The following message was recently submitted through the "comments" section of the site:
These helicopters MUST be allowed to continue flight. They perhaps can
try to fly a bit further over the east river and/or hudson, but a helicopter
free NYC? Are you nuts? You are forgetting the jobs and income these business
bring into the area. Pilots, aviation mechanics, sightseeing business, etc.
What is much worse is the cars you drive. I bet you are here
complaining about helicopter noise but routinely jump in your car and drive
around. That is MUCH worse! How am I suppose to enjoy my outdoor meal at a
Manhattan cafe with outdoor seating with your damn car idleing [sic] at a red
light next to me? Walk, or take the subway!
I fly my Cessna up and down the hudson at least once a month and will
continue to due so. I fly on the east side heading north, and the west side
coming back. I do not overfly any buildings and always try to avoid overflying
residential areas at a low altitude to help with noise abatement. All pilots
should be doing the same. However, helicopters can be loud when landing and
taking off at a heliport, but I'm sorry... That's the price you pay for living
in the big city. I see other's comments about the noise ruining their "peaceful
enjoyment"... Hello! This is Manhattan! If you want a peaceful quiet place, move
to the mountains of West Virginia.
Thank you for your point of view, anonymous commentator. As you have deduced, the organizers of this site, as well as the signatories of the petition disagree with most of what you have written. The revenue and jobs related to the helicopter tourism are a small price to pay for the residents of the NYC area, as a whole, to be rid of the nuisance of helicopter noise. Although tourism is one of NYC's largest revenue generators, the sightseeing flights are an extremely small portion. It isn't like there are hordes of helicopter mechanics that would be out of business either. Last time I checked, there are 4 international airports in the area. Air traffic will always be operating. In fact, your idea of over the rivers, isn't a bad one. If only all helicopter traffic really would operate over the rivers. Unfortunately this isn't the case.
I'm not really sure how you are drawing a corollary between driving cars and flying helicopters, but as you most likely are aware, the majority of Manahattanites do not own or drive cars. So you are really preaching to the choir with your car example. What's more, is that although you maybe annoyed by cars when out in public, you will never experience the overpowering noise of a car engine hovering over your home in the early hours of the morning, making your entire room shake. If by some chance that ever did occur, at least there are laws in place for you to do something about it. When noise generated by auto traffic does encroach on living standards, there are statutes on the books that allow citations to be issued to the offending vehicle operators. Not the case with air traffic.
As far as you flying your Cessna up and down the rivers and avoiding low altitude over residential areas, if all pilots would do the same, there wouldn't even be an issue. Frankly we wish that all pilots would have the same courtesy. The problem arises when a person spends well over 1 million dollars on their home, and then cannot enjoy it because there is a tourist helipad next door. Even if a person isn't near the helipad, the media helicopters hover, and hover, and hover relentlessly. Why does there constantly need to be a helicopter hovering over a bridge monitoring traffic, when there are hundreds of fixed cameras doing the same? Manhattan will never be a "quiet peaceful" place, as you say. But residents tormented by helicopter noise should definitely be able to have some recourse, the same way that people tormented by loud garbage trucks, barking dogs, night clubs and car alarms do.
Labels: citizen, Complaints, feedback, response
