Pilot explains Blackhawk helicopter parked near Bermuda and Pebble in south valley

LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A Blackhawk helicopter parked in a south valley neighborhood drew questions last week, and the pilot who flies it says the landing was arranged after an aviation convention filled local airports.

Pilot Dave Sparks said he planned to visit a friend nearby on Bermuda Road and asked about a safe place to land away from people. He said the friend identified a fenced, multi-acre dirt lot in the area.

“We actually had a friend that lived there, you know, nearby on Bermuda, and we were going to visit them anyways,” Sparks said. “They had a few acres of just empty dirt and it was fenced off and it was the perfect place to be able to land the helicopter.”

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Sparks said he received approval from Las Vegas tower air traffic control and from the property owner before landing. He said he adjusted his landing approach because homes surround the lot near Bermuda Road and Pebble Road.

Sparks said takeoffs and landings were kept to a minimum, with about four total over three days.

Clark County told FOX5 a special use permit is required to land in a residential area. The FAA said the operation fell under its short-term approval.