOUSLY CLRING THE FIXED-WING PATTERN AND LNDG. APPARENTLY FAR 91.126(A)(2) REQUIRING HELIS TO AVOID THE FLOW OF THE FIXED-WING ACFT IS UNFAMILIAR TO THEM. I AM ALSO SUBMITTING A PROPOSED CHANGE TO THE AIM; SECTION 4-3-17 TO: 1) AMEND THE TITLE OF THE SECTION TO READ; 'VFR HELI OPS AT ARPTS.' 2) ADD A NEW PARAGRAPH 4-3-17C5 TO READ; 'AT ARPTS WITHOUT CTL TWRS; HELIS SHOULD ANNOUNCE THEIR INTENTIONS ON CTAF. THEY NORMALLY EXIT THE ARPT AREA FROM THEIR TKOF LOCATION EXPEDITIOUSLY; AND WHEN LNDG NORMALLY PROCEED DIRECTLY TO THEIR DEST ON THE ARPT. HELIS AVOID THE FLOW OF FIXED-WING ACFT; AND ARE NOT EXPECTED TO USE THE FIXED-WING ACFT PATTERN UNLESS NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS RECOMMEND DOING SO.'