August 18, 2008
ERHC continues efforts to help; vacation notice
Our Special Advisor, Robert Grotell, will bring our message of assistance to Suffolk County, NY, tomorrow night during a public hearing on local proposals to regulate the airspace over the county. As noted on August 6 (below), ERHC has pointed out, along with LIBAA, to all the county's legislators, that FAA pre-empts any legislation they would be considering. So it's our belief the fastest route to change is to work with us on the underlying issues. As we've proven this summer, our solutions are free, flexible, and fast. As a non-profit group of volunteers in touch with the area's professional helicopter pilots, we can bring together the right assets to brainstorm and then try out ideas with no cumbersome administrative overhead. The freedom of aviation allows this flexibility.
In addition to ongoing assistance on Long Island, we're also aiming to investigate possibilities to relieve traffic near the north shore of Staten Island, NY. Local pilots are at times directed along this path under an altitude limitation by Newark tower. If there's a modification to be found, we'll find it along with the help of our members' ideas and the advice of FAA's excellent air traffic controllers at Newark.
ERHC's web site staff, which produces this and two other web sites, will be on vacation until the middle of next week. Meanwhile, please investigate the other sections of this site and its partner, www.flyneighborly.net and let us know what you think. You might also consider finding your local airport and go out and meet some pilots of small planes or helicopters. Small airports are a great way to meet people and learn more about aviation.
August 11, 2008
NY Times article notes neighborly flying
Our Special Advisor and Chairman quoted along with many others in an overall balanced and accurate story.
While ERHC sympathizes with those who feel adversely affected by helicopter flights, it should be noted that our community is responding by voluntarily following the most neighborly options available to pilots. The limitations of airspace and voluntary routes established by airport managers mean that one key tool of neighborly flying, varying routes, is not available to us.
At East Hampton, for example, the vast majority of flights are high and along the routes established by the airport, so we ask North Fork residents, please don't fault pilots for following recommended procedures. For those dismayed by the level of traffic, please know that people are entitled to operate air transportation businesses to serve a demand for air travel. Operators of those businesses in our region are meeting or exceeding all professional standards, industry best practices, voluntarily taking on higher costs and less business opportunity in order to fly neighborly, all while providing the safest mode of transportation in the region.
ERHC looks forward to meeting with those mentioned in the article who question the professionalism of the region's pilots, and those who have some misperceptions about compliance levels-East Hampton airport's own data shows high compliance. We also look forward to conversations with those who denigrate us with disparaging words which are not entirely true. Operators are showing their good citizenship through neighborly flying.
SI Councilman Letter to Editor
NY City Council member Michael McMahon of the north shore district wrote a letter to the editor of the Staten Island Advance, published August 8th. ERHC received his referenced letter last week and has contacted his staff.
ERHC's response to the letter:
Dear Editor;
We’d like to put Councilman McMahon’s letter of August 8 in perspective for SI residents.
The Eastern Region Helicopter Council worked many years ago to eliminate a helicopter route along the northeast-southwest axis of SI; pilots now fly off the south shore.
We met with Mr. McMahon in 2005 and explored the possible sources of helicopter traffic, limitations on routes due to overlying limited-access airspace, and potential solutions. We then reinforced to members the message of following industry best practices for neighborly flying around SI. This week, we received a copy of his letter to Regional Administrator Weiss.
With the beginning of the NY/NJ/PA Airspace Redesign at EWR by FAA this year, helicopters have at times only one eastbound option from near EWR, and ATC tells pilots to fly the approximate path Mr. McMahon indicates at an ‘at or below’ altitude. Pilots are obligated to follow such instructions. Residents of these communities need to know that. Pilots are not intentionally flying over these areas, they’re following instructions of ATC, meant to keep helicopters separated from airliners.
Residents should also know that ERHC is a volunteer, non-profit group and we do not “instruct” pilots to fly any given path. We do make recommendations, and the professional pilots of the NYC area have a demonstrated record of voluntarily observing such suggestions at a high rate.
ERHC has contacted Mr. McMahon’s staff, and is trying to arrange a donated orientation flight and a meeting of parties relevant to fair, balanced, and flexible solutions.
Over our 30 years of working with communities, ERHC and its members have won numerous community service awards; our efforts elsewhere this summer are showing stellar results. We look forward to the chance to help Staten Islanders very soon.
August 6, 2008
Focus on underlying issues, ERHC urges Suffolk Co
Recently, Legislator Edward Romaine of Suffolk County, NY, offered resolution 1673-2008, addressing helicopter flights over his county on Long Island. The bill is clearly pre-empted by the FAA's authority, but ERHC's leaders recognize the concerns that led to the bill. We've urged the county's leaders to work with us to continue the current focus on resident concerns and work through ERHC for no-cost, fast, flexible, fair and balanced solutions. We also noted the high level of voluntary participation that's been shown by members and non-members this year in NYC-east end flights. ERHC's leaders salute those friendly fliers.
