Fly Too Low? Jail or $1000 Fine

[Gerard]

Yup they are at it again in Suffolk County.

http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=158116

[HPNPilot1200]

A spokesman for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association said that the federal government, through the Federal Aviation Administration, regulates helicopters and Suffolk County has no authority to override the FAA. Its rules governing helicopter operations are lenient, with no restrictions on low-altitude flying unless people or property are harmed.

snip...

Chris Dancy, media relations director of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, said Monday that “the federal government does regulate helicopters.” Choppers are referred to as “rotary wing aircraft” in FAA regulations, he said. “The FAA is responsible for anything that takes place above the ground and Congress has pre-empted local jurisdiction and designated the FAA as the agency responsible for aviation activity,” said Mr. Dancy.

Yup, local and state governments have no jurisdiction over this. They can pass all they want on the local/state side of legislation, but federal law (ie, FARs) reigns supreme. You can't arrest or fine a pilot for an action that the federal government governs. Somehow state and local legislators don't seem to understand this seemingly simple concept.

If you don't want to hear helicopters near the airport, then my suggestion would be to not buy a house and move in next door to one. Just my humble opinion.

[moose135]

If you don't want to hear helicopters near the airport, then my suggestion would be to not buy a house and move in next door to one. Just my humble opinion.

But the problem with helicopters is that they don't only operate out of airports. Just about every day, I hear the Cablevision helicopter pass as it heads toward their headquarters in Woodbury. I'm about a mile and a half away, I bet the folks that live in the neighborhood must really love it.

[Gerard]

>ut the problem with helicopters is that they don't only operate out of airports. Just about every day, I hear the Cablevision helicopter pass as it heads toward their headquarters in Woodbury. I'm about a mile and a half away, I bet the folks that live in the neighborhood must really love it

They actually have two copters (301CV and 401CV) and land more at their Bethpage pad (I believe) than the Woodbury pad. Both are in areas not too close to houses but I can hear them land at Bethpage from my house if I'm in my backyard and that is a few miles away. I do
believe they try to "Fly Neighborly" as much as possible which includes high approaches and set hours for the pads (Including no weekend landings). And copters regularly pass over/by my house into and out of FRG. Of course I LOVE IT!! :D
The problem is that the anti-noise/copter people refuse to compromise!! The pilots and operators make changes,try to work with them
but they want IT ALL! They probably believe the ships can fly in at 3000 feet then descend like an elevator to the pad.

[cancidas]

...Suffolk residents angered by the window-rattling noise of helicopters.

and they haven't met me yet! :evil:

Gene Polito of Noyac in Southampton Town, who has been crusading against the helicopter noise, agreed that the deal that was worked out by Senator Schumer and Representative Bishop with the helicopter operators has not worked out. “Yesterday, I counted 68 flights over my house including helicopters flying as low as 900 feet,” he said Sunday. A minimum altitude of 1,500 feet, as proposed by Mr. Romaine, is “totally useless—it doesn’t do a thing. It would be no better than 900 feet.”

i'd love to know how he pretends to know that those helos are at only 900 ft!


seriously now, who do these people think they are? they can't overrule the FARs. while many of the pilots i know try to avoid populated areas i can't speak for everyone. i've forwarded this to the AOPA asking them for help and emailed the FRG FDSO as well for insight.

[lijk604]

They actually have two copters (301CV and 401CV)

Last night they had N381CV land there...have they added a 3rd???

[Gerard]

>lst night they had N381CV land there...have they added a 3rd???[/quote]<

I heard that ship on my scanner and thought I mis-heard but I now see that 301CV is no longer listed in the N # index but 381CV is. Maybe a
switch of ships or numbers.