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Helicopter noise legislation advances
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Federal legislation aimed at reducing helicopter noise and safety hazards on Long Island passed the House of Representatives Thursday.
A provision included by Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) in the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act would require the FAA to study helicopter traffic over Long Island with an eye to establishing fixed routes and minimum altitudes that would reduce noise and danger for residents. The FAA would have six months to complete the study and present it to Congress.
A common helicopter flight path from New York City to the Hamptons, heavily trafficked during the summer, covers a large swathe of the North Shore in Suffolk. Residents underneath the most popular air lanes have complained of helicopter noise so loud as to drown out conversation and rattle household items. Crashes in dense suburban areas have occurred, including a helicopter that dived onto a field at Kings Park High School in 2006.
"Those of us who live in Suffolk County are tired of the roar of helicopters disrupting the serenity of our island," Bishop, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, stated in a Friday release. "This study is a necessary step toward the goal of reducing helicopter noise over Long Island. ... I believe it will offer a roadmap for pilots who want to fly over Long Island in a way that is respectful to our communities."
Similar legislation is pending in the Senate. Its sponsor, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York) said the time is ripe for the helicopter-flight-pattern reform.
"The days of helicopters roaring over Long Island communities need to come to an end," Schumer stated in an email Friday. "With the new administration and a new head about to be put in at the FAA, we have a golden opportunity to finally bring some peace and quiet to Long Island neighborhoods."
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