NO REAL ANOMOLY OCCURRED EXCEPT A VERY UPSET CONSERVATION OFFICER.

Narrative

IN THE EVENING I GOT A CALL FROM TV REQUESTING AN AIR TRIP TO THE WEST BRANCH AREA WHERE THERE WAS A BIG FIRE FOR THE PURPOSE OF GETTING VIDEO SHOTS OF SAME FOR THE EVENING NEWS. AS AGREED ON A DEP FROM CLEMENTS ARPT IN BAY CITY; I TOOK OFF WITH A CAMERA MAN FOR CHANNEL X TV. ON THE WAY UP I CHKED SAGINAW TWR; ATIS--SKY CLR; BAROMETER--30.08; TEMP IN THE 80'S AND NO NOTAMS. WE FOUND THE FIRE FROM THE LARGE SMOKE CLOUD WE SAW ABOUT 15 MI N OF WEST BRANCH. WE FLEW AROUND AT ABOUT 2000' AGL AND COMPLETED 1 CIRCUIT OF THE FIRE AREA. WE SAW 1 OTHER PLANE THERE AND ASSUMED IT WAS A SPECTATOR OR ANOTHER CAMERA CREW DOING THE SAME THING THAT WE WERE. I DROPPED DOWN TO 600-800' AGL AND COMMENCED SLOW FLT SO THAT THE CAMERA WOULD BE AS STEADY AS POSSIBLE. I HAD JUST ABOUT COMPLETED A SECOND CIRCUIT OF THE AREA WHEN A GREEN AND WHITE PLANE; AND SMA; PASSED ABOUT 100' ON MY LEFT; AT THE SAME ALT; GOT AHEAD 200-300' AND TURNED INTO MY PATH OF TRAVEL; FORCING ME TO MAKE A 180 DEG RIGHT TURN TO AVOID HIM. IN ABOUT A MINUTE HE APPEARED OFF MY RIGHT WING AND TURNED INTO ME AGAIN FORCING ME TO TURN LEFT. I SAW HIM CLEARLY IN THE COCKPIT; SO I WAVED MY MIC AT HIM TRYING TO MAKE CONTACT ON THE RADIO; FIRST ON 122.75 AND 122.8. I GUESS HE HAD BEEN TRYING TO GET MY ATTN TO THE RADIO. HE SAID HE WAS A CONSERVATION OFFICER: 'GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE; I HAVE YOUR NUMBER AND I WILL RPT YOU.' I TRIED TO EXPLAIN MY PURPOSE OF BEING THERE; BUT HE REPEATED HIS DEMAND; SO I LEFT IMMEDIATELY. THE NEXT MORNING I GOT A CALL FROM CHIEF OF PHOTOGRAPHY AT CHANNEL X TV ASKING ME TO GO BACK TO THE AREA TO GET SOME MORE VIDEO OF THE FIRE. I EXPLAINED MY DIFFICULTIES OF THE EVENING BEFORE SO HE CALLED SAGINAW AND LANSING TWRS TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY RESTRICTIONS IN THE AREA. ASSURED THAT THERE WERE NONE I LEFT AGAIN ABOUT XX AM FOR THE FIRE AREA. AGAIN I CHKED ATIS--NO NOTAMS. AS I APCHED THE AREA I CALLED ON THE RADIO ABOUT 6 TIMES FOR ANY CONSERVATION ACFT IN THE VICINITY SO I COULD EXPLAIN MY ACTIONS--NO RESPONSE. AS I DID THE PREVIOUS DAY I CIRCLED AT 2000' AGL; THEN DROPPED DOWN TO ABOUT 600' AGL FOR CLOSER SHOTS OF THE BURNED OUT AREA. AGAIN AS I HAD JUST ABOUT FINISHED THE SECOND CIRCUIT A PLANE APPEARED OFF MY LEFT; 300-400'; BEIGE AND WHITE. THE PLANE WAS DIFFERENT; BUT NO MISTAKE THAT IT WAS THE SAME PLT. AGAIN THE ORDER TO GET OUT OF THE AREA AND AGAIN THE THREAT TO RPT ME 'FOR SURE.' I LEFT IMMEDIATELY. THIS TIME THE CAMERAMAN GOT SOME SHOTS OF THE PLANE AND AUDIO OFF THE RADIO. THAT AFTERNOON I CALLED MR. X AT THE FAA IN GRAND RAPIDS AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO HIM. HE DID NOT SEE ME IN VIOLATION OF ANYTHING AND REFERRED ME TO A MR Y IN MARQUETTE; MI. CHIEF PLT FOR THE DNR WHO ALSO EXPRESSED THE SAME OPINION IF THE FACTS WERE AS STATED. AS OF THIS WRITING I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY VIOLATION ON MY PART. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR INDICATES NO FOLLOW UP OR ACTION BY ANY AGENCY AGAINST HIM. HOWEVER; DNR CHIEF IS VERY DISTURBED ABOUT HIS OFFICER'S BEHAVIOR IN THE MATTER AND INTENDS TO FOLLOW UP. THERE WERE NO OTHER PLANES IN THE AREA; NO FIRE FIGHTING ACFT.