05-06-2013, 04:18 AM
The problem with establishing a "usual" flight path is that the lower Puna destination moves...and so does the flight path....as the lava flow changes. Starting at Hilo Airport they head South/southeast through kinda paralleling Railroad Rd in Hilo.... towards Keaau town is where the paths may diverge more....if there is more active flow near the water entry & that is closer to Kaimu, the birds will be heading more along Railroad, through mid-HPP & through Pahoa out to the water entry....if the flow has moved over towards the NP boundary, the birds will head more south, crossing over Keaau & heading more towards mid Ainaloa....If the activity is at Pu`uO`o or a breakout a little south of there, the flights will veer off of Railroad a little higher & more follow 11 & over Mid Hawaiian Acres...
It has not happened since I have lived here & I am not sure there was a helicopter force when it last happened, but I image that is the activity were to travel east down the East Rift, closer to Kapoho, the birds would fly more over lower HPP, HB/HP/HS/HSRE & Nanawale...
When we moved, It was during a time of very low activity (in fact, we chose AGAINST living in Hilo because of the airplane noise! boy were we in for a surprise)....a little over a year later, we realized what air traffic in Puna can be like...and the fact that Keaau seems to be on the flight path of all of the flows during the last few years! ARRRGGGHH!
It is also not as clear cut... during the filming of the Indiana Jones movie, there was no helicopter traffic overhead for a week or so...because there was filming on the Shipman property.... also during highly active lava flows, helicopters are brought in from other islands...and there is less concern for where to go (As the National Park is highly restricted, this has become an issue of note, esp. in the news... That is also the problem with the direct ruler route formulas, they are VERY restricted on where they can fly within the National Park)
Not all helicopters are bad, in fact over the years a couple of the companies have made it their kuleana to fly with respect to the landowners beneath. There is one that is no longer flying over the schools, is not flying in flight packs anymore, and has really become nothing more than light traffic noise here....And I know that in our neighborhood, that is noticed & appreciated...& I did hire them for some of the research work I had BECAUSE they respected our concerns a few years ago...
And then there are the Green Harvest, which flies low, in packs, and under no semblance of destination to the landowners...until a spot is found, then ALLL of the landowners near the grow are in the middle of a beehive of helicopter activity...for as long as it takes...
And search and rescue, which is the ONLY activity where I truly understand flying low & accept those few annoyances....and I do realize when there is a search here, we are lucky to have as many options... just wish they would all make it a part of their kuleana to respect the landowners...
It has not happened since I have lived here & I am not sure there was a helicopter force when it last happened, but I image that is the activity were to travel east down the East Rift, closer to Kapoho, the birds would fly more over lower HPP, HB/HP/HS/HSRE & Nanawale...
When we moved, It was during a time of very low activity (in fact, we chose AGAINST living in Hilo because of the airplane noise! boy were we in for a surprise)....a little over a year later, we realized what air traffic in Puna can be like...and the fact that Keaau seems to be on the flight path of all of the flows during the last few years! ARRRGGGHH!
It is also not as clear cut... during the filming of the Indiana Jones movie, there was no helicopter traffic overhead for a week or so...because there was filming on the Shipman property.... also during highly active lava flows, helicopters are brought in from other islands...and there is less concern for where to go (As the National Park is highly restricted, this has become an issue of note, esp. in the news... That is also the problem with the direct ruler route formulas, they are VERY restricted on where they can fly within the National Park)
Not all helicopters are bad, in fact over the years a couple of the companies have made it their kuleana to fly with respect to the landowners beneath. There is one that is no longer flying over the schools, is not flying in flight packs anymore, and has really become nothing more than light traffic noise here....And I know that in our neighborhood, that is noticed & appreciated...& I did hire them for some of the research work I had BECAUSE they respected our concerns a few years ago...
And then there are the Green Harvest, which flies low, in packs, and under no semblance of destination to the landowners...until a spot is found, then ALLL of the landowners near the grow are in the middle of a beehive of helicopter activity...for as long as it takes...
And search and rescue, which is the ONLY activity where I truly understand flying low & accept those few annoyances....and I do realize when there is a search here, we are lucky to have as many options... just wish they would all make it a part of their kuleana to respect the landowners...