Helicopter Protest for Puna

[Wao nahele kane]

How many people here who “live in Puna” would be willing to tether helium or hydrogen filled balloons to fishing line/pole affixed to their property in protest of helicopter traffic?

E ho'a'o no i pau kuhihewa.

[csgray]

This was tried in the Pacific Northwest in the 70s with weather balloons, as I remember, it got shut down in urban/suburban areas but I can't remember what happened in rural areas. I doubt I would want to float a hydrogen balloon over my house, but an affordable, highly visible weather balloon I would go for. This is good solid creative thinking!

Carol

[dmbwest]

I still say write 499' on them in big numbers.

[Wao nahele kane]

Hot air balloons would work but they would require more frequent fueling and be prone to possibly starting a forest fire. Personally I'd stick to Hydrogen and or Helium as they are much safer than a liquid fuel used for heating air. We don’t need any forest fires.
BTW… The larger the volume of hydrogen used, the less implosive it becomes because it requires a balanced oxygen mix to violently implode. The wider the hydrogen envelope, the longer it takes for oxygen to mix into the gas envelope and it becomes more a meandering floating flame that dissipates rapidly upward rather than the loud popping implosion noted in small hydrogen balloons. In any case, hydrogen or helium would both be safe for such use. The Hindenburg fiasco was not caused by the hydrogen gas as was widely suspected, it was the paint used on the outside of the envelope that caught on fire and burned up in a flash. Most of the oxygen deprived hydrogen pretty much escaped into the atmosphere while some of the more exterior gas gently “burned” upward away from the occupants.


E ho'a'o no i pau kuhihewa.

[Wao nahele kane]

Pog... good idea. Another might be a Helicopter in a circle with a line through it. Guess it depends on the person and what they want to say to the helicopters.


E ho'a'o no i pau kuhihewa.

[bystander]

A few years ago, I saw what appeared to be a large garbage bag filled with helium tethered to the ground in HPP. I guess someone already had that idea.

I recall the year that Ronald Reagan died, someone got arrested for launching a rocket at a helicopter. His excuse was he was celebrating Reagan's funereal.

[Obie]

You might want to read this:

§ 101.15 Notice requirements.

No person may operate an unshielded moored balloon or kite more than 150 feet above the surface of the earth unless, at least 24 hours before beginning the operation, he gives the following information to the FAA ATC facility that is nearest to the place of intended operation:

(a) The names and addresses of the owners and operators.

(b) The size of the balloon or the size and weight of the kite.

© The location of the operation.

(d) The height above the surface of the earth at which the balloon or kite is to be operated.

(e) The date, time, and duration of the operation.

§ 101.17 Lighting and marking requirements.

(a) No person may operate a moored balloon or kite, between sunset and sunrise unless the balloon or kite, and its mooring lines, are lighted so as to give a visual warning equal to that required for obstructions to air navigation in the FAA publication “Obstruction Marking and Lighting”.

(b) No person may operate a moored balloon or kite between sunrise and sunset unless its mooring lines have colored pennants or streamers attached at not more than 50 foot intervals beginning at 150 feet above the surface of the earth and visible for at least one mile.

(Sec. 6©, Department of Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. 1655©))

[Doc. No. 1580, 28 FR 6722, June 29, 1963, as amended by Amdt. 101–4, 39 FR 22252, June 21, 1974]

[DanielP]

These ideas have been kicked around for years. The trades would be a factor for tethered baloons.
I suggested a couple years back that a model rocket club (and store) could be established with constant and changing flight plans being submitted to force the helicopter flight plans to be changed and filed and re-filed as the rocket launch plans change. Model rockets are relatively inexpensive and a hoot too.

Grass-roots protests take persistent leadership and organization, which has been absent to this point. It takes a committed individual who is willing to commit and sacrifice their time in perpituity to make it work.

[rainshadow]

It's not the end all be all, but the below is something...
If signatures actually got up there in numbers, it could be additional info to wave at a politician. I, for one, am frustrated at the lack of respect by the tour companies, and complete disregard by the authorities to our voices; something needs to change.

Modify Air Tour Laws petition:
http://www.change.org/petitions/modify-h...opter-laws

ID'ing choppers and contact info:
http://airtourshawaii.blogspot.com/

BTW, thanks Obie, for the law posting. I certainly won't be following that when flying my kite, but it's good to know. (And what better way to raise helicopter infraction visibility than get busted for flying a kite...)

Perhaps there's some way to be sooo offensive from our back yards, that they won't want to be around.

-- rainshadow