ACR FLT CREW COMPLAINT REF ATC PROC IN HANDLING ROTARY WING ACFT IN ARPT AREA. CITES EXAMPLES OF CLOSE PROX BETWEEN HELICOPTERS AND FIXED WING ACFT.

Narrative

WE WERE CLRED FOR TAKEOFF ON RWY 28; AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER WE STARTED ROLLING; TVC TWR CLRED A COAST GUARD COPTER TO TAKE OFF FROM THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY. THE TWR TOLD THE COAST GUARD ACFT TO STAY NORTH OF THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY; BUT AS WE WERE AIRBORNE THE HELI ROSE TO 2 - 300' AND STARTED DRIFTING TOWARDS US (OR SO IT APPEARED). WE STARTED AN IMMEDIATE LEFT TURN TO OFFER GREATER SEPARATION. COMMENT: TVC IS VERY LAX IN THEIR MIXING OF ROTARY AND FIXED WING ACFT. IN THE PAST WE HAVE DEPARTED RWY 10 ONLY TO SEE A COAST GUARD HELI COMING RIGHT AT US THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION; AND BEEN CLRED FOR TAKE OFF ONLY TO ABORT AFTER HAVING A HELI ARC OVER OUR ACFT AT 50 - 100' COMING IN FOR A LANDING. IF TVC ATC NEEDS TO LAUNCH COAST GUARD HELIS FOR RESCUE OR DRILLS; FINE; STOP ALL OTHER ATC DEPARTURES AND LET THEM GO. BUT TO CONTINUE THIS UNSAFE MIXING AS DESCRIBED IN THE INCIDENTS I AM WRITING ABOUT IS GOING TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. IN ALL INCIDENTS MENTIONED; COAST GUARD ACFT WERE DOING TRAINING OR NON-CRITICAL OPERATIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR SAYS THAT HE HAS TALKED TO THE TVC TWR FAC MGR ABOUT THE SITUATION; AND THAT THE TWR CHIEF SAID THAT HE AGREED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ATC PROC AND THAT THEY WOULD TRY TO EXERCISE MORE POSITIVE CTL TO SEPARATE HELIS FROM FIXED WING ACFT. RPTR SAYS HE HAS NOT ENCOUNTERED ANY CONFLICTS SINCE THAT CONVERSATION; AND IS SATISFIED THAT SITUATION IS MUCH IMPROVED. HE WILL REPORT AGAIN TO ASRS IF THERE ARE FURTHER PROBLEMS. HELI LNDGS AND TKOFS ARE NORMALLY ON TXWY TO NORTH OF E/W RWY.