National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000

[Ino]

Currently it is not illegal to fly a model aircraft/unmanned drone in the airspace of our National Parks. Citing safety, law enforcement can make it illegal to launch and land in National Parks.

Only the FAA has jurisdiction to regulate the airspace above the park. Currently the FAA is trying to coerce the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park into agreeing to a voluntary compliance program for air tours to satisfy the need to comply with the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000;
http://tinyurl.com/kfghksq

The FAA has refused to fund the park’s research into the air tour overflights. Luckily for us (who want change) the HVNP is continuing to document the ongoing degradation of our national park. Hopefully all the work done at the workshops in 2011 is not wasted;
http://www.nps.gov/havo/learn/management...2012-2.pdf

A voluntary compliance for air tours would pretty much leave the situation like it is now. The air tour companies currently are supposed to pay entrance fees but only voluntarily. So the amount collected is very small and according to park rangers is not a factor in their budget.

The FAA doesn't appear to want to change anything here even though they must know we have a problem here. There seems to be a real conflict of interest in that they are required by the Act of 2000 to regulate but are also mandated to promote aviation. It seems the FAA wants to keep it real easy for them here and not regulate the air tours in any way.

Until the public wakes up and contacts their Federal Representatives the situation will remain the same. I have done what I can-officially filed complaints, contacted my representatives, interacted with the powers that be, etc. It's been 15 years since the Act of 2000 was passed by Congress and nothing has really changed here. I wish that the same fervor to save Mauna Kea would be extended to protect our National Park from the very obvious damage the air tours do.

[leilanidude]

Curious - In all of my visits to the park over the last few years, I have never seen or heard a helicopter fly over, with the exception of when the lava was flowing into the ocean. Even then, they were over the ocean, not over the park? I certainly have never seen them near the caldera?

[kalakoa]

FAA is trying to coerce the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park into agreeing to a voluntary compliance program for air tours

FAA might get more "citizen participation" if they also actively regulated the entire air tour, not just the part that's "over a National Park".

[Ino]

"Curious - In all of my visits to the park over the last few years, I have never seen or heard a helicopter fly over, with the exception of when the lava was flowing into the ocean. Even then, they were over the ocean, not over the park? I certainly have never seen them near the caldera?"

My experience has been the exact opposite. Every time I go during the 8-4pm time frame I see and hear them. I admit I'm more sensitive to quiet conditions than most people are. The lava lake rising has made national news and there usually is a delay but right now the rangers feel like the air tours are overwhelming the caldera 808-985-6000. Even the air tour ads talk about access to the caldera and proven by the HVNP's monitoring they definitely are there;
http://www.safarihelicopters.com/bigisland/lava/

"FAA is trying to coerce the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park into agreeing to a voluntary compliance program for air tours

FAA might get more "citizen participation" if they also actively regulated the entire air tour, not just the part that's "over a National Park"."

There has been plenty of citizen participation. Lots of people complaining in East Hawaii.

They do have regulations, Can't fly below 500' over houses unless weather or safety conditions force them to but I can tell you they routinely fly under these heights as they fly over my house on their way uphill to the HVNP. The FAA knows this simply looking at their radar but it is not enforced. Ever try to identify a helicopter? -the numbers used to be on the belly or underside of helicopters but they moved the numbers up to the side making it much harder to identify. If you complain and can come up with all the data an FAA inspector under pressure from a legislator will respond but nothing really comes of it.

I have a very simple and cost saving idea. Simply base the helicopters in the National Park. Save gas, time, cut down on greenhouse gases and the number of compliants.

[kalakoa]

There has been plenty of citizen participation. Lots of people complaining in East Hawaii. They do have regulations

One the regulations and the complaints have in common: both are ignored.

It's been 15 years since the Act of 2000 was passed by Congress and nothing has really changed here.

Exactly.

[rainyjim]

To my knowledge, per working there,

Helicopter overflights are restricted to the emergency helicopter for rescues. This helicopter is also sometimes used to drop off gear for rangers that work at hard to reach places - like Halape beach - where Rangers are working to save the hawksbill turtles.

[leilanidude]

I would love to see a picture of a tour helicopter flying over or anywhere near, the caldera.

[Ino]

Air tour pilots are suppose to follow the procedures listed in this document from the FAA, the HAWAII AIR TOUR COMMON PROCEDURES MANUAL;
http://tinyurl.com/mebxaz3 (beware large but informative document-skip to page 11 to start Hawaii Island info)
and I think if they followed these procedures we wouldn't even be talking about them.

I believe that some of the pilots don't follow them. If they did they would be flying at 1500' AGL above ground level in the park and over my house and I don't think I would even hear them and I think without binoculars I could hardly even see them and I would care less. But unfortunately many of them (in my opinion) do not follow the procedures- check the map to see if they are following the procedures where you live on page 13.

I live in Hawaiian Acres and I believe they are consistently at a 500' AGL or even much less, when they fly over my house on the way to the volcano. I know from experience that when my roof shakes I think it's only a few hundred feet. Part of the problem is the enforcement is voluntary and there are no flight inspectors on this island. Talking with the FAA Flight Standard Inspector on Oahu we reasoned that the pilots are not following their altimeters as they move from sea level to 4,000'. Wouldn't that be great if they could simply follow the procedures as written.

If you search Google Images with "Helicopters flying over Kilauea Hawaii Volcano national park" you'll see the images you seek;
https://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi&authuser=0&ei=mp9BVb-HF5LhoAS1k4DoBA&ved=0CBQQqi4oAg

I believe this was written in 1995 but I think it sums up the current situation well;
http://vault.sierraclub.org/planet/19941...er.asp#top

[mmbvd7]

Ino, thanks for posting. Wednesday evening, twice a helicopter was low and loud. We moved here in October and this was the first time we experienced a helicopter shaking the house! I do not remember having that loud of an experience when the lava was flowing fast, back in the fall (plus it was heading towards Pahoa). I had posted wondering if others experienced...and I see apparently this is an on-going issue. I seriously thought the helicopter was in trouble and was going to crash...that is how low and loud it was!

Best wishes

[leilanidude]

mmbvd7 - To be clear, this low helicopter was over your house, not in the National Park? Where is your house?