Our letter (287kb pdf) to the full Suffolk County legislature was joined by support from the Long Island Business Aviation Association (LIBAA), and in news articles both the Aicraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and FAA have spoken on the topic of pre-emptiong of local attempts to regulate flights, assess fines, etc.
August 4, 2008
Misperceptions continue, pilots are flying right
ERHC continues to receive complaints from residents of Long Island who are under the impression our agreement with airports mandates aircraft to fly over water. In fact, on a few occasions we've received complaints and followed up by observing flight tracks at the time and date of the complaint and found the flights to be at or well above recommended altitudes! We've also been interviewed recently by the New York Times and Newsday on the subject and made this point, that flights over land will continue, ideally at higher altitudes, but the public needs to realize that altitudes are limited by air traffic control, so pilots may not be able to fly as high as they would like to.
Data collection continues, and we will provide a report at the end of summer to assess how this new ERHC-airport-community interaction is working. One thing is for sure, though, pilots are flying higher, more over water, and right on course at East Hampton airport.
See our page listing some of what ERHC is doing for Long Islanders.
July 30, 2008
East Hampton flight route compliance increases
For the most recent weekend reported, July 10-14, preliminary data from airport staff shows 85% of helicopter flights were on the voluntary noise abatement routes, and 69% met the altitude points-in-space. Exemplary voluntarism!
Pilots following guidance routinely
As our members have done for many years, this summer they're doing exactly as asked by Long Island communities. With only one route to get from NYC to the east end above industry best practice altitude guidelines, namely over LGA and over the sound or high above the island, a significant portion of traffic to the east end is along the north shore.
ERHC has spent many hours reviewing flight tracks and making observations during visits to the homes of some complainants. "I've stood there with the callers, and we both see 100% of the helicopters are doing the right thing", says Robert Grotell, ERHC's Special Advisor "they're high, they're over the water, there are even airplanes flying below them".
Grotell recently followed up one complaint of a "low-flying" helicopter and found data to show it was over 2,500' in altitude. In another study of peak-time traffic, average altitudes of helicopters was over 2,500', with the vast bulk of flight tracks showing intent to follow the most recent flight route and altitude guidance.
Unfortunately, complaints are still coming in to ERHC and communities. A large portion of complaints are reporting helicopter overflights. There still persists the mistaken notion, published as recently as yesterday, in an east end publication, that all flights must be over water and above 2,500'. ERHC wishes everyone to know that we have been trying to correct this with news media ever since we first saw its appearance last winter, but the message doesn't ever seem to make it into print. There will still be flights over the island; pilots are responsible to choose the safest and most efficient flight path and sometimes this is over land. But when possible, we stongly encourage pilots to fly high and off shore.
July 19, 2008
Bait with rabies vaccine to be dropped on LI
Forested areas will have a low level helicopter doing this work next week to combat rabid raccoons in the area. This is one of many missions helicopters conduct in the service of public interest. Newsday story. ERHC shares this with you as a public service; we have no connection with the operator or the vaccination effort.
July 15, 2008
New page-What We Do for Long Islanders
We've been asked on occasion what exactly we're doing here at ERHC to address Long Islander's concerns about helicopter traffic. We've assembled a partial list as best we can.
July 10, 2008
Exemplary participation at HTO
Pilots continue to show their good citizenship in a big way at East Hampton airport (HTO). Preliminary figures for the first part of the 4th of July weekend show 84% of flights voluntarily complied with the airport's noise abatement routes July 2-5, and 63% of flights were within 100' of altitude points-in-space (an additional 4% met industry standard altitudes). ERHC continues to analyze the data and contact operators regarding their flights.
July 2, 2008
Time to unify and celebrate, not dictate
Long Island, New York, elected leaders continue to issue false and misleading information to the public about helicopter flights in the area and threaten our aviation freedoms with unreasonable legislation. This is especially sad, as they have instant access to the news media, while we do not.
We reject their assertions and wish to inform the public that the only, preliminary, statistics available are for activities near East Hampton airport, where compliance with voluntary procedures has been exemplary-the most recent weekend report showed 88% of flights were on voluntary routes and 63% passed through tiny points in space where the flight is measured, while an additional 9% came very close to the altitude and exceeded industry best practices. There are no statistics kept for flights along the path between NYC and the east end. There have been no complaints received from the south shore, so it's possible that more and more pilots are choosing the best high-altitude route, over LaGuardia and then onward to destination. Altitude is limited by weather and air traffic control.
