Choppers face the chop in Cape Town

[Deanw]

Posted without comment apart from :yuk:

From News24 (24/08/2004)

Choppers face the chop

Cape Town - Noisy, low-flying helicopters, the bane of weekend walkers seeking a little peace and tranquillity within the borders of the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP), may soon be a thing of the past.

Draft legislation currently before parliament aims to limit the height at which an aircraft can fly over the park, or any other protected area in South Africa, "to a level of 2 500 feet above the highest point".

By convention, aircraft altitudes are given in feet rather than metres.

The highest point within the TMNP is Maclear's Beacon, on top of Table Mountain itself.

Named after renowned astronomer Thomas Maclear, it is 1 086m (just over 3 500 feet) above sea level.

This means any aircraft flying over the park, which extends the full length of the peninsula, from Table Mountain to Cape Point, must maintain a minimum altitude of 6 000 feet above sea level.

At this height, the clatter of helicopter rotors and the throb of their engines is unlikely to disturb anyone's Sunday stroll.

The new legislation is contained within the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, an amendment to which was examined by the national assembly's environmental affairs and tourism portfolio committee on Tuesday.

Among the changes the committee approved, was one extending the application of the height restriction to cover "all protected areas", and not just world heritage sites or special nature reserves.

Also applies to MPAs

The measure also covers Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which will mean the height restriction also applies to aircraft flying over the newly-proclaimed MPAs around the peninsula.

The act, which cannot come into effect until the amendment bill is passed by parliament, probably later this year, makes allowance for emergency situations or "to a person acting on the instruction of the (park's) management authority".

Asked if they had received applications from helicopter tour operators for permission to fly lower over their area, TMNP communications manager Fiona Kalk told Sapa the park would soon be "workshopping an approach to this issue".

Currently, aircraft over-flying the park were expected to maintain a height of 500m above the ground, although this, she conceded, was difficult to enforce.

Kalk said the TMNP supported the new legislation.

"Our main aim is to maintain the wilderness quality of the TMNP," she said.

[Goldfish Jack]

mmm interesting

That will put them in the TMA - wonder how that will be handled, bearing in mind aviation legislation to ops within a TMA??

Oh well leave it to Elvis and Andy to find a solution.... ps Any heard how the Huey and the Boeing 747 are doing?

[clipboard]

Its evident that these people are not interested in attracting tourism to the area. Helicopters have for many years been a major tourism draw card to the Western Cape, and millions of people have seen Table Mountain & Cape Point from the air.

These people are self righteous, selfish and have no clue.

:yuk:

This new South Africa is getting "more wonderfull" by the day.

[Jel]

What a stoopid comment. How many tourists go to Cape Town every year without even considering looking at some beaten up old chopper.

Come on man, you sound like someone who cant see beyond his/her own rotor blades. Tourism needs to be looked at holistically not only from the point of view of the pilots.

Personally... I think its about time (and I am in the aviation industry and depend on it for a living).

My point is... look a little further and maybe, just maybe you will like what you see. :ok:

[bladestrap]

Jel my man, you are obviously very ignorant. Living in JHB you probably know nothing about the helicopter or tourism business in Cape Town.

What makes you think that the tourists are being flown around in some "beaten up old chopper"? There are 10 helicopter operators here in Cape Town, and they all fly pretty good machines, ranging from R44's to Jetrangers, to Squirrels to Hueys to Sikorski 61's and Mil 8's.

Now if you're so jacked up on the holistic approach to tourism, why don't you take over from Cheryl Carolus? Her post is vacant.

You indicate that you're in the aviation industry and depend on it. Well my man, with your stoopid attitude one can only but wonder how far you'll go.:yuk:

[DualDriver]

Well said, Bladestrap

This guy is probably a plank driver and have only ever SEEN an old R22 HP from 200m away.

[Solid Rust Twotter]

DD

What makes you think he's a "plank" driver?

Vibration destroyed your brain?:E

[Choppercpt25]

JEL,
I have to agree with the others, your comment was not only STUPID but it was so NARROW-MINDED!

All of us involved in this industry have tried for many years to keep it healthy, stick to the rules and run a smooth operation. The chopper industry in Cape Town is huge, and people like you give it a bad name. Ur statistics also suck as MOST tourist visiting our beautiful city either start or end their trip with a flip around the peninsula. Tourism is of great importance to the Western Cape and throughout the rest of South Africa and believe it or not but the CHOPPERS play a big role in this, and as Cape Town is seen as the Gateway to Africa, we will continue to fly!

