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.
April 10, 2008
Safety drill postponed until April 19
Due to forecast inclement weather and the complexity of the event, host Patricia Wagner of East 34th Metroport made the difficult call Wednesday, to reduce inconvenience for as many as possible. If you were planning to attend, please join us on the 19th.
April 2, 2008
Productive meeting with Rep. Tim Bishop
By Robert Grotell, ERHC Special Advisor
On March 31, 2008, Congressman Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) held a follow up meeting to continue the discussion on helicopter noise impacts in his district and other areas of Long Island. The meeting was held in his Coram, NY office and was attended by Robert Grotell (ERHC); Manny Weiss, Diane Crean, Leo Prusak (FAA); Jim Brundige, Matt O’Brien (HTO); Tony Ceglio (FOK); and representatives for Senator Schumer and Senator Clinton.
The Congressman expressed his doubts over the voluntary nature of the current structure and our letter of agreement with the airports and Senator Schumer. His concern stems from continued complaints that he feels will only worsen during the summer season. One particular issue the Congressman raised was the lack of specific transition points off of the new North Shore Route for aircraft heading to HTO, FOK or 87N.
The FAA and I explained why transitions were not included on the new NY Helicopter Route Chart and how the recommended minimum altitude should go a long way in mitigating last season’s concerns from North Fork communities as well as those along the North Shore of Nassau and Suffolk counties. I then described our significant efforts over the past months, including working with the airports on modified noise abatement and monitoring procedures, conducting flight tests at HTO and FOK, our new websites, and our underlying commitment to work with communities and local elected officials to address their helicopter noise-related concerns. Jim Brundige described his positive perspective on the ERHC flight tests and explained how aircraft should be at or above 2,500 feet at Ferry before they begin their descent into HTO. Lastly, Tony Ceglio explained FOK’s draft helicopter procedures and also thanked ERHC for our efforts.
I further explained that our priorities include educating ERHC membership on the new North Shore Route and developing a series of performance indicators to determine program success. The Congressman was clear to all that he will push for increased FAA regulation if the program fails to adequately address the noise concerns.
Overall, Congressman Bishop was pleased with our efforts and those of the FAA and the airports. He was encouraged by our collective progress to date and closed the meeting in a positive manner with an improved outlook. He specifically thanked ERHC for aggressively taking the lead on many of the noise issues.
March 24, 2008
Generosity for East End understanding
On Friday, the President and Chief Pilot of an ERHC Regular Member flew a Eurocopter Dolphin from NJ to East Hampton (HTO), and Francis Gabreski (FOK) airports on Long Island in NY.
They conducted several flights along HTO's voluntary noise abatement routes with the airport manager and a prominent member of a local and vocal airport noise committee. ERHC Special Advisor Robert Grotell and the airport's assistant manager monitored the flight paths of the aircraft from the airport using the Air Scene equipment installed for traffic monitoring.
Both Grotell and the pilots report the series of activities provided some valuable information for improving the procedures and assisting area residents through sound reduction. The FOK meeting was productive and informative, said the pilots, who expect the airport's latest procedures to be issued to pilots in May.
March 21, 2008
Early focus on safety, communities
ERHC has started out 2008 with a long list of activities, but prominent among them are the upcoming heliport safety drill on April 12 at East 34th Street Metroport and Long Island efforts with the public and leadership at various levels.
For the third year in a row, Atlantic Aviation Metroport hosts a safety preparedness drill, renamed in honor of our safety leader who lost his life while a pedestrian in Manhattan last fall. Safety is an integral part of aviation consciousness, we take it seriously here and as a result, the professional helicopter community around NYC provides the region's safest mode of transportation.
In the boroughs and on Long Island, ERHC's leadership and Special Advisor have attended meetings, corresponded, and spoken with leaders local and national, aimed at continuing to find balanced solutions to community concerns. The helicopter business is doing well and customers are happy with service we safely and legally provide in the national airspace. ERHC's members have a long history of safe and neighborly flight across our increasingly crowded megalopolis.
News Media are welcome, see our news release page.
January 1, 2008
Welcome to the new look of ERHC's web site
With the year 2008, we greet broader public interest in helicopter activities in an around New York City by tweaking the look, organization, and contents of 'erhc dot org'.
For the public:
- "News" will bring you the latest news and announcements
- "About" informs you about ERHC and this site
- A companion site, Fly Neighborly, goes into depth to help you understand the aviation environment and make complaints to us and others
For the media:
- Your pages will include contact information and news releases.
For our members:
- Login to the new, password-protected site, containing frequent news updates, tips, and quite a few new ideas as well, to enhance our communication, safety, and professionalism. ERHC has notified current members in good standing with instructions. A new user name and password will be required. If you are a current member and have not received the instructions, please contact Secretary James Carmichael via the contact page.
ERHC's volunteer leaders look forward to a great 2008.