Narrative:

'Called landing assured at xyz helipad, will call airborne for repos to ZZZ helipad.' controller acknowledged. Upon departure, ATC was notified 'EMS airborne xyz pad direct city pad south of city with traffic in sight.' ATC stated 'do you have light transport for runway 15 circle to 4L in sight.' I acknowledged. Maintaining visual, aircraft no factor and landing assured city helipad, short final, ATC gave me telephone number to call. Called ATC and they questioned my operation in the TCA without a clearance and controller's problems with this operation with their use on the circle to land approachs and helicopter movement on this side of the city. Normal operations in ZZZ at these pads is known by all. Aircraft generally must be airborne before radio communication is available with the tower, xyz pad especially, and aircraft must be 200-300 ft before positive communication is available. This is why we use 'will call airborne on the landing assured note.' the distance between the 2 pads is 1.4 NM and city pad is 2.6 from ZZZ VOR and 1.3 NM from airport latitude/longitude. It was VFR at the time and circle to land to runway 4L in effect and for my 6 yrs operating out of ZZZ, my procedure was the norm. The controller failed to give clearance to operate in TCA but requested my visual on traffic which I gave him. He was busy and appeared overloaded with traffic. That's why we operate at 300 ft AGL and avoid flow of fixed wing traffic until clearance is received. I called tower and all seemed ok, but I intend to check with plans and procedures for a better plan for this issue. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that often ZZZ has controller for helicopter traffic only. The landing zone is in TCA so communication prior to liftoff impossible due to surroundings. Usually not a problem, but this day, ZZZ was shorthanded and no extra controller. States only very rarely declares 'life flight' as he feels this is disruptive to controller. Will use this call sign in extreme emergencys.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMS HELI UNABLE CONTACT FROM PAD LIFTS OFF THEN CONTACTS TWR FOR CLRNC.

Narrative: 'CALLED LNDG ASSURED AT XYZ HELIPAD, WILL CALL AIRBORNE FOR REPOS TO ZZZ HELIPAD.' CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED. UPON DEP, ATC WAS NOTIFIED 'EMS AIRBORNE XYZ PAD DIRECT CITY PAD S OF CITY WITH TFC IN SIGHT.' ATC STATED 'DO YOU HAVE LTT FOR RWY 15 CIRCLE TO 4L IN SIGHT.' I ACKNOWLEDGED. MAINTAINING VISUAL, ACFT NO FACTOR AND LNDG ASSURED CITY HELIPAD, SHORT FINAL, ATC GAVE ME TELEPHONE NUMBER TO CALL. CALLED ATC AND THEY QUESTIONED MY OP IN THE TCA WITHOUT A CLRNC AND CTLR'S PROBLEMS WITH THIS OP WITH THEIR USE ON THE CIRCLE TO LAND APCHS AND HELI MOVEMENT ON THIS SIDE OF THE CITY. NORMAL OPS IN ZZZ AT THESE PADS IS KNOWN BY ALL. ACFT GENERALLY MUST BE AIRBORNE BEFORE RADIO COM IS AVAILABLE WITH THE TWR, XYZ PAD ESPECIALLY, AND ACFT MUST BE 200-300 FT BEFORE POSITIVE COM IS AVAILABLE. THIS IS WHY WE USE 'WILL CALL AIRBORNE ON THE LNDG ASSURED NOTE.' THE DISTANCE BTWN THE 2 PADS IS 1.4 NM AND CITY PAD IS 2.6 FROM ZZZ VOR AND 1.3 NM FROM ARPT LATITUDE/LONGITUDE. IT WAS VFR AT THE TIME AND CIRCLE TO LAND TO RWY 4L IN EFFECT AND FOR MY 6 YRS OPERATING OUT OF ZZZ, MY PROC WAS THE NORM. THE CTLR FAILED TO GIVE CLRNC TO OPERATE IN TCA BUT REQUESTED MY VISUAL ON TFC WHICH I GAVE HIM. HE WAS BUSY AND APPEARED OVERLOADED WITH TFC. THAT'S WHY WE OPERATE AT 300 FT AGL AND AVOID FLOW OF FIXED WING TFC UNTIL CLRNC IS RECEIVED. I CALLED TWR AND ALL SEEMED OK, BUT I INTEND TO CHK WITH PLANS AND PROCS FOR A BETTER PLAN FOR THIS ISSUE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT OFTEN ZZZ HAS CTLR FOR HELI TFC ONLY. THE LNDG ZONE IS IN TCA SO COM PRIOR TO LIFTOFF IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO SURROUNDINGS. USUALLY NOT A PROBLEM, BUT THIS DAY, ZZZ WAS SHORTHANDED AND NO EXTRA CTLR. STATES ONLY VERY RARELY DECLARES 'LIFE FLT' AS HE FEELS THIS IS DISRUPTIVE TO CTLR. WILL USE THIS CALL SIGN IN EXTREME EMERS.

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.