On this Fourth of July weekend, when we celebrate the nation’s unifying theme of independence and freedom, what better symbol is there to rally around than aviation, possibly the most important discovery of the 20th century, which provides super-human three-dimensional efficiency of travel to all Americans? It’s time to celebrate the professional helicopter pilots of the NYC region, who provide the safest and most efficient mode of transportation in the megalopolis, and to venerate aviation, not to further legislatively dictate it, as some elected officials would do in the face of logic and facts to the contrary.
June 4, 2008
FAA Safety Team sends out 2,300 e-flyers
Thanks to FAA Region Administrator Manny Weiss and the FAA Safety Team leader for our area, Joe Foresto, for putting together an e-flyer and sending it out to helicopter pilots of the tri-state area, reminding them to fly high, friendly, and observe the area's many voluntary noise abatement procedures. It's a good government-industry piece of teamwork that should help out the region's residents.
The mission of the FAA Safety Team: "To improve the Nation's aviation safety record by conveying safety principles and practices through training, outreach, and education. At the same time, FAASTeam Managers and Program Managers will establish meaningful aviation industry alliances and encourage continual growth of a positive safety culture within the aviation community".
June 3, 2008
Preliminary data show high compliance at HTO
East Hampton, NY, airport uses AirScene technology to track aircraft within about 10 miles of the field, which doesn't have a control tower and sees a Spring-Summer increase in air traffic. Airport personnel review each flight to assess voluntary participation in recommended routes and altitudes. Recently the voluntary noise abatement procedures there were refined and specific points in space better identified for pilots.
Initial data from May 22-26 shows over 2/3 of flights were on-track and most met the altitude gate at one specific point along the route. Further refinement of the data will likely increase results, as pilots of off-track or altitude flights will have a chance to explain variations from either. Complaint phone call tallies have not been reported yet or cross-referenced to flight tracks.
Contacts range from 'thanks' to much worse
Our new toll-free information line, 800-319-7410, for the entire region, took in some interesting calls, including a "thank you" from one caller who noted most traffic higher and further away but one that was closer. Our flyneighborly dot net site also generated a thanks or two but mostly a broad gamut from minimal information about the volume of traffic, to threats of lawsuits to complaints about disturbance of personal space and even one from a Long Islander wishing us to "crash and kill yourselves", adding that whenever that was to occur, their neighborhood would have a party.
ERHC's mission is communication and we especially like communicating with civilized people who have open minds and would like to hear our side of the issues as much as we would like to hear theirs. The news media have not provided the general public with accurate information, nor have public leaders. We work hard every day to set the record straight because the public deserves fairness and truth. We also welcome compliments!
June 2, 2008
Data tracking off to a good start
With our new toll-free number and the flyneighborly dot net web site, we're getting a much better fix on where the complaints about helicopters along Long Island are coming from. This will help us inform our members. Pilots are reporting high compliance with the new north shore route, and the bulk of complaints are along there as well. It's quite possible people are observing the voluntary use of a route they asked for.
To learn more about helicopter aviation, and the complexities pilots face every day, read the FAQs under the "Learn" tab on our companion site flyneighborly dot net.
May 27, 2008
ERHC salutes veterans and honors sacrifice
In ERHC's recent Regular Member survey, respondents indicated that 51 pilots on staff are military veterans. A minority of Regular members responded, so there must be a good number more veterans out there than that. Thank you to those who serve, and our thoughts go out to families who have lost a loved one, your sacrifice will always be remembered.
Member pilots have recently been activated to duty to serve with the U.S. Army. Many others among us have served in the current conflict and we thank you for your selfless dedication to duty.
VFW's Buddy Poppy program usually appears this weekend.
May 24, 2008
New toll-free telephone for public's complaints
Our new information line is 800-319-7410. There are three options, one for LI, one for NYC, and one for other areas. We are a volunteer organization and with the level of misinformation that exists, it is going to take some time to respond properly to all complaints. We ask the public to have patience, and to explore the FAQs at fly neighborly dot net to become better informed about helicopter operations.
We will be doing our best to draw more questions out of the complaints we've received to help the public understand the situation better.
ERHC's effort to inform media is ignored
By week's end, we hadn't received any contact from news media in response to our news release offering to provide information to better inform the public.
Good sessions should lead to good results
ERHC has been putting all the effort we can muster, given all the other demands of work and life, to continue outreach to helicopter operators around LI and the region.
