And why would five people be passengers on a 'photo' flight? It turns out that Manhattan tourist helo flights on Sunday have been banned by local authorities since 2016.
So, the scam (in New York City no less, I'm shocked I tell you
) is to call the flight a photo flight and operate from New Jersey. Since folks on a photo flight are 'journalists' you can't restrict their First Amendment rights now can you?
Anyway, one of the folks was a journalist but the others were tourists and helo company employees.
From one of the local tabloids:
The helicopters tours have been a concern for years, with most complaints revolving around noise caused by the low-flying aircrafts.
In February 2016, Mayor de Blasio announced a deal he said would reduce helicopter tours from the Downtown Manhattan heliport around the city by 50% — and eliminate them altogether on Sundays.
But the deal was riddled with loopholes that have not significantly reduced chopper flights around the city, according to John Dellaportas, president of Stop The Chop NY NJ, which has pressed for measures against the sightseeing tours for years.
The deal only applied to the heliport near Wall Street operated by the city’s Economic Development Corporation.
Helicopter operators are able to dodge the regulations by marketing their flights as professional photography tours and by taking off from New Jersey, Dellaportas said.
Journalist, tourists among dead in East River helicopter crash - NY Daily News