Grew up in NYC, thru high school anyway but got involved in helicopters and in 1972 had an experience kinda related to this problem and was exposed to a convenient alternative solution.
Place and Mission: German Army ( HEER ) base, Buckeburg, Germany. 1972. Flight demonstration of the Sikorsky S-67 Gunship to the German Army aviation community by giving German Army pilots the opportunity to fly the S-67.
Guest Pilot: Oberst ( Colonel ) Joachim Ott, Base Commander. Note: Col. Ott was known to us. He had been checked out in the CH-53 at the factory prior to the CH-53G being produced in Germany.
Weather: Low overcast at 4-500 ft, with visibility clear below the overcast.
Flight Commentary: Cleared the pattern after takeoff, and with me flying took it to Vh which was approx 176-8 KIAS and some basic maneuvering as limited by the ceiling, then handed it over to the Colonel ( very good stick BTW ) who liked to fly lower than I did. So, we are maybe 200, mostly less and I’m certain we are going to cause trouble with the Buckeburg inhabitants.
ICS:
Dixson: ( as we are now not far above the house TV antennas ) “ Col Ott, isn’t this a bit low-don’t you get noise complaints?
Col. Ott: Yes we do, John, I make it a point that I get the noise complaints by answering them on the telephone personally”
Dixson: Col. Ott what do you tell them?”
Col. Ott: “ I ask them are they sure it is one of our helicopters?”
Dixson: “ And what do they answer, Colonel?”
Col. Ott: “ they say, oh Colonel,we know it is one of your helicopters we can see your identification:.The German Cross.
Dixson: And you respond?”
Col. Ott: “Are you sure it isn’t a Red Star?
Dixson: And?
Col. Ott: “ they say: oh no Colonel we know its your helicopters because they don’t have a red Star”
Dixson: “And?
Col. Ott: “Be thankful for that and I hang up”
Dixson: Don’t some of them call back?
Col. Ott: “ They never call back”
I told this story to our Ch. Pilot upon return to the US. Suggested he try the Colonel Ott approach, but all I got was a look that said my next performance appraisal was in jeopardy.