Spokane Co. sues man over use of private helipad

If the address on his airmen database entry is where he has the helipad, it is no wonder the neighbors were complaining. Not exactly isolated.

Screenshot_20200222-125436_Maps.jpg
 
Doc Holliday said:
Why?
Click to expand...
Well he owns the the helicopter so I wonder who is flying it?? Is he learning from home and have a CFI come in all the time?? Does he have a pilot hired to fly for him- no big deal there. But is he flying the bird- that’s a pretty big deal imo.
He would not be the first person to buy a plane and fly it who was not licensed.
 
benyflyguy said:
Well he owns the the helicopter so I wonder who is flying it?? Is he learning from home and have a CFI come in all the time?? Does he have a pilot hired to fly for him- no big deal there. But is he flying the bird- that’s a pretty big deal imo.
He would not be the first person to buy a plane and fly it who was not licensed.
Click to expand...

A student can solo with a medical and the proper endorsements. This is no different than a student signed off to solo an airplane at a designated airport.

The FAA is not going to get involved unless a complaint is made. And the FAA doesn’t get involved with private heli stops.
 
Doc Holliday said:
The owner needed to have consulted state law and local ordinances, first.
Click to expand...

The guy is a neophyte. Like you said, he should have did his homework.

There is a well known aviator, who registered a “Heli-Stop” in his backyard on Long Island. It’s just outside the 5 mile ring of KFRG and backs up against state land. The town went crazy and tried telling him he could use it. He got visits from everyone, Troopers, local PD and the Fire DEPT. The Fire DEPT gave him all the flack. The police were intrigued, but no laws broke, no harm no foul.

NYS in general, has casual landing rights, absent any local regulations. He was smart, got the Heli Stop designation, so feds had no issue. There were no rules on the books, so the county, as I recall, enacted new laws...BUT, they had to grandfather the guy in.
 
benyflyguy said:
He would not be the first person to buy a plane and fly it who was not licensed.
Click to expand...

Hey, if they let yahoos on RVs self-teach aerobatics and formation without the need for an endorsement, I'd say those batter-mixer death traps shouldn't need certs either. 69% of the time it works all the time. :D
 
I live close by to this mess. The pilot is 70 years old and apparently flys somewhat regularly. Don’t know if he has a license and he flies an Enstrom Shark. No FAA permission to build the helipad. There are lots of homes in this development - most on 1/2-1 acre sites - along with lots of fairly tall pine trees. I have to believe it’s got to be fairly challenging to get in and out of his place. I might take a drive in the next day or so and check it out. By the way, there are a number of private helipads all around the Spokane -Coeur d’Alene area. Ran into a land developer who has a Robinson 44 and a turbine Robinson that he keeps at his house. Very nice heliport and hangar complete with his own fire truck, fuel tanks, etc. Very nice set up.
 
The only issue here is the zoning - his house is not zoned for having a private heliport. The county will shut him down for that. Everything else is just opinion.

separate issue if he doesn’t have a certificate.
 
Jumpmaster said:
I live close by to this mess. The pilot is 70 years old and apparently flys somewhat regularly. Don’t know if he has a license and he flies an Enstrom Shark. No FAA permission to build the helipad.
Click to expand...

He doesn't need FAA "permission". This is a state and local issue.

Jumpmaster said:
There are lots of homes in this development - most on 1/2-1 acre sites - along with lots of fairly tall pine trees. I have to believe it’s got to be fairly challenging to get in and out of his place.
Click to expand...

Depends. Lots of fixed wing pilots view LZ's of helicopters as "challenging" when in reality it's not. Again though, he has a state/local problem, as well as a neighbor problem.
 
He is lucky. It was a white helicopter. You do not want the black helicopters on yer arse. "Lemon-Headed"?!?!? I hope the parents of all those poor Boy Scouts in the audience were able to explain away such vulgar language.
 
G-Man said:
Using this article and situation as a harbinger - how will these issues play out in the not-too-distant future when the rumored predicted dozens of Urban Air Mobility electric autonomous VTOL taxis are landing and taking off in every suburban, near-urban, and urban neighborhood, with the frequency of today's cars going to work, school, grocery store and restaurants? How will people react?
Click to expand...

Now here's some valid thinking. These schemes by Uber and others to have thousands of VTOL taxis running by 2023 crack me up. It ain't gonna happen.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top