Helicopter ID

[Wao nahele wahine]

Just saw the yellow helicopter flying around our neighborhood in Waa Waa. It appeared to only be scoping out certain areas, and was flying a bit low, but not as low as some other helicopters.

Wahine

[rainshadow]

YurtGirl >> there's a lot of info available on how to log complaints.

Here's just a small bit of it, feel free to dial and email to your hearts content:

http://airtourshawaii.blogspot.com/?view=magazine

-- rainshadow

[Carey]

After talking a few times today to the people taking reports...& their boss, I know that they do have radar that they can check for compliance, and may in the next day, but it seems like they do not have anything to do to the pilots if they are flying low.... Oh, and it seems that even though they had a slew of complaints from today, nothing was being done (most of the calls only go to the switchboard at the HON airport... that is why there are long holds & such... one ringy dingy...

So basically we can call them, complain, send pictures and all they can do is MAYBE ask the pilot not to do that...but it really does not sound like they even bother with that...

SOOOO, if we see the Maui Cty Rescue yellow bird, maybe we should call the pilots' boss & the MAUI county officials... same thing if the Blue Hawaii or other pilots are flying in an annoying manner, call their BOSS! (OK, can you tell that we have had a number of low flights today? Each of these helicopter sightings that you all have had have ALL flown out of HIlo, over our house & back from HPP, HA, Fern forest & WaaWaa, over our house on the way back to Hilo.... That little yellow bird has REALLY been busy AND VERY ANNOYING today.... too bad he is not in HIS county!

ADDED:
Yellow County of Maui Rescue helicopter contacts:
Chief Jeffery Murray & Deputy Robert Shimada
(808)271-7561
email: fire.dept@co.maui.hi.us

[YurtGirl]

There is an independent guy here that flies a yellow chopper. Here is the number to the D.E.A. Complaint line: 683-9276. That is in HNL too. They can not get radar on any choppers where we are, nor most of puna, because radar doesn't pick up in the terrain. PLUS, once they are low, they go off radar. Bit of a flawed system. We can get data on the number of complaints. Must file a written request to Henry Brukner. Dept. Of Transportation Airport Div. 400 Rogers Blvd. Ste. 700 HNL., 96819. At least that may be a place to go for some solid stats if we ever pull together to do something about this bs. Day two with them swarming our area. D.E.A. Said our neighbors were growing illegally. So my question is : since they obviosly figured that out yesterday when they swarmed for eight hours straight, why are they swarming again instead of sending in ground units? Isn't a chopped several hundreds of dollars to run an hour in addition to invasive and disruptive to everyone in a five mile radius?

[rainshadow]

Carey, the problem there is that the bosses, the pilots, the County (whichever county)... simply do not care. Besides, them telling their pilots to do this or that is not in their best interests (they're after the almighty dollar, remember that).

The people who have jurisdiction over them reside in the FAA. Those are the people to talk to. And - note this - follow up with. When you do submit a report, be consistent and tenacious.

Below is the direct line contacts for two FAA people on Oahu. These gents are responsible for the air tours that fly over our houses. They are NOT responsible for the green harvest - that's the almighty GOV. (Note also that while the State cancelled GH, the Feds did not. That's why we still see them. Up close. And. Personal.) Further, they are not responsible for anything that falls under fire, rescue, lost cats/people, whatever.

Two things to remember about these FAA people:
- They will never know about an infraction unless YOU bring it to their attention (and follow up), and;
- They are not responsible for the pilots flying like asses. But they do have the ability to assess penalties; this is their gig and within their jurisdiction.

And, they are simply doing their jobs, so please be professional and kind and respectful to them; it will take this effort (to stop/change these flights) much much further than dis'ing on them. If we all as a community just start shoveling complaints at them with no forethought, no background info, and no detail or reason for the complaint other than "this sucks!", they will surely ignore us. Wouldn't you?

Above them (and enforcement of current laws), we are talking about a law change. This is done via our elected peoples. We must talk with them, regularly, to keep this issue on the radar.

Again, I think if we can gather ourselves behind this collectively, write our reps/senators (upcoming election - how do THOSE people stand on this issue??), and be clear on what we want (stop air tour overflights over our communities), we may find ourselves being heard. Hopefully.

Just saying...

Here's the contact info:

Charles Carlos Cantu
Charles.Cantu@faa.gov
Frontline Manager, Air Tour Unit
Honolulu Flight Standards District Office
Federal Aviation Administration
(808) 837-8367

David S. Ryon
David.S.Ryon@faa.gov
Principal Operations Inspector
WP-HNL-FSDO
(808) 837-8323

Finally... did you sign this petition???
http://www.change.org/petitions/modify-h...opter-laws

-- rainshadow

[rainshadow]

The yellow dude just flew by @ 300' here in HPP.
Tail: N809WA

Calling now.

By the way, did anyone see that gray .MIL type plane rip through HPP yesterday (8/1) around 2:15pm? Like, 200 feet off the ground and moving very fast. If a plane like that went down here... oh man...

-- rainshadow

[macuu222]

Anyone notice that there have been no tour helicopters at all the last couple of days?

[Carey]

Rainshadow, they bosses WOULD care if you were taking up THEIR time, email & phone line directly... not just the operators that have a job as long as there are call screenings to be made.... It is strange that when there was a major film filming down here, there are NO helicopters.... I am sure that if there were the amount of flights that we have flying over the houses of where the bosses live, they would not be flying as low as they do here!

Also interesting that some of the bosses have public addresses....

Added: I did call in a complaint yesterday & while I was on the phone there were enough over-flights that the FAA operator even commented about it.... since the Thanksgiving Breakout, we routinely get 6-10 flights out & back every 45 mins...more on boat & green harvest days.... If those flights are up, they are just part of the background noise, when they are down below 1000' it is more noticeable. The last 2 days they have been running much lower, today I have had a number of flights riding closer to the 600-700' level, one even circled my house, the same copter I called in yesterday, & I gave those operators our address.... coincidence? maybe.... but maybe the pilots know there was a complaint...and answer it....

[bystander]

I think the green harvest people (NED or whoever) tell the tour operators to stay away from where they're flying. Makes sense. They don't want them in the way.

[Carey]

Bystander, not on the way out from Hilo & in to Hilo...they are all flying the same routes, unless GH banks up to upper Puna.... AND that is my concern they are flying low within the flight paths of other planes, & within a residential area with multiple schools.

GH is NO excuse for any of the low flying enroute to a destination... I am not positive if Keaau town is a "congested area" but it IS residential zoned... I would think that counts for at least the pilots TRYING to follow the FAA safe altitude guidelines...AND I would THINK that the helicopter pilos here would follow the FAA safe flying altitude over an area with multiple schools (as this is specified in the "densly populated definition).... these guys routinely fly below 1000' right over the 4 schools here & the houses here (I know that Oahu would not stand for it).... and yesterday & today the pilots were sometimes even below 500'... over my house & over the schools!

FAA safe altitude waiver link:
http://fsims.faa.gov/PICDetail.aspx?docI...4F00766577