Narrative:

This event was a local photo flight of a golf course. Obtained permission from owners for flight. Photographer wanted low level shot of fairways and greens. I informed photographer that the golf course could not have any golfers on it at the time of the shoot. On the day of the shoot, the photographer informed me that there was a tournament in progress. On the flight, I informed him we could not do the low level work he required. We instead did high altitude (300 to 500 AGL) work only. He informed that this would not work and agreed to do another shoot in the morning when there would be no golfers. The next morning we did low level photography of the golf course. This consisted of hovering over fairways and greens. At no time did I fly over any persons or houses along the course at an unsafe altitude. In the event of a power failure, I feel confident I could have made a safe landing without injury to persons or property on the surface. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he was not contacted by the FAA regarding a possible violation of the regulations but wondered if he should have had a 'movie making operations manual.' he was advised that the movie manual was for the purpose of making movies containing people and vehicles wherein low flts below prescribed minimums were involved. However, his flight, since it was near houses close to the golf course, should have advance notice to the local FSDO and have the golf course owner notify the surrounding neighborhood due to the possible citizen complaints.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA HELI FLEW LOW OVER, AND HOVERED ABOVE, A GOLF COURSE FOR THE PURPOSE OF TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS.

Narrative: THIS EVENT WAS A LCL PHOTO FLT OF A GOLF COURSE. OBTAINED PERMISSION FROM OWNERS FOR FLT. PHOTOGRAPHER WANTED LOW LEVEL SHOT OF FAIRWAYS AND GREENS. I INFORMED PHOTOGRAPHER THAT THE GOLF COURSE COULD NOT HAVE ANY GOLFERS ON IT AT THE TIME OF THE SHOOT. ON THE DAY OF THE SHOOT, THE PHOTOGRAPHER INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A TOURNAMENT IN PROGRESS. ON THE FLT, I INFORMED HIM WE COULD NOT DO THE LOW LEVEL WORK HE REQUIRED. WE INSTEAD DID HIGH ALT (300 TO 500 AGL) WORK ONLY. HE INFORMED THAT THIS WOULD NOT WORK AND AGREED TO DO ANOTHER SHOOT IN THE MORNING WHEN THERE WOULD BE NO GOLFERS. THE NEXT MORNING WE DID LOW LEVEL PHOTOGRAPHY OF THE GOLF COURSE. THIS CONSISTED OF HOVERING OVER FAIRWAYS AND GREENS. AT NO TIME DID I FLY OVER ANY PERSONS OR HOUSES ALONG THE COURSE AT AN UNSAFE ALT. IN THE EVENT OF A PWR FAILURE, I FEEL CONFIDENT I COULD HAVE MADE A SAFE LNDG WITHOUT INJURY TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY ON THE SURFACE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS NOT CONTACTED BY THE FAA REGARDING A POSSIBLE VIOLATION OF THE REGS BUT WONDERED IF HE SHOULD HAVE HAD A 'MOVIE MAKING OPS MANUAL.' HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE MOVIE MANUAL WAS FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING MOVIES CONTAINING PEOPLE AND VEHICLES WHEREIN LOW FLTS BELOW PRESCRIBED MINIMUMS WERE INVOLVED. HOWEVER, HIS FLT, SINCE IT WAS NEAR HOUSES CLOSE TO THE GOLF COURSE, SHOULD HAVE ADVANCE NOTICE TO THE LCL FSDO AND HAVE THE GOLF COURSE OWNER NOTIFY THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD DUE TO THE POSSIBLE CITIZEN COMPLAINTS.

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.