The chopper

Field	Data
Title	Random chopper landing
Description	This is a helicopter taking off and landing again about a half hour later in a field near my work. Anyone know the rules for choppers landing in the city?
Tags	chopper helicopter takeoff landing rules in a city Houston Texas Canon Elph 300 KDENLive
Link	Link

Saw a helicopter land and take off again from a field near our office. Tried to get some video. Didn't work well. The guy who noticed it didn't see anyone leave or enter the chopper before it took off again. If there had been anything wrong, I don't think they would have just taken off again. I wonder if the pilot had to take a leak. That is a definite advantage of a chopper I suppose.

Later that day

Well, it came back about 30 minutes later and did the same thing. This time I get a bit more video of it landing. Had to get back to work before it took off again. This time was a bit more exciting and easier to see because the sun was pretty much all the way up.

Now, I want to know a few things. What are the criteria for normal every day pilots to land their choppers in a city where they want? I've heard you can get in to all kinds of trouble doing so without a flight plan. I remember stories about a guy my mother used to work for who had a helicopter and landed it all over the place. I've also heard the rules got tightened up a bit after 9/11.

how much slack do emergency workers have in landing their choppers in non-emergency situations? Same question for news and commercial operations. Even if they own the land they landed on, there must be rules governing such things. This chopper looks like a private vehicle to me.

I want a chopper. I've blogged about this before. Doesn't every person who has ever commuted anywhere under any circumstances thought "It would be so much better if I just had a helicopter." I mean come on. Unless they already have one.