According to the NY Times, The NYCEDC is moving forward with the transition of the Downtown Heliport management, despite a suit questioning its fairness.

The NYCECD told the NY Times that in the next several weeks, FirstFlight, an upstate based helicopter pad operator, associated with Alvin Trenk, of Pegasus Air (currently operating the 30th Street heliport) will have assumed management of the Downtown Heliport. Earlier this spring, the controversial award of the management contract from the EDC to FirstFlight, led to a suit from a competing operator based at Linden Airport in NJ. The NY Times says that Patricia Ornst of the EDC "acknowledged that some sightseeing flights are very likely to be diverted to the downtown heliport because the West Side heliport has started gradually phasing down the sightseeing traffic there. But she added that she was sensitive to complaints from downtown residents about helicopter noise."

The reason that 30th street sightseeing traffic is going to be phased down, is to comply with a settlement agreement entered into this summer, after Air Pegasus was sued by Friends of Hudson River Park. The suit, and settlement agreement should be an indication of how NYC residents feel about the constant tourist helicopter noise. By saying that she was "sensitive to complaints from downtown residents about helicopter noise," Ms. Ornst must mean that she has listened to the voicemail messages that the EDC has been receiving. It is dubious, judging from the action by the EDC (or lack thereof) since they have been delegated to handle noise complaints about helicopter traffic in NYC, how much EDC really is sensitive to residents afflicted by the noise.

Labels: Downtown Heliport, EDC, Noise Pollution, NYEDC, Suit

Anonymous wrote:

I just found your web site while searching for links to heliport information. As a member of the "enemy camp" I find this site a bit distressing. Certainly my experiences in NYC are that it, like Chicago where I reside, is a noisy place. With the sounds of cars honking, buses, trucks, sirens, etc. how can you possibly hear the helicopters?That being said, I have to think back to New Orleans after Katrina when the citizens were happy to see helicopters hovering over their homes to rescue them. If you chase them all away, who will be there to save you when things go terribly wrong?

Anonymous, thanks for taking the time to share your sentiments with us. We agree, that like Chicago, NYC is generally loud. You will not find, however, pervasive sirens and horns before dawn on a consistent basis. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for helicopter noise. If this were to become the case however, there are "quality of life" statutes currently in force, in NYC to deal with most types of pervasive noise pollution, especially during the hours when most people are at home and trying to sleep. Once again, not the case when it comes to helicopter generated noise pollution. Helicopter noise is immune to these statutes because the FAA preempts anything that the City could legislate to address helicopter noise.

With respect to your comments re: New Orleans and Katrina, apparently you did not spend much time reading what we are attempting to accomplish with this site. Military, police, emergency and even private corporate helicopter traffic is not what we are intending to curtail. Indeed if the helicopter traffic over Manhattan were limited to the above reference categories, there would most likely be no issue at all. The real offenders are the tourist helicopters and the news media helicopters. Those, my dear Anonymous, are the ones that we say, must go.

Labels: citizen, comment, feedback, Noise Pollution, response

Labels: Complaints, Contact, News, Noise Pollution

News Helicopters captured here in a four-video sequence hovering over NYC near the GW bridge, starting around 5:30 AM.

Labels: Hovering, Media, News, Noise Pollution, Video

Labels: FAA, Media, Noise Pollution

A Macdougal St. Resident reported to Helifreenyc.org this morning that the Fox 5 news helicopter was hovering over her neighborhood for about an hour this morning beginning around 6:20, while filming a broken water main. The resident said that when she called Fox to complain, they said they"couldn't move it because they were shooting a water main break." Click here to let Fox 5 know that you disapprove of these actions.

Labels: Complaints, Noise Pollution

With the implementation of heavy regulation of the 34th Street heliport and the ongoing legal battle to close the 30th Street heliport, it seems that public involvement to curb helicopter activity in and around New York City is mounting. While changing local laws and diminishing the number of NYC helipads as option for take-off and landing of commercial helicopters, will definitely make a difference, utlimately the airspace over Manhattan is regulated by the FAA. Getting involved locally is important, especially because it is more likely that change in policy and procedure can occur on a faster timetable at the local level. All this being taken into account, right now may be a timely opportunity to push for federal legislation concerning the airspace over Manhattan. Congressman Weiner sponsored a bill last year, citing security and safety as the main reason for need to impose legislation restricting flight over Manhattan. Safety and security are big issues, especially in lieu of the 911 attacks and the subsequent crashes of aircraft in and around the city. But security and safety are not the only reasons that meet the threshold necessary to justify federal legislation. Environmental concerns are also taken in to account. For example, environmental concern and noise are the reason for the restrictions in the airspace over the Grand Canyon. If New York City-area residents put pressure on their respective representitives, federal legislation restricting flight can occur here to.

As it stands, helicopters that fly low enough, do not have to communicate with the air traffic control at any of the airports. This gives them an incentive to fly low, leading to more ground-level noise. Under Wiener's proposed bill, the Helicopters would have had to maintain in contact with the traffic controller's regardless of altitude. More importantly, it would restrict flight over the city, requiring the helicopters to stay over the water, except for take-off and landing.

If any or all of the provisions that were previously proposed were to become codified, it would help to improve the quality of life of those who suffer though the noise of the overhead rotors every day. Use this link to contact Congressman Weiner and let him know that you support legislation to curb air traffic over Manhattan. Even if he is not your representative, he is on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, which has a Subcommittee on Avaiation and can process your feedback in that capacity.

If you live in Manhattan, your house representative is congressman is Charles B. Rangel. You can use this link to urge him to support legislation like that proposed by Mr. Weiner

Sample language to use in your correspondence with these elected officials will soon be available on the Helifreenyc.com site.

Labels: FAA, Federal, Legislation, Noise Pollution