News Copter Interferes With Firebomber

[SPANNERmkV]

Now Zeamerb17...
It's not healthy to hold back... Get in touch with your feelings and tell us what you REALLY THINK!!!

Right on target!

News Chopper pilots are NOT General Aviation.
They are Commercial.
MOST are fine, responsible individuals...
Some are starting to resemble Papparazzi!

[Larry Kraus]

I was flying the Kolberg Fire (the fire in question),which was just above Kolberg Park in the Columbia Gorge near Hood River,in Tanker 62 when the Portland Channel 8 news helicopter arrived on scene.We and ASM A2 were the only firefighting aircraft in the area and were on downwind for a drop run when the helicopter hovered over the drop target taking pictures.The ASM (Aerial Supervisory Module) is a Pilatus PC-7 from Alaska flown by a Leadplane Pilot with an Air Attack Supervisor in the back seat.They tried to establish contact with the helicopter on various VHF freqs.We found out later that the helo pilot was doing the same in radio version of telephone tag.

I should point out that there was no TFR in effect at the time.After we turned the live drop run into a dry run (a low pass without dropping) and came around for another try,the helicopter started hovering over the fire again.He finally moved at about the time that we (the ASM and Tanker 62) turned base for the drop.The helo pilot seemed to realize that he'd never get the pictures that he wanted if he didn't move.He shifted his hover to the middle of the river,got his video and eventually moved up and out of the way.We made two retardant drops with our load and Tanker 66,our other DC-7 also dropped a load on the fire after we left.The Leadplane Pilot made some calls the next day,including one to the manager of the tv station and one to the helicopter pilot.It may or may not have helped with future conflicts.

[Jack Cook]

Thanks Larry.
May I oversimplify??
The helo driver knew there was a fire.
He knew you were there to drop on it.
He hovered directly over the fire twice.
He only moved off to get a better angle for pictures.
His final words were "he had the same rights to the airspace has the firebomber crews"?

Last edited by Jack Cook on Thu Aug 02, 2007 2:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Django]

Exactly Jack. And I stand by my original post earlier in the thread.

[aerovin]

I beg to differ that news helicopters are not general aviation. There is much commercial activity in general aviation, including ag flying and corporate transportation. The bottom line, for me anyway, is that the public perceives such incidents as another example of "little planes" getting in the way.

[Larry Kraus]

I can't argue with any of your points,Jack.Unfortunately,until a TFR is in place,if the helicopter pilot decides to act like an idiot,he can do so legally.

[Django]

Legally then, he is an "paparazzi" jerk prohibiting you from doing your job.

What if this were on the ground? Do you think for a minute a firefighter wouldn't pop some dumb *ss photographer for standing directly in his way, taking a picture of him while he's trying to go into a burning building. Fireman says please move. Photographer says I have the right to be here... and so on...