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Not trying to troll. I originally posted this under another thread, but thought it would be better served in its' own.
For those of you that complain so heavily about the helicopters ruining your peace and quiet and "making you put a stop to your life" while they go over, do you:
1. Live in an area infested with coqui frogs?
2. If so, what complaining to authorities have you taken and what steps have you taken to eliminate the very noisy frogs?
Please don't flame me on this. I am going somewhere with the question.
I'll reveal more, later, after I get some good discussion going. [  ]
My non-flaming answer:
No one has the ability to control the frogs, not the County, or State, or USDA.
I have visited websites, bought a sprayer, sprayed, sprayed again, ineffective in control.
Helicopters are regulated and they could be controlled.
To me it is apples and oranges, but frogs bother me far less than helicopters. I can listen to frogs 12-15 hours a day and be fine, but that much constant exposure to helicopter would be unbearable. Also frogs are not anywhere near as loud as helicopters, even when the helicopter is in the sky ...
Lastly, the frog noise is not itself a result of people ignoring the needs of other people, although no doubt the fact that the frog population got out of control was due to a certain failure to act by authorities when control would have been possible. I'm annoyed by the frog noise but I don't blame the frogs.
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1) Yes
2) Mild, but more than I've complained about helicopters. I kill the frogs when possible and soon I will enter into phase 2 of a "let's sleep with the windows open" coqui minimization plan.
If Helicopters were flying at night like they do in the day I'd have to come up with a "let's sleep with the windows open" helicopter minimization plan and it would probably be a lot more peaceful than the afore mentioned coqui plan as I hear that sleeping in jail can be really hard to do.
Hmmmm, did I hear "Hook Up" off in the distance?
Sean
See you in the surf
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Silly comparison. Coquis are an out of control invasive species and while some may call the helicopters also an invasive species, they are in fact a regulated human activity.
The issue is not helicopters themselves or tourism. The issue has come up because low altitude tourist helicopter activity became very intense and intrusive for much of a day. If the helicopters are going to have a busy day, they should at least have the courtesy to fly over the ocean instead of populated areas. They did not have that courtesy. But I seriously doubt that any citizen complaints will have any appreciable effect on this situation.
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The issue is noise, and more. The issue is also privacy and peaceful enjoyment of your property. On the east coast, residents sued and won in a court case involving lowflying noisy aircraft over a residential area. They sued the pilots personally. It would be simple for the tour companies to route the flights over the ocean, as they do on Oahu. However, it will take a concerted effort on the part of HPP and other subdivision residents to achieve this.
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agreed
- it is about noise levels. If the helicopters were quieter it would not be as much of an issue. I like the idea of max sound level limits, whether it be helicopters, empty gravel trucks or motorcycles. Id add boom boxes too. Im 600 feet in from the road, yet at times I can feel the beat - all the way up here - grin
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quote:
Originally posted by riceflower
The issue is noise, and more. The issue is also privacy and peaceful enjoyment of your property. On the east coast, residents sued and won in a court case involving lowflying noisy aircraft over a residential area.
You will not win a lawsuit for noisy low flying aircraft unless one of three things was present:
1. The aircraft was operated in violation of federal regulations.
or,
2. The over flight was in violation of some other authorized legal authority.
or,
3. It was to intentionally harass, and/or cause harm, and/or alarm.
The 'east coast' lawsuit was based on number 1. The pilots deviated from federal rules on altitude and flight paths. That's why they were sued. It was not simply because the aircraft were noisy, flying low, over someone’s property, or any invasion of privacy. Aircraft were to follow a specific pattern that mitigated noise and altitude concerns, but they didn't follow it.
Now, as it relates to PUNA, there are many areas where aircraft have to obey specific flight paths. These restrictions are put in pace by the FAA. Some keep aircraft out of residential areas and some limit when these flights can occur. So, how did those areas get it and Puna can't? What did they do that Puna isn't doing?
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Wow! a spin off.
Gotta jump back in.
Noise is the issue.
At night I just put a pillow over my head or lay on my side with my finger stuck in my ear until I fall asleep. Once asleep the frogs don't wake me up unless one is right on my window. But I really don't like having my hearing impaired.
If something is prowling around outside. I want to wake up and investigate. I'm a very light sleeper. My wife is a sound sleeper and nothing seems to bother her. Some people are just lucky that way.
During the day the Helicopters are constantly breaking my train of thought... It's like someone hit the pause button in my brain until the sound dissipates. Not my wife though she carries on as if they don't exist.
I'm very sensitive to sound disruptions.
In the morning I wake up as soon as the birds start chirping.
She could sleep through an atomic explosion.
One Thing I can always be sure of is that things will never go as expected.
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coqui = nature out of control. the gov could have done something - but spraying while walmart (one of the original vectors) kept spreading them is nuts. it's like the australian tree fern - the gov says don't plant them but doesn't stop walmart from importing them. our county gov doesn't apply logic to many things
helicopters = money (greed), private business. and can be controlled. I am sure if any one of us set up shop making as much noise as they do our neighbors, and the gov to follow, would be down our throats with their inspectors and fines for violations within a heart beat. FAA aint there to police, but to protect the industry. complaints go into the round file as soon as they are made methinks (and I am one that has made many a complaint - submitted numbers, recordings, pictures, maps, alternative route suggestions, all to no avail). one thing I observed, having flown in helicopters for 100's of hours here on the island, is when flying south from the kona airport they dont fly over kona town, but go around it offshore, so the old argument of saving fuel etc is bs. I suspect the more $ an area is worth the more the helicopters will avoid it, rich people speak loader than the poor.
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Flying a helicopter out of Kona Airport (KOA) and wanting to go South, it makes perfect sense to stay over the water. Mauna Loa rises up very quickly and the coast can be better viewed from off-shore. It has nothing to do with people in Kona having more money.
Back to frogs and their noise.
Since coqui issues should now be declared when selling real estate, they can hurt a vacation rental property's ability to get rented out, etc....
For those that have bad issues with them, other than spraying, what have you done? Anything other than an occasional coqui-killing?
Would you be willing to pay a modest monthly fee (maybe $40) to be able to reduce the coqui population without spraying chemicals which can harm expensive plants and harm other species?
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