Question of the Day - 16 April 2017

Although the Federal Aviation Administration has specific rules governing the operation of helicopters over the Grand Canyon, none directly pertain to the Las Vegas Strip. FAA spokesman Ian Gregor says, “Helicopters are not subject to the same minimum altitudes as airplanes. Helicopters have to be flown so they don't pose a hazard to people or property on the ground.”

The pertinent regulation, 91.119, instructs helicopter operators in “Minimum Safe Altitudes: General” and reads as follows:

“Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes:

(a) Anywhere. An altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface.

(b) Over congested areas. Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons, an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft.

(c) Over other than congested areas. An altitude of 500 feet above the surface, except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In those cases, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.

(d) Helicopters, powered parachutes, and weight-shift-control aircraft. If the operation is conducted without hazard to persons or property on the surface—

(1) A helicopter may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed in paragraph (b) or (c) of this section, provided each person operating the helicopter complies with any routes or altitudes specifically prescribed for helicopters by the FAA; and

(2) A powered parachute or weight-shift-control aircraft may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section.”

Adds Gregor, “All this essentially means that helicopters have to be flown so the pilot can safely set it down in case of a loss of engine power.”

You can read the complete set of generic regulations here; however, you’d better set aside a lot of spare time first. 

However …

“The FAA's Las Vegas control tower has a detailed letter of agreement (LOA) with area helicopter-tour operators,” Gregor says. “The purpose of the LOA is to ensure tours are operated as safely as possible in the busy local airspace. The LOA specifies routes that operators are to take for tours to various locations, pilot reporting requirements, sequencing of helicopters back into local airports, etc."

For Strip tours, the LOA states the following. (CBA is the highly controlled Class B Airspace around McCarran.)”

“(1) Strip Tour: Cleared through the CBA. Departing [McCarran International Airport] proceed north to the MGM Grand Hotel parking garage, maintain 3,000 ft. [median sea level]. Then proceed north along Koval Lane until Twain Avenue, then turn right direct to the Westgate Marquee located near Paradise Road and Avenue of the Hiltons, then proceed along Paradise Road until St. Louis Avenue, then direct to the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Oakey Boulevard, then proceed along Las Vegas Boulevard until Charleston Boulevard, then toward the El Cortez Casino, remaining south of Fremont Street, then via a left turn to fly over the Railroad tracks, join I-15 at or before Flamingo Road, at the Panorama Towers reduce speed and begin your descent abeam In-N-Out Burger, continue southbound but no farther south than Russell Road.

Who knew that In-N-Out Burger would become an important navigational point?

The letter of agreement continues: “(a) Pilots must remain at least 500 ft. laterally from the Stratosphere Tower.

“(b) Airspeed for the tour must be 80 [knots, or 92 miles per hour] for the full duration of the tour starting 45 minutes after official sunset. Strip tours conducted prior to that time are to be at max continuous power on the west side of the Strip tour unless there is no other aircraft in the area on the Callville Arrival.”

So while the FAA doesn’t address Las Vegas in its master list of regulations, it has made provisions directly addressing those ubiquitous sightseeing helicopters. The next time you take an aerial tour, perhaps you can “grade” your pilot on how closely he or she hews to the prescribed route.