Narrative:

I was on a photo flight under part 91 and was requested by the photographer to stabilize the aircraft over automatic dealership (they were the customer, represented by an ad agency) so they could get a shot of the new car and truck selection. I came to a hover over an adjoining field (approximately area was about 40 acres) and the photographer began to role the video camera. He asked me to make a slow approach into the facility. Avoiding people and always maintaining a clear area to make a safe landing, I made the approach and then terminated the approach at about 50' and started my climb back to approximately 100-150' AGL over either a road, driveway or open field. At no time was I directly over bldgs or people when at a hover. However, I did make 3 or 4 slow flts outside the height/velocity diagram (shaded portion). The flight lasted approximately 20 mins. We then left this area and told the tower that we would be doing another photo flight approximately 3 mi further west. At this location we flew at approximately 100' over a shopping center and I maintained an orbit of about 60 mph and was using the parking area and roads as forced landing areas. We flew over this center for about 5 mins and returned to heliport. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states that upon returning to FBO he was notified that a ground observer had complained to FAA. FSDO rep discussed situation with reporter and determined that no further action was necessary. Observer thought situation seemed dangerous.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELICOPTER ON PHOTO MISSION WITH LOW ALT MANEUVERS AND HOVER.

Narrative: I WAS ON A PHOTO FLT UNDER PART 91 AND WAS REQUESTED BY THE PHOTOGRAPHER TO STABILIZE THE ACFT OVER AUTO DEALERSHIP (THEY WERE THE CUSTOMER, REPRESENTED BY AN AD AGENCY) SO THEY COULD GET A SHOT OF THE NEW CAR AND TRUCK SELECTION. I CAME TO A HOVER OVER AN ADJOINING FIELD (APPROX AREA WAS ABOUT 40 ACRES) AND THE PHOTOGRAPHER BEGAN TO ROLE THE VIDEO CAMERA. HE ASKED ME TO MAKE A SLOW APCH INTO THE FAC. AVOIDING PEOPLE AND ALWAYS MAINTAINING A CLEAR AREA TO MAKE A SAFE LNDG, I MADE THE APCH AND THEN TERMINATED THE APCH AT ABOUT 50' AND STARTED MY CLB BACK TO APPROX 100-150' AGL OVER EITHER A ROAD, DRIVEWAY OR OPEN FIELD. AT NO TIME WAS I DIRECTLY OVER BLDGS OR PEOPLE WHEN AT A HOVER. HOWEVER, I DID MAKE 3 OR 4 SLOW FLTS OUTSIDE THE HEIGHT/VELOCITY DIAGRAM (SHADED PORTION). THE FLT LASTED APPROX 20 MINS. WE THEN LEFT THIS AREA AND TOLD THE TWR THAT WE WOULD BE DOING ANOTHER PHOTO FLT APPROX 3 MI FURTHER W. AT THIS LOCATION WE FLEW AT APPROX 100' OVER A SHOPPING CENTER AND I MAINTAINED AN ORBIT OF ABOUT 60 MPH AND WAS USING THE PARKING AREA AND ROADS AS FORCED LNDG AREAS. WE FLEW OVER THIS CENTER FOR ABOUT 5 MINS AND RETURNED TO HELIPORT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES THAT UPON RETURNING TO FBO HE WAS NOTIFIED THAT A GND OBSERVER HAD COMPLAINED TO FAA. FSDO REP DISCUSSED SITUATION WITH RPTR AND DETERMINED THAT NO FURTHER ACTION WAS NECESSARY. OBSERVER THOUGHT SITUATION SEEMED DANGEROUS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.