The USL Las Vegas Lights' "wildly popular helicopter cash drop stunt last month could land the aviation company behind it in hot water," as the FAA is now "investigating the drop," according to Mick Akers of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. A helicopter flown by Skyline Helicopter Tours "flew above a crowd of selected Lights fans on Cashman Field and dropped $10,000 for them to collect." Lights Owner & CEO Brett Lashbrook said that he and his club "met with FAA officials" yesterday, and they were "assured the [club] is not facing any repercussions, even though the helicopter pilot is." This is the "second year the Lights have held the cash drop promotion." The club "dropped $5,000 on a crowd of supporters last year." Lashbrook said that the promotion "gives the team worldwide attention that it normally doesn't receive." He added, "We got 52 seconds on 'SportsCenter' about it. NHL can't even get 52 seconds on 'SportsCenter' some nights. This was unbelievable. We had a player from Mexico that said his parents saw it on the Mexican news. My wife is originally from Russia, and her dad called saying, 'I think Brett's team is on the Russian national news.' That got us so much publicity." Lashbrook "hopes to hold the cash drop again next year, with even more money involved, but he will seek FAA approval beforehand" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 10/3).
