How to lodge Helicopter complaints...

[rainshadow]

Hey all, I thought I'd share my approach to logging low flying choppers. Obviously it's not as successful as I'd like it to be. But anyway... my approach is to be respectful of the FAA/other people (they are after all, just doing their jobs in a very big and messy institution) and base my requests/complaints on as much info (facts) as I can get.

To register a complaint when Air Tour choppers buzz your area:

- Get out your camera with the 300mm zoom
- Set ISO to ~2500, shutter speed to ~2500, and Aperture to ~6.3 or so (adjust all of these as you need)
- Snap pictures using full zoom, holding the camera as steady as you can while you do
- Review the shot(s) on your camera, zooming in on the viewfinder to see if you can ID the tail numbers
- If you can, note the tail numbers, time, air tour company, and basic address or lat/long of occurrence. Also note the estimated altitude.
- Download the shot, crop it, save it of, as a somewhat smaller version, to be email-friendly
- Forward the helicopter details and the attached photograph to the below contact list (include all info and pictures)
- Then call the State DOT Noise Compliant line to register a complaint

CONTACT INFORMATION:

David Ryon: David.S.Ryon@faa.gov
Charles Cantu: Charles.Cantu@faa.gov
Ian Gregor: Ian.Gregor@faa.gov
William J. McGowan: William.J.McGowan-Jr@faa.gov
Darett I. Kanayama: Darett.I.Kanayama@faa.gov
HI County Mayor: cohmayor@co.hawaii.hi.us
FAA Hilo: 808-935-4658
State of Hawai'i DoT Noise complaints: 1-888-697-781

Also, remember that the current set of laws governing air tour operators (over HPP, for example) states a minimum altitude of 1500' Above Ground Level (AGL), and a no-fly area if unable to maintain that altitude. The Hawai'i Air Tour Common Procedures Manual (10mb PDF) is located here, last time I looked:

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/fiel...n_proc.pdf

If you submit a complaint for a copter that is flying legal, the authorities will not take us seriously, so please try to stick to aircraft that you sincerely believe are violating laws (though believe me... I understand how you feel...).

And if you want to change these laws, contact local, State, and Federal people, in addition to Representatives and Senators. You can use the letter in the below petition as a basic format, modifying it to say what you want:

http://www.change.org/petitions/modify-h...opter-laws

I sincerely hope this helps, if only a little.

Other contact info:
-------------------
Hawai'i State Legislature - Senate:
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/members/le...?chamber=S

Hawai'i State Legislature - House:
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/house.aspx

Senators of the 112th Congress:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_in...m?State=HI

Governor Abercrombie:
http://hawaii.gov/gov/contact/contact-gov

Cannabis Eradication Program hotline:
(808) 864-2036


-- rainshadow

[Obie]

If they are hovering in your backyard,why do you need a 300mm zoom ??

I guess you just answered the question I had.

Why are there no clear pictures of these helicopters ???

[rainshadow]

Wish there were more bigger bolder more colorful more intense action movie-theater shots here...

http://airtourshawaii.blogspot.com/2012/...ppers.html

-- rainshadow

[ericlp]

I would think (even tho annoying) most people after sitting in their home after hearing a low flying chopper would have no time to get up, grab camera and rush out side... Then you would have to scan the skies to figure out where the noise was coming from. Mean while you'd have to turn on your camera zoom/focus in and do all this to try to get a good shot. Now you know why it's hard to capture a UFO.

I guess were gonna have to wait a bit longer before cellphones have good enough cam's to get clear zoomed in images...

[rainshadow]

No hawaiideborah, it's not legal for air tour choppers to fly at that elevation over houses. Take a photo and send as above. Also the complaint hotline is state, and while every bit helps, it's the feds we need to pester. Email David Ryon (David.S.Ryon@faa.gov), as he's the FAA person in charge of distributing valid complaints to FAA investigators. Also... followup! Don't just 'let' them do their job - make sure they give you answers, whatever that might be. Then log another one.

If I recall, the radar records are kept for up to 2 weeks (I could be wrong on that time frame); they are then deleted and any flights previous would not have alt/route info.

Take a look at the Air Tour Manual above to see the specific laws for your area - it's good to be armed with real info.

-- rainshadow

[pahoated]

This is kind of a crazy addendum to this topic. This guy finally lost his house to a lava flow a few weeks ago, the last house in the previous subdivision. He was getting special permission to visit it until then. Now, a helicopter tour wants to add it as a tourism landing spot. Look at the picture of where they are going to be landing! Tourists gotta do whut dey gonna do!

http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2012/0...on-permit/
Royal Gardens lava helicopter tour moves forward on permit

[rainshadow]

Pahoated - Thanks for posting that. Unbelievable that Paradise thinks this is a valid tour spot. Selling their aloha...

Do you know where the public can comment on air tour Environmental Assessments? That could be a valuable portal for shared opinions. I didn't realize the tours were required to do it, but now I know.

Not to play devil's advocate, but Sunshine did volunteer to rescue Jack in his last moments there in RG. For that, I commend them on the PROPER use of a helicopter.

Unfortunately they're also one of the biggest violators of the AGL/weather corridor laws over the subdivisions.

-- rainshadow