US Senator to ban heli flights

[Senior Pilot]

US Senator Charles Schumer is proposing a bill to require helicopters to remain overwater, and not to fly over residential properties :uhoh: Link to LongIsland.com (http://www.antonnews.com/gardencitylife/2007/09/28/news/helicopter.html):

Legislation Could Curb Helicopter Traffic Over Residential Areas


To combat helicopter traffic, Senator Charles Schumer recently held a press conference where he announced his intention to submit legislation regulating helicopter traffic over residential properties. He proposes that all helicopter traffic fly over water only. The senator stated that helicopter traffic to the Hamptons has increased exponentially each year, a 30 percent increase this year over last year. It was reported more than 2,200 flights registered at Southampton Airport this year already. Senator Schumer wants a study conducted and, within 90 days, the findings of that report. He knows these flyovers affect the quality of life of hundreds of thousands of residents under the fly paths.

According to the senator, helicopters have no minimum altitude requirements when en route, although they must maintain safe clearance from obstructions on the ground. In areas where airspace is congested, especially near commercial airports, the senator continued, the FAA does have some specified routes and altitude requirements designed to keep larger aircraft and helicopters at a safe distance. Helicopter pilots must comply with these prescribed routes or altitudes in certain areas.

Senator Schumer's legislation also requires the FAA to study the possibility of requiring helicopter lanes over Long Island and whether or not to impose an altitude floor to force helicopters high enough to be out of earshot. The senator was expected to push his legislation as an amendment to the 2007 FAA Reauthorization bill, to be considered on the Senate floor.

Senator Schumer believes the best way to reduce helicopter noise over Long Island's residential communities is for the FAA to establish an islandwide series of helicopter flight corridors that would divert aircraft away from homes, to preferably over the water. Schumer noted that emergency and news helicopters would certainly be exempt from any rules and regulations in an emergency.

"Helicopter noise turns beautiful summers on Long Island into the ultimate headache. Long Islanders are constantly interrupted in their homes and their communities when helicopters can just as easily fly over water where they wouldn't be a burden," he said.

[Gomer Pylot]

Well, it appears that the offenders are probably Long Island residents, or at least renters. When there is that much money that close together, squabbles will result. I'm trying very hard to care, really I am, but I just can't quite get it done. :rolleyes:

[borjaracing]

I think I care less than you Gomer. However, I just hope he doesn´t try to send choppers further out sea than safe gliding distance... :eek:
And also hope he doesn´t need a med-evac never-ever after getting the bill approved.:p

[helix47]

I thought OZ pollies came up with silly ideas to win votes! I wonder what the good (?) senator will do if ever he, or his family/friends, needs EMS or Police support.
Helicopters are getting quieter, and more useful, with each generation
Sorry senator, helicopters are here to stay, even if the odd pilot is an idiot with no manners.

[SASless]

I wish Chuckie was far enough away to be beyond hearing!

Another case of the liberal left looking out for the great mass of unwashed peasants......center digit upraised on both hands Senator!

[ScrumpyLuvver]

I bet he plucked that nice round 30% figure from his :mad:!!!

SL

[crop duster]

It seems that they (congress) have got a little idle time on their hands. :rolleyes: They must have had a very productive session yesterday morning and got all the important stuff worked out. After all that important stuff: illegal imigration, FAA funding, permanent tax reductions, etc..., they simply had a little time left before they clocked out so they decided to tackle this little insignificant detail of helicopters messing up their crawfish boils.
SASless, them yanks, they do eat crawfish, don't they?
barryb:ugh:

[Kit d'Rection KG]

Wait until the weathly yachtsmen of the parish have their say... It'll be 'back to the hummer', with any luck!!!

[purge98]

Next he'll want all helicopters to reduce their carbon footprint.
Unfortunately he has made their carbon footprint increase BECAUSE he has forced them to fly over water thereby increasing the distance they have to fly from A to B.
Idiot.

[B Sousa]

Chuckie needs a Carbon Footprint up his Posterior. Hes bought and paid for like the rest of those on the eastern seaboard.....

[OFBSLF]

This sort of thing is typical for Chuckie.

[rotarywise]

So this is an indication of the intellectual level of the legislature of the USA? And I thought we had a problem with Gordon Brown!!

[B Sousa]

So this is an indication of the intellectual level of the legislature of the USA?
You got it. In the US of A, if they an elected official they are a crook......end of story.
Check this. On the news today 1/3 of the political council of Atlantic City, New Jersey are either under indictment or in prison. and we are worried about the poor soles in Gitmo...
I say take these politicians out on Saturday Morning and place them against the wall. After a few get smoked, maybe some will either choose another profession or quit being corrupt. If they dont, we have plenty of walls.

