H1P PLT WAS GIVEN A SUMMONS BY A LCL AUTH.

Narrative

THIS WAS A PHOTOGRAPHY FLT WITH A COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHER. HAVING WORKED WITH HIM ONCE PREVIOUSLY; I KNEW HE HAD SPECIFIC; WELL IDENTED SITES; WHICH WOULD ASSIST MY FLT PLANNING. WE DISCUSSED THE LOCATIONS; AND HE INDICATED THAT HE HAD PERMISSION FROM THE HOMEOWNERS; AND HAD OR WOULD CALL THE LCL TOWN POLICE. ADDITIONALLY; THE FLT WAS SCHEDULED FOR A WKDAY TO CUT DOWN ON ANNOYANCE TO WKEND VACATIONERS. THERE WAS MORE THAN A DAY OF LOCATIONS TO SHOOT; AND 1 ORIGINALLY PLANNED SITE AREA WAS SPECIFICALLY DEFERRED BECAUSE OF THE PROX TO A KENNEDY HOME. FLT PLANNING INCLUDED A REVIEW OF THE POSSIBLE PHOTO SITES; A SELECTION OF AN ARPT FOR REFUELING; AND A CALL TO THAT ARPT WITH A GENERAL MENTION OF WHAT TYPE OF FLT IT WAS. A DUAT WX BRIEFING WAS OBTAINED THE MORNING OF THE FLT; WITH A FOLLOW-UP CALL TO THE LCL FSS TO DISCUSS SOME NOTAMS. THE FLT DEPARTED WESTERLY; RI; AFTER A DISCUSSION OF WHICH SITES WERE FIRST PRIORITY BEFORE A FUEL STOP. FLT PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY TO LONG ISLAND; AND PHOTOS WERE TAKEN IN THE AREA OF EAST HAMPTON. WHILE A RESIDENTIAL AREA; THE SITES WERE SUCH THAT RTES COULD BE SELECTED -- OVER WATER; TREES; OPEN AREAS -- TO MINIMIZE UNACCEPTABLE OVERFLYING AS WELL AS AFFORD POSSIBLE EMER AREAS. FLYING WAS ALSO DONE WITH REGARD TO THE ACFT HT/VELOCITY DIAGRAM. SOME FLT PATHS AND ALTS WERE REQUESTED BY THE PHOTOGRAPHER BUT REFUSED BY THE PLT BASED ON OVERLY CONSIDERATIONS. THIS WAS NOT A PROB TO THE PHOTOGRAPHER. UPON STOPPING AT THE LCL ARPT FOR FUEL; THE PLT WAS PRESENTED WITH AN 'EAST HAMPTON VILLAGE CODE SUMMONS' FOR FLYING AT LESS THAN 1000 FT. THE PHOTOGRAPHER SPENT SOME TIME TRYING TO SORT THIS OUT; HAVING BEEN UNAWARE OF THIS VILLAGE AS A GOVERNING ENTITY. DISCUSSION: NORMAL; REASONABLE PLANNING WAS DONE FOR THIS FLT. THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED ACCORDING TO FAA REGS. THE NEW YORK STATE AVIATION REGS MIRROR THE FAA RULES FOR HELI FLT ALTS. FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S PERSPECTIVE; HE DID THE CORRECT PREPARATION FOR A LEGAL AND MINIMALLY INVASIVE FLT. AS A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER IT IS IN HIS INTEREST TO BE ABLE TO DO ADDITIONAL FLTS IN THE SAME AREA. FROM THE PLT'S PERSPECTIVE; THERE IS A FULL AWARENESS OF THE REQUIREMENT TO FLY NEIGHBORLY AS WELL AS SAFELY. HELIS IN PARTICULAR SEEM TO BE VULNERABLE TO COMPLAINTS. SOME OF THIS IS LIKELY DUE TO THE INHERENT NOISE CHARACTERISTICS; SOME DUE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC NOT BEING AWARE OF EITHER THE REQUIREMENTS OR UNIQUE CAPABILITIES OF THE HELI. SOLUTION CONSIDERATIONS: UNFORTUNATELY; IN THIS CASE THERE EXISTS A VILLAGE REG GOVERNING AIRSPACE THAT CONFLICTS WITH FAA REGS. THERE IS NO REASONABLE WAY FOR THE AVERAGE PLT TO KNOW ABOUT SUCH A REG. ONE SOLUTION MIGHT BE TO BETTER EDUCATE THE LCL PUBLIC AND GET THEIR REG ALIGNED WITH THE FAA RULES. OR IF THERE IS INDEED SOME REASON; SUCH AS SAFETY; FOR THE HIGHER FLT ALTS; THEN THIS INFO NEEDS TO BE MADE READILY AVAILABLE TO PLTS.