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Office of Council Member Gale A. Brewer December 5, 2012

From the Office of Council Member Gale A. Brewer HELI COPTER REGULATION AMENDMENT PROPOSAL :

Docket ID: FAA - 2011 - 1030 **Language you proposed for new/amended rule:** Title 14, Section 45.23: Location of marks; general, the regulation states: “Each operator of an aircraft must display

on that aircraft marks consisting of the Roman capital letter ‘ N ’ (denoting United States registration) followed b y the regis tration numb er of the aircraft.” Furthermore, Title 14, Section 45.27: Location of marks; nonfixed - wing aircraft states: “E ach operator of a rotorcraft must display

on that rotorcraft horizontally on both surfaces of the cabin, fuselage, boom, or tail the marks requir ed b y §45.23. ” The proposed language for the amended rule would add “ Additionally , the registration number of the aircraft must be displayed on the underside of the cabin in large font clearly visable from the naked eye 900 - 1000 feet away .” **Explanation of your proposed action and purpose:**  Helicopters that do not adhere to the recommend ed routes and fl y below the advised altitude have significant negative impacts on the quality of life of residents, particularl y in urban environments with high - rise buildings and national monuments that attract tourism. ( Daily News , “Helicopter Noise Ca lled a Peril to Public Health” January 12, 2000, http://articles.nydail ynews.com/2000 - 01 - 12/local/18127155_1_helicopter - noise - he licopter overflights - sightseeing ) National Resources Defense Council ’s (NRDC) report, “Needless Noise: The Negative Impacts of Helicopter Traffic in New York City and the Tri - State Region ,” December, 1999, states “ noise - based health impact include s sleep deprivation and impacts on cardiovascular and gastrointestinal functions, as well as reduced learning abilities in school children. These impacts go beyond the quality - of - life anno yances caused when noise disrupts normal daily

activities such as spe ech, sleeping, and relaxation.” ( Cunnigham and Kassel,1) The report also states “both the FAA and NASA have concluded that the public perceives helicopter noise to be twice as loud as comparable - decibel fixed - wing aircraft.” ( Cunningham and Kassel, 4) Becau se of these negative impacts a number of American cities such as Los Angeles, W ashington D.C. and New York have citizen complaint sy stems. Citizen complaints are the primary method of reporting low fl yi ng air crafts operating in violation of Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR). ( The L.A. Times , “L .A. residents turn out to co mplain about helicopter noise” August 6, 2012, http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/08/la - residents - turn - out - to - complain - about helicopter - noise.html ), “Helicopter Study Questionnaire” (http://www.mwcog.org/environment/airport/helic opter/ques.asp ), http://www.nycedc.com/program/aviation .2

Office of Council Member Gale A. Brewer December 5, 2012 Prompted by

the City Council, The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) issued a “ Helicopter Identification Sheet" to help constituents with complaints to more easil y identify unlawful helicopters . EDC also asks New Yorkers to call or email the city’s 311 complaint center . B oth the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Low Fl yi ng Aircraft Compla ints Sheet and the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Helicopter Identification Sheet list the the tail number as the key tool for identifying helicopters in violation. M ost reports of low flying helicopters come fro m citizens on the ground, we therefore request an amendment to the FAA rules to require that registration numbers be printed on the underside of all helicopter carriage s so citizens can accurat e ly report these helicopter s to the local and federal regulatory and enforcing agencies. ATTACHMENTS: Helicopter Identification Sheet Helicopter Roundtable Memo (January 22, 2009) http://house.gov/berman/pdf/Berman_letter_to_LaHood_on_Helicopters.pdf