The real irony is that the local customer only spends a couple of grand every other year. They are not a big customer at all. We don't want to loose them but we operate 100% inside the FAA requirements. Only the FAA can dictate how we operate.
The entire BS thing is driven buy the possibility that while we are working for them, if we had a mechanical failure in the airplane we might crash into their facility. The possibility of crashing into a facility full of pipes and explosive bad pookie chemicals or just the empty area around the plant is silly. The pilot would obviously do everything possible to head to open ground.
The fact is that aircraft fly over their facility all the time. This company has flown their facility since the 60s in the same airplane we have now. I bet they have never seen it. We can fly over their facility anytime we want and there is nothing they can do to stop that, except don't pay us.
Dave I bet you fly over all sorts of chemical plants & refineries while you are flying. You don't ever change your course to avoid flying over one.