[Devil 49]

This makes me feel better. If this is what the Honorable Mr Schumer chooses to spend time on, he must have everything else under control...

[HEMS Tool]

Charles Schumer is doing his most important task. He is catering to the whims of his wealthiest contributors. When Thurston Howell III calls to say that Lovey's souffle has fallen because of a noisy helicopter you can bet Schumer will be all over it.

And as much as I would like to take this liberal Democrat to task he is doing what they all do to stay in power. Is it corrupt? Where is the line?

[helonorth]

Everyone seems to be up in arms about nothing. We do ourselves no good
by ranting and raving about it. Does anyone actually live there? I fly a helicopter for a living, but I wouldn't want them flying over my house all summer, either. All he is proposing is reducing the noise footprint
by using helicopter routes. If there's that much traffic, it would actually
benefit operators, if you asked me. Here we go!

[Senior Pilot]

helonorth,

I suspect that you assume the Senator's proposal is limited to the Hamptons. If I have read it correctly, it is for the whole of the USA, and simply cites Long Island as an example.

Does that color your view any differently?

[Gomer Pylot]

I see nothing that indicates the requirement would be anywhere other than the Hamptons. There are required routes in many places, and I see no problem with one more. I fail to see how one leaps from requiring routes in a specific location to 'ban'.

[MSP Aviation]

It is absolutely not for the whole USA. Only Long Island. It wouldn't be difficult at all to have a North Shore and South Shore route with several "cross streets" connecting the two with the mid-island airports. Voila!

[HeloCaptain]

I am not sensing a lot of love for the Senator in this forum?:eek:

And these people still manage to get elected (shades of Hillary:ugh:)

[Mast Bumper]

The twisted irony in all of this political posturing is the following: He uses a helicopter regularly during the summer to fly out to East Hampton himself for leisure, therefore contributing to the exact noise he is trying to regulate. Talk about hypocritical.
He tries to hide his Agusta from the public's eye at the East Hampton airport by parking it far away from the main ramps on an old closed down runway...
Several operators have been trying to work collaboratively together to reduce some of the noise by flying higher when weather permits and flying routes away from the most noise sensitive areas. His pilots have not been very consistent on following the voluntary routes.
So not only is he a contributor to the noise over Long Island, but his pilots don't seem to care much about noise abatement.
This is all about "buying" votes.

[helonorth]

Yeah sure, they're going to develop helicopter routes for the whole country, whether there is a problem or not. Quit a leap. You're totally overreacting, I say.
Also why did you title your post "senator to ban heliflights" ? Do
you work for Fox News? It's more than a distortion. It's not what the
article says. You also add helicopters will be required to remain over water. It doesn't say that either. Your post is a not so thinly veiled
political statement.

[Phil77]

The article DID say that he wants all helicopter traffic over water:

To combat helicopter traffic, Senator Charles Schumer recently held a press conference where he announced his intention to submit legislation regulating helicopter traffic over residential properties. He proposes that all helicopter traffic fly over water only.


Big deal?
Looking at the Helicopter Route Chart for NYC they only need to extend the existing "South Shore" Route a couple of miles further eastbound... problem solved (exept for the few people enjoying the beach... :sad:):

http://skyvector.com/perl/coords?lat=40.63975&lon=-73.77893&scale=1

(klick on the little Box "NY Heli" to get the Route Chart)


I'm also wandering if our customer - after we gave him the convenient ride from downtown to his weekend retreat - will complain about the helicopter noise near his country club... until he needs to get back to work! :E

[helonorth]

The originally posted article said he would divert traffic from over residential areas, preferably over water. In other words, the majority of
the route would be over water, as one would expect. But alas, it's the
end of the world as we know it...

[John Eacott]

helonorth,

Somewhat bitter and twisted: don't you believe in supporting your industry?

Looking at the good Senator's website, I see he also has a proposal to require the FAA to require all flights over Westchester and Rockland Counties to be above 10,000 feet :eek: Linky thing here. (http://schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/record.cfm?id=282919)

But not living there either, I suppose that I shouldn't be concerned :=

[Gomer Pylot]

That's for airliners, and it involves just keeping them a couple of thousand feet higher than the FAA had proposed, for a couple of counties, not a big deal. This is part of the plan for redesigning the approaches into New York to get more flights in. It has nothing to do with general aviation.