Rotorcraft
Did newscopters skirt FAA ENG ban?
FAA enforcers are pondering whether to press charges in the wake of a November 7 incident in which some Dallas-area TV stations apparently bent (but, they

FAA enforcers are pondering whether to press charges in the wake of a November 7 incident in which some Dallas-area TV stations apparently bent (but, they maintain, did not break) the new rules against newscopter operation in enhanced Class B (ECB) airspace during a police chase of a runaway truck.

FAA investigators are trying to determine if the pilots of four Dallas news helos broke the rules. Accordingly, they have begun a review of tapes of conversations between those pilots and local ATC. As in a previous event reported in the New York area, some news organizations have attempted to circumvent the restrictions by filing a flight plan and operating under Part 135 rules, which allow only point-to-point flights along with a ban on hovering.

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