The domain name NuisanceHelicopters.com was acquired on March 14, 2024, to serve as the home for The Nuisance Helicopters Blog and The Nuisance Helicopters Podcast.
Disruptive, non-compliant changes in the Helo South Departure and Helo South Arrival routes being flown by the Phoenix Police Department Air Support Unit were detected in August 2022, within the Deer Valley Class Delta Airspace.
Image Source: August 1, 2022, Deer Valley Air Traffic Control Tower Letter of Agreement
The August 1, 2022, effective date of the revised Letter of Agreement between the Deer Valley Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT), staffed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and multiple entities including the Phoenix Police Department Air Support Unit, mandates adherence by all helicopters under the administration of each signatory, to a minimum 2000ft MSL (Mean Sea Level) altitude within the Deer Valley Class Delta Airspace, “except for when arriving or departing to/from destination.”
This procedural mandate is effective at all times when Deer Valley ATCT is providing air traffic services.
Image: Traffic Pattern Airspace
Image: 4 Nautical Miles (NM) South of DVT — W. Greenway Parkway
The August 1, 2022, Letter of Agreement specifies in its Procedures (Section 6.a.5.) that the Helo South Departure and Helo South Arrival routes are set at a minimum 2000ft MSL within the Deer Valley Class Delta Airspace, yet the Phoenix Police Department Air Support Unit was routinely flying its helicopters in the 1700ft-1900ft MSL range (250ft-450ft above ground level/AGL), in direct violation of the LOA with Deer Valley ATCT, despite having been signed by the Chief Pilot Helicopter Operations of the Phoenix Police Department.
Image: Deer Valley Airport [ DVT ] Master Plan Update – October 16, 2014
Initiated by my issue spotting and the fact pattern I had documented, this situation with negative community impact became the subject of an in-depth AZFamily Investigative Report airing in Phoenix on AZFamily KTVK 3TV and KPHO CBS 5 on April 27, 2023.
This blog and podcast are an evolution and continuation of the issue spotting and fact pattern documentation that began in August 2022.
