Narrative:

Initially I was not going to address this, however, I feel that the tower working split frequencys (one frequency for helicopters and traffic/photo fixed wing and one for airline arrs and departures simultaneously) may be a problem at times. I was flying a bell helicopter over fenway park area on a 1500 ft or 2000 ft and below clearance for photo work to the west of the airport. There were some scattered showers around with varying visibility. Normally, we operate the helicopters 1000 ft and below. I was working higher for a particular shot. Once complete, I requested the tobin route for a northeast departure. I received an approval, quickly for the route. I had some concern, as I could hear the controller's very busy side of her conversation working the other frequency at the same time and earlier they had been arriving (turboprops) on the runway 15R approach and circle down the harbor, land on runway 4L to the northeast. She was very quick with 'approved as requested,' not mentioning anything about my altitude. I called back to confirm with ATC that I was going outbound on the tobin route. I then received an 'approved as requested, descend to 800 ft for the tobin route.' while descending, I switched some frequencys for the trip outbound on the second radio. Upon reaching the start of the tobin route at 800 ft and about 1 mi from crossing the runway 15R approach course, just where the turboprops start making their right turns visually down the harbor for runway 4L, I looked at my 1 O'clock position and about 1 mi and a turboprop was making his right turn down the harbor. Although a surprising sight, because the tower had made no mention of the traffic, no evasive action was necessary. I continued out the tobin route crossing the runway 15R course without incident. While crossing I saw distant, 10 mi or so, lights of another aircraft for the same approach. Although there was no incident there, I do feel I was getting second rate attention to my operation with whatever time the controller had left over while she was working the other much better frequency. 1) after I reconfirmed my route outbound, I was then told to descend to a lower altitude. 2) I was never alerted to inbound traffic on the runway 15R circle to runway 4L approach. Again no incident, but what about next time? I feel whenever either frequency gets busy, another controller should take one. If it's busy enough to be class B airspace, then it should be staffed to that level. Until then, my eyes, ears, general alertness will be working overtime with continuing reconfirmations on clrncs/approvals from the tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BELL LONG RANGER HELI PLT COMPLAINS OF AN OVERWORKED, UNDERSTAFFED SPLIT POS TWR OP FOR SEPARATION OF TRANSITING HELI AND ARRIVING TURBOPROP TFC NW OF BOS, MA.

Narrative: INITIALLY I WAS NOT GOING TO ADDRESS THIS, HOWEVER, I FEEL THAT THE TWR WORKING SPLIT FREQS (ONE FREQ FOR HELIS AND TFC/PHOTO FIXED WING AND ONE FOR AIRLINE ARRS AND DEPS SIMULTANEOUSLY) MAY BE A PROB AT TIMES. I WAS FLYING A BELL HELI OVER FENWAY PARK AREA ON A 1500 FT OR 2000 FT AND BELOW CLRNC FOR PHOTO WORK TO THE W OF THE ARPT. THERE WERE SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS AROUND WITH VARYING VISIBILITY. NORMALLY, WE OPERATE THE HELIS 1000 FT AND BELOW. I WAS WORKING HIGHER FOR A PARTICULAR SHOT. ONCE COMPLETE, I REQUESTED THE TOBIN RTE FOR A NE DEP. I RECEIVED AN APPROVAL, QUICKLY FOR THE RTE. I HAD SOME CONCERN, AS I COULD HEAR THE CTLR'S VERY BUSY SIDE OF HER CONVERSATION WORKING THE OTHER FREQ AT THE SAME TIME AND EARLIER THEY HAD BEEN ARRIVING (TURBOPROPS) ON THE RWY 15R APCH AND CIRCLE DOWN THE HARBOR, LAND ON RWY 4L TO THE NE. SHE WAS VERY QUICK WITH 'APPROVED AS REQUESTED,' NOT MENTIONING ANYTHING ABOUT MY ALT. I CALLED BACK TO CONFIRM WITH ATC THAT I WAS GOING OUTBOUND ON THE TOBIN RTE. I THEN RECEIVED AN 'APPROVED AS REQUESTED, DSND TO 800 FT FOR THE TOBIN RTE.' WHILE DSNDING, I SWITCHED SOME FREQS FOR THE TRIP OUTBOUND ON THE SECOND RADIO. UPON REACHING THE START OF THE TOBIN RTE AT 800 FT AND ABOUT 1 MI FROM XING THE RWY 15R APCH COURSE, JUST WHERE THE TURBOPROPS START MAKING THEIR R TURNS VISUALLY DOWN THE HARBOR FOR RWY 4L, I LOOKED AT MY 1 O'CLOCK POS AND ABOUT 1 MI AND A TURBOPROP WAS MAKING HIS R TURN DOWN THE HARBOR. ALTHOUGH A SURPRISING SIGHT, BECAUSE THE TWR HAD MADE NO MENTION OF THE TFC, NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS NECESSARY. I CONTINUED OUT THE TOBIN RTE XING THE RWY 15R COURSE WITHOUT INCIDENT. WHILE XING I SAW DISTANT, 10 MI OR SO, LIGHTS OF ANOTHER ACFT FOR THE SAME APCH. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO INCIDENT THERE, I DO FEEL I WAS GETTING SECOND RATE ATTN TO MY OP WITH WHATEVER TIME THE CTLR HAD LEFT OVER WHILE SHE WAS WORKING THE OTHER MUCH BETTER FREQ. 1) AFTER I RECONFIRMED MY RTE OUTBOUND, I WAS THEN TOLD TO DSND TO A LOWER ALT. 2) I WAS NEVER ALERTED TO INBOUND TFC ON THE RWY 15R CIRCLE TO RWY 4L APCH. AGAIN NO INCIDENT, BUT WHAT ABOUT NEXT TIME? I FEEL WHENEVER EITHER FREQ GETS BUSY, ANOTHER CTLR SHOULD TAKE ONE. IF IT'S BUSY ENOUGH TO BE CLASS B AIRSPACE, THEN IT SHOULD BE STAFFED TO THAT LEVEL. UNTIL THEN, MY EYES, EARS, GENERAL ALERTNESS WILL BE WORKING OVERTIME WITH CONTINUING RECONFIRMATIONS ON CLRNCS/APPROVALS FROM THE TWR.

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.