Narrative:

This event came as a result of a military exercise within 5 NM (class C surface area) radius of a level III international airport. The military helicopters are operating outside their (briefed) assigned rtes and with minimal aircraft lighting (aircraft passed 1/2 NM west of tower and could not be seen!). At this particular time of night, savannah airport had several arrs to runway 3L. These helicopters were not on their rtes and in most cases 'circling' over reporting points, which conflicted with arrs and departures. Traffic calls were issued, but generally with no responses. Not 'one' arrival or departure saw a helicopter during the traffic exchange. These types of sits are very commonplace at savannah, provide service at all cost and the controllers will be the safety net. Why is a military exercise being allowed in close vicinity of a busy airport? Who allowed the helicopters to make up their own rtes and operate with little or no lights? Why is this military exercise not notamed? Why is this exercise not contained in R3005 or R3007? Why is hunter tower (located 85 mi southeast of sav) not open, when most of these operations originated out of hunter aaf? Why did the aircraft participating in the exercise give the impression they had priority over people landing and taking off?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL EXERCISE INVOLVING MULTIPLE HELIS DEVIATES FROM BRIEFED RTE THROUGH CLASS C AIRSPACE CONFLICTING WITH ARRS AND DEPS. TFC CALLS WITH LITTLE OR NO RESPONSES FROM THE HELIS. HELIS OPERATING WITH MINIMUM LIGHTING AND NOT SEEN BY THE TWR.

Narrative: THIS EVENT CAME AS A RESULT OF A MIL EXERCISE WITHIN 5 NM (CLASS C SURFACE AREA) RADIUS OF A LEVEL III INTL ARPT. THE MIL HELIS ARE OPERATING OUTSIDE THEIR (BRIEFED) ASSIGNED RTES AND WITH MINIMAL ACFT LIGHTING (ACFT PASSED 1/2 NM W OF TWR AND COULD NOT BE SEEN!). AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME OF NIGHT, SAVANNAH ARPT HAD SEVERAL ARRS TO RWY 3L. THESE HELIS WERE NOT ON THEIR RTES AND IN MOST CASES 'CIRCLING' OVER RPTING POINTS, WHICH CONFLICTED WITH ARRS AND DEPS. TFC CALLS WERE ISSUED, BUT GENERALLY WITH NO RESPONSES. NOT 'ONE' ARR OR DEP SAW A HELI DURING THE TFC EXCHANGE. THESE TYPES OF SITS ARE VERY COMMONPLACE AT SAVANNAH, PROVIDE SVC AT ALL COST AND THE CTLRS WILL BE THE SAFETY NET. WHY IS A MIL EXERCISE BEING ALLOWED IN CLOSE VICINITY OF A BUSY ARPT? WHO ALLOWED THE HELIS TO MAKE UP THEIR OWN RTES AND OPERATE WITH LITTLE OR NO LIGHTS? WHY IS THIS MIL EXERCISE NOT NOTAMED? WHY IS THIS EXERCISE NOT CONTAINED IN R3005 OR R3007? WHY IS HUNTER TWR (LOCATED 85 MI SE OF SAV) NOT OPEN, WHEN MOST OF THESE OPS ORIGINATED OUT OF HUNTER AAF? WHY DID THE ACFT PARTICIPATING IN THE EXERCISE GIVE THE IMPRESSION THEY HAD PRIORITY OVER PEOPLE LNDG AND TAKING OFF?

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.