A CPR JET FLT CREW TURNS AGGRESSIVELY AFTER DEP TO AVOID HELI'S AND QUESTIONS WHY THE BUR TWR WOULD ALLOW THEM THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Narrative

ON IFR DEP FROM BUR IN VMC CONDITIONS; WE WERE ASSIGNED THE VNY SID; WHICH REQUIRES AN IMMEDIATE; AS SOON AS PRACTICAL; R TURN TO 210 DEG HDG AFTER TKOF. THE TWR CAB ALSO ASKED US IF WE SAW HELI'S LOCATED OFF THE DEP END OF THE RWY. WE ACKNOWLEDGED 4 HOVERING HELI'S IN SIGHT; SPACED EVENLY FROM 10 O'CLOCK POS TO 2 O'CLOCK POS; DIRECTLY OFF THE DEP END OF RWY 15; AND AT AN ALT THAT PUT THEM DIRECTLY IN THE DEP CLB PATH. THE HELI'S WERE TV NEWS MEDIA. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF; AND INSTRUCTED TO AVOID THE HELI'S. AFTER GEAR RETRACTION; AT ABOUT 200 FT AGL WE BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE R TURN TO 210 DEG HDG; SINCE CONTINUING ANY FURTHER ALONG THE EXTENDED CTRLINE WOULD HAVE PUT US AMONG THE HELI'S AND TRYING TO MANEUVER BTWN THEM -- NOT A COMFORTABLE SIT. THE PROMPT TURN PUT US CLR OF THE GROUP; WITH ALL 4 HELI'S VISIBLE OUT OUR FORWARD AND L WINDOW; ALTHOUGH SOMEWHAT CLOSE TO THE END HELI IN THE GROUP. AS WE CONTINUED OUR CLB; THE END HELI CLOSEST TO OUR PATH DSNDED AND MOVED AWAY FROM OUR PATH TOWARD THE ADJACENT HELI. THE TWR CAB SAID 'WELL; THAT'S ONE WAY TO GET OUT OF HERE;' AND HANDED US OFF TO SOCAL DEP CTL. BEFORE CHANGING FREQS; WE HEARD SOMEONE; PRESUMABLY THE HELI PLT; KEY THE MIKE AND MUTTER 'JERK.' ON REFLECTION; I FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS AND MANEUVERED SO AS TO AVOID THE STATIONARY TARGETS HOVERING OFF THE END OF THE RWY LIKE A FLOCK OF BIRDS. APPARENTLY ONE OF THE HELI PLTS THOUGHT A NEAR MISS WAS DEVELOPING AND MOVED AWAY SLIGHTLY; ALTHOUGH I WAS CONFIDENT OF AVOIDING HIM; ESPECIALLY WITH THE AVAILABLE ESCAPE OF TURNING EVEN FURTHER R IF NECESSARY. BUT WHY DID THE TWR ALLOW THESE GUYS TO SIT THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE? TV OWNS THE AIRSPACE?