Typical chopper take off from a confined area is straight up vertically
until clear of the obstacles, then a horizontal acceleration to about 50
knots, then a climb out at 50-70 knots. Sounds like the chopper took off
and accelerated over the Wal Mart. The low, horizontal part is what looked
scary to you. Normally we avoid take offs like that for just that reason.

So, there would have to be a reason the chopper took off directly over the
Wal Mart if there was vacant land on three sides of the construction site.
If it was really windy that day, from the direction of the Wal Mart, the
pilot may have decided all things considered that it was safer to depart in
that direction. Downwind take offs are considered dangerous. Or there
might have been wires or other obstacles in the other directions. What I
would do is call the helicopter operation over at Addison, email the owner
the picture, and ask them if they know anything about it. They are the only
really active Schweizer operation around the Dallas area.


wrote in message
ups.com...
"It is well above 70', probably closer to 400-500' AGL. Is there an
airport
or hospital nearby?"

The nearest hospital in the direction from which the helicopter came is
several miles away. I don't know of any airport in that direction.

I had the impression that the helicopter took off from the construction
site across the street, about 500 feet away, though I did not see it
actually take off. The construction is building a road through a vacant
field. In fact, most of the land in that direction for several miles is
farmland or vacant fields.

The Wal-Mart in the photo is near the intersection of Ohio Street and
121 in Plano, Texas. It should not be difficult to find that on a map.