HICoP Rally Saturday Sept. 9th 6-8 pm

[PaulW]

That envy certainly seems to be driving your opposition to helicopters.
Is travelling on a plane elitist too?

[MarkD]

That envy certainly seems to be driving your opposition to helicopters.

Amazing that you persist in this argument. I do not care what they earn. I want to be on our rural property without a bunch of machines flying overhead all day. Why does this sentiment seem illogical to you?

Traveling on a plane could be defined as elitist, but it has a very important purpose: travel. (Especially for our island state.) Helicopter tours are (optional) recreation.

Our inter island planes fly high, on a single track. They do not linger or roam around. Helicopter tours are many more times more intrusive to all Hawaii residents than are commercial transportation flights. (excepting perhaps some folks who live by airports)

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

people in Puna have in effect traded better prosperity... for a lifestyle based on peaceful enjoyment of nature. They mostly want to be left alone
...
Hawaii has very little industry, tourism is one of the few things that generates revenue

The helicopter tours allow us to be bothered slightly less by the Real Estate Tax and Excise Tax offices. Every time a tourist spends money here, we pay less for our property and every other purchase we make. I'll admit the tax people don't make as big a racket when they disturb our peaceful enjoyment of nature or food or clothing, but if you pay attention, their stealthy extraction methods are an even more insidious assault on general well being than the helicopters.

That said, I certainly wouldn't mind some rules and regulations on helicopters, we all manage with plenty of rules and regulations ourselves. We here in Puna are restricted in our travel from Puna to Hilo with only one highway. What if it was suggested helicopters should have a single flight path when they take tourists around the island? Then we'd hear some real noise.

The Donner Party really wasn't that great of a party, was it?

[kalakoa]

I do not care what they earn. I want to be on our rural property without a bunch of machines flying overhead

Reality is: both points are valid, but policy is decided on revenue, not "peaceful enjoyment".

helicopter tours allow us to be bothered slightly less by the Real Estate Tax and Excise Tax

Which taxation exists separately, without regard for "peaceful enjoyment".

That said, does anyone actually know how much revenue the tour operators make? Or is their existence justified by the value-add on tourism generally?

Legislation is for sale. How much will our "peaceful enjoyment" cost? Yes, I'm serious.

[MarkD]

HOTPE: What if it was suggested helicopters should have a single flight path when they take tourists around the island?

Nice to see the discussion taking a reasonable turn....

[PaulW]

You're the one who introduced elitism as a (silly) argument against helicopters!
You must enjoy arguing with yourself.

Still waiting to find out where I can go to experience 60 helicopters a day but so far all I hear is crickets.
Same as always.

[PaulW]

Or should I say coquis.

[MarkP]

Richard Branson has his own island. In that manner he controls his environment. All it takes is millions of dollars. People in Puna don't have millions of dollars. We are not going to get the control over our environment that we want because we are not willing or able to pay for it. This is a characteristic of Puna perhaps more significant than any other.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

if it was suggested helicopters should have a single flight path
...
Nice to see the discussion taking a reasonable turn....

Sorry if it wasn't obvious, but in the context of my entire post I thought it was clear my comment was meant as a rhetorical statement highlighting an existing hypocrisy, not a suggestion which would solve the problem.

The Donner Party really wasn't that great of a party, was it?

[Obie]

I think this has been covered before. There are already rules about where they can fly !

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/fie...n_proc.pdf