My favourite off-airfield confined area is a private house where the garden is just big enough for a Gazelle. And I mean
just big enough. When the disc looks as if it's almost touching the front door, the tail is clear.
Challenging, and perfectly safe. But I still wouldn't do it without an instructor ready to utter those comforting words 'I have control!'
Wires, wires and wires.
Not a helicopter story, but it makes the point well......
About 12 years ago I represented a very well-known aviator who had no alternative but to plead Guilty to endangering.
A light single had made a perfect forced landing in a field. The fault was rectified, but the field was pretty marginal for flying out. Solution: Ask X to do it. Very experienced pilot etc.
X went to the site, did all the necessary safety checks, paced the field, made sure it was long enough and, very important, checked for wires on the climb out etc. Tight, but it could be done. After a few fast taxi-runs to make sure, the big moment came.
X did a superb job. There were cheers of admiration as the a/c safely flew out of the field.
And, if he hadn't decided to celebrate his success by coming round for a low pass before flying away, all would have ended well. Unfortunately, he'd had no need to check the area behind him, and hadn't noticed the wires which ran from the farmhouse to a barn on the other side of the field!
Result? One wrecked aeroplane, and one very embarrassed pilot who ended up in the local Court.
I won't name the pilot because he wasn't as well-known in those days, and the only Press coverage was in the local paper.