POLICE HELI TAKES EVASIVE ACTION TO MISS MOORED KITE WHEN BUZZING FIRE HOUSE.
Synopsis
POLICE HELI TAKES EVASIVE ACTION TO MISS MOORED KITE WHEN BUZZING FIRE HOUSE.
Narrative
WE HELD A KITE FLYING PARTY AT OUR FARM. AT ONE POINT; WE HAD PROBABLY A DOZEN KITES FLYING -- SOME AT ALTS OF 500 FT; PERHAPS EVEN MORE. ONE KITE IN PARTICULAR WAS NOTABLE BECAUSE IT IS 4 FT BY 5 FT AND IS NORMALLY FLOWN ON 250 LB DACRON LINE. ALTHOUGH THIS KITE IS LEGAL UNDER PART 101; I'D HATE TO BE THE ONE TO RUN INTO IT IN ANY ACFT. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT; THIS KITE WAS FLYING AT PERHAPS 350 FT AGL. WITH VERY LITTLE WARNING; A GOV OFFICIAL HELI MADE A VERY LOW HIGH SPD PASS OVER THE FIELD. AS AN INST RATED PLT MYSELF; I'D SAY HIS ALT WAS LESS THAN 200 FT AGL. HE MUST HAVE SEEN IT BECAUSE AFTER FLYING RIGHT PAST THE KITE; HE SUDDENLY REVERSED COURSE AND CAREFULLY CIRCLED THE FIELD. THE PLT OF THIS HELI IS FORTUNATE I WAS UNABLE TO READ HIS TAIL NUMBER DUE TO HIS HIGH SPD. LATER THAT AFTERNOON; SOMEONE CLAIMING TO BE THE PLT CAME OVER TO APOLOGIZE. HE CLAIMED HE WAS BUZZING HIS FRIENDS AT THE FIRE HOUSE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD. HE SAID HE LOOKED UP AND SAW THIS LARGE KITE. MY FRIENDS CONSOLED HIM; THANKING OUR LUCK THAT HE HADN'T BEEN THERE 5 MINS EARLIER; FOR HE SURELY WOULD HAVE HIT SOMETHING THEN. WHILE IT'S TRUE; THE HELI PLTS BEARS THE BRUNT OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS INCIDENT; I AM NOT BLAMELESS EITHER. I KNOW THAT GOV OFFICIAL HELIS OFTEN LAND BEHIND A FIRE STATION AND ALSO BEHIND AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO THE E OF MY FARM. I ALSO AM AWARE OF EXTENSIVE TRAINING ACTIVITY FROM 500 FT AGL AND UP. AS IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH; THERE IS EXTENSIVE ULTRALIGHT ACTIVITY IN MY AREA TOO. PART 101 DOES SAY WE; AS KITE FLIERS; SHOULD NOT PRESENT A HAZARD TO OTHER AVIATION ACTIVITIES. IN THAT LIGHT; I INTEND TO DISCUSS THIS ISSUE WITH MY LCL FSS TO SEE IF THEY CAN PUT OUT A NOTAM CONCERNING OUR ACTIVITY. THE KITE PARTY WAS A WONDERFUL SUCCESS AND I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO DOING THIS AGAIN NEXT YR. BUT I REALLY DON'T WANT ANOTHER NEAR MISS LIKE THAT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.