From a Tourism perspective WE in the “AVIATION INDUSTRY” should do all possible to promote our cities, and since you are SO dependant on it to make a living, one would hope that you would be a bit more OPEN-MINDED, OPTIMISTIC and a tad bit more INTELLIGENT!!!!!!!!!!!

I know the old saying goes “ignorance is bliss”, but by god, it should be changed to “ignorance is JEL”

BEATEN-UP CHOPPERS? We will be more than happy to arrange a SITE-INSPECTION for you……
:D

[clipboard]

:} JEL, why don't you tell us who you are and where your authoritive experience in the Cape town Helicopter Tourism Industry come from?

In this life its true that new fools are born each day. Eeesch!:yuk:

[CaneRat]

Jel ..."beaten old chopper"


What car do you drive my friend? A volksie? A beaten old mini?

Just wondering who you think that you are to shoot your trap off....???

Do us all a favour and post your name mate..then we can all have a nice chat.

[Balloothebear]

Boys and Girls....................................................ste p back take and take a "Chill Pill"
CapeTown is one of the major tourist destinations on the frikken plannet.
Fixed wings and choppers have been beating up the peninsula since they all arrived on the continent.
There is enough airspace in South Africa for all to play in.
Yes it is irritating when your sipping a GnT and someone decides to Buzzz the area,but hey when youve just taken a "leap of faith" and are lying at the bottom of Platteklip or Devils peak with a broken leg or worse....................................what's the sound you want to hear????????????????
Next chirp please.:ouch:

[wheels up]

Omigod - here we go again.

Jels point, although rather bluntly put, is that we have to look at things from many perspectives. For every person that appreciates a low flying helicopter as music to the ears, there are probably 10 that don't. To bring in the old " whinge,whinge, whinge new South Africa" story is pitiful to say the least. Grow up!

Off to go and play with my chainsaw in the back garden now - it's such a fantastic piece of kit...

[jammydonut]

"CapeTown is one of the major tourist destinations on the frikken plannet"

Dream on.......

[ANVAK]

Have a look at how operations in and around the Grand Canyon in the US (just one example) are regulated - bottom line is that there is good money to be made from flying tourists around the beautiful peninsula and it can and should be done in a regulated fashion which keeps the bunny huggers happy, the fly-by-night types out and the solid operators in business. (Around the Drakensberg the overflight rules apply and there aren't many complaints - perhaps it just takes better equipment to operate at high density altitudes...)

[Gunship]

.. as long as their are a HUEY making noise - it's fine with me :E

[B Sousa]

Guns............(Get into Francois' cooler. I left the Bottle of Jack Daniels there....its better than TASSIES)

[Deanw]

In reply, the operators show some common sense

Table Mountain flight restrictions 'superfluous'

August 26, 2004

Helicopter companies that take tourists on sightseeing trips say draft legislation to increase the height restriction for flights over Table Mountain National Park will not affect them as they have not been doing such flights for the past three years.

Draft legislation before parliament limits the height at which an aircraft may fly over the park or other protected areas to 2 500ft above the highest point. This would mean pilots would have to fly at a minimum altitude of 6 000ft over Table Mountain.

Shaun Pautz, of Helicopter and Marine Services, said yesterday there had been legislation in place for several years whereby pilots had to fly 1 500ft above the highest point on Table Mountain, which was 3 500ft.

This meant the pilot was flying in controlled airspace, for which he needed to file a flight plan with air traffic control. "It's such a mission to do that that none of the operators bother to fly in controlled airspace.

"So this new legislation that adds another 1 000ft to make the limit 6 000ft won't really affect us, because we no longer fly over the park anyway," Pautz said, mentioning that they flew over the sea instead.

Another helicopter tour operator, who did not want to be named, agreed with Pautz.

"No one does that particular route anymore (over the national park). We fly around at coast level over the ocean, usually at about 2 500ft," he said, adding that civil aviation legislation required that they stay within gliding distance of land.

[GULF69]

jammydonut,

now now...Jealousy makes you nasty...

69

[4HolerPoler]

One of my great memories is of beating flatout northbound at a couple of feet over the top & to suddenly have the earth drop away, with the vista of the city beneath. And the taxpayer was footing the bill! Guess those days are gone now. RIP, I've got a smile on my dial.

4HP

[B Sousa]

Do that in the Grand Canyon........Daily www.heliusa.com

[Skaz]

jammydonut dream on huh? how 'bout you catch a wake-up,china.

It is, and also quite evident youve never been here. :{
Some of us are fortunate to call it our hometown, and no place in the world beter, and I'm not the only one that thinks so!

Been on Lionshead a few times over the past two weeks and saw helicopters ops a lot, all of them flying over the ocean and much higher than we were on the Lions back. Pity really, would have appreciated a spirited beat up.
:}