Thursday, we also traveled by ground to LI and met with Senate staff, the manager of Gabreski airport in Westhamption Beach, and the Mayor of Southamption Village. All three sessions were productive and full of good will. Follow on actions are in progress which should help resolve a variety of issues for a variety of participants in LI aviation.
May 21, 2008
ERHC's reaffirmation of continued commitment
In order to clarify our message to the public, we are inviting media to meet with us on Long Island, Thursday May 22. News Releases.
May 19, 2008
Drill and General Meeting successes
About 70 persons came together at East 34th St. Metroport on April 26 for the Paul Smith Emergency Response Drill. Participants included a PHI medical helicopter and an NJSP helicopter, plus an FDNY boat, truck, and personnel. Pilots, heliport staff, a magazine reporter, and Helicopter Association International (HAI) staff came from as far away as Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. for the event. Presentations on a variety of aviation and safety topics were given and heliport line crew personnel practiced throwing life rings to a FDNY diver.
On May 14, our General Meeting attracted about 60 persons from and related to the helicopter industry. Safety and Fly Neighborly committees led off the program, which also featured guests from FAA, NYC, Teterboro airport, Rutgers University, and HAI. Sponsors included an avionics manufacturer and weather service provider. Additional presentations were from the IFR chairman on the latest in instrument flight, as well as the Chairman and Special Advisor's update on recent activities as well as the Chairman's review of 2007 census highlights and our web sites.
Another ERHC member donates flight
In addition to the March flights for East Hampton, a Teterboro-based member recently donated flight and crew time for new airport staff to see helicopter routes from the air and to speak with the crew about their activities. The event led to a better understanding of pilot concerns and limitations and will eventually help the communication process between aircraft operators, the public, and groups like TANAAC. Thanks from ERHC to the operator. We encourage other members to offer such flights to local staff periodically.
Attention pilots, members
It's that time of year when the skies become a bit more crowded. Recently we've seen airships, banner towers, party balloons, small planes and in the next 10 days we'll see Fleet Week with associated US Marine helicopters and the Blue Angels performing at Jones Beach and possibly other flights nearer to Manhattan. ERHC is working to familiarize these latter pilots with our environment. So perk up your eyes and ears and be safe. We have an exemplary record of see-and-avoid self management here around Manhattan, so let's keep up the good work. Stay tuned to the members' site for the latest notices. It's also the time of year for open-air concerts and other activities, so try to avoid Central Park when possible, and be at the top of your skills in Neighborly Flying techniques. Thanks.
ERHC working to clear the air on LI
From the complaints we've received in the last two weeks to news coverage on our efforts, it's clear that our exemplary record is not reaching the public, that our agreement letter of last winter is not described completely, and the use of the new route is not being expressed properly (Version 7 of the NY Helicopter Route Chart became effective May 8). Your volunteer leaders are planning to meet with news media on LI this week to help the public get the accurate information it needs to understand helicopter activity properly.
April 18, 2008
Heliport drill further delayed, Papal visit
Metroport manager Patiricia Wagner decided earlier this week that traffic will be too messy and the possibility of changes in TFRs for the pope's visit. Please join us on the 26th of April at East 34th St. Metroport. Not this weekend. Thanks for your understanding.
April 16, 2008
East End meeting on Southampton heliport
Community outreach continues as ERHC Special Advisor Robert Grotell met Monday with Mark Epley, Mayor of Southampton Village. Grotell informed the mayor of ERHC's past achievements, recent efforts, and agreements along the East End, and listened to the mayor's concerns and reports of community complaints. Village Board Trustee William Bates is an outspoken opponent of the heliport in online reports. ERHC welcomes contact from news media to provide more balance to their articles on East End landing facilities.
ERHC reminds members to fly neighborly in the area, and encourage non-members to do the same. The Village is considering further limitations to operating hours and charging fees, as well as suggesting they will consider closing the pad, despite deed restrictions. In this latter eventuality, someone would have to file a lawsuit to reopen the pad, clearly not the best solution, and air transportation would suffer.
April 14, 2008
ERHC meets with College Point, NY, Civic Assn
By Robert Grotell, ERHC Special Advisor
NYC Council Member Tony Avella (D-Northeast Queens) asked the Eastern Region Helicopter Council to attend a meeting in the College Point community of Queens to address helicopter noise complaints that his office had received.
ERHC Special Advisor Robert Grotell met with approximately 30 residents at a College Point Civic Association gathering on April 9, 2008, and provided background information on the Throgs Route, the Class G Flushing Exclusion and listened to several local concerns from residents who live under the route. Information was also provided on how to file a noise complaint with ERHC (flyneighborly.net) as well as NYC's 311 system. The meeting opened a productive dialogue with the College Point community and is another example of ERHC's ongoing public outreach efforts.