MULTIPLE HELI PLT RPTRS ADVISE BEING DETAINED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER AT IZA AFTER TAKING PART IN AIRBORNE PHOTO SESSION.

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SEVERAL HELIS WERE ORBITING A LCL EVENT IN UNCTLED; RURAL AIRSPACE USING COMMON FREQ 123.02 FOR RPTING AND SPACING. ALL HELIS WERE NOTED TO BE AT LEAST 500 FT AGL AT ALL TIMES. FROM THE GND; LCL SHERIFF JAMMED FREQ 123.02 WITH INCORRECT MESSAGE STATING THAT ALL CIRCLING HELIS IN THE AREA WERE IN VIOLATION OF FAR'S REGARDING ALTS. LATER; ON THE GND AT THE SANTA YNEZ ARPT WHILE PLTS ATTEMPTED TO REFUEL TO GO HOME; SHERIFF STATED THAT; BY DOING A LOW PASS; A PLT HAD CREATED A 'STAMPEDE' OF ANIMALS NEARBY. NO SUCH ANIMALS WERE EVEN IN THE AREA OF THE EVENT. NO SUCH 'STAMPEDE' OCCURRED. SHERIFF DEMANDED TO SEE PLT LICENSES AND ACFT REGISTRATION AND HELD THEM; DELAYING ALL PLTS' DEP BACK TO THEIR HOME BASE. PLTS INFORMED SHERIFF OF THEIR NEED TO DEPART BEFORE SUNSET TO AVOID HAZARDOUS MOUNTAINOUS FLT AT NIGHT IN FOGGY CONDITIONS. SHERIFF WAS UNCOOPERATIVE AND IRRATIONAL. PLTS WERE FORCED TO DEPART FOR A 2 HR FLT BACK TO LOS ANGELES IN VERY POOR CONDITIONS AT NIGHT BECAUSE OF THE DELAY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 664703: A STATEMENT WAS BROADCAST/ANNOUNCED OVER THE AIR-TO-AIR FREQ 123.02 STATING THAT HELIS OVER THE EVENT WERE IN VIOLATION OF 14 CFR 91.119 AND THAT CERTAIN HELIS WERE BEING OPERATED IN A RECKLESS FASHION AT AN ALT OF 100 FT.