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U.S

. Departmen t
. . _ rsi Tmner^rfsifl^ n AlTSDaC e SeWlCC S o f Transportatio

n 80 0 ^ dependenc e Av e } g w Sr°. ra L^! 2 Washington , D C 2059 1 Administratio

n b
MA Y2 0 201 6 Mr
. Bo b Anderso n Presiden t Lo s Angele s Are aHelicopte r Nois e Coalitio n (LAAHNC ) Pos t Offic e Bo x 57144 8 Tarzana , Californi a91357-144 8 Dea r Mr
. Anderson : Thi s i s i n respons e t o you r lette r date dOctobe r

20 , 2015 , poste dt o th e publi c docke t (No
. FAA

2015-5043 ) petitionin g th e Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n (FAA ) t o initiat e rulemakin g t o amen dpar t

9 1 o f Title 1 4 Cod e o f

Federa l Regulation s (1 4 CFR)
. I n you r petition , yo u reques t a n amendmen t

t o 1 4 CF R§ 91.11 9 pertainin g t o minimu msaf e altitude s ove r

congested , urban area s i n Lo s Angele s County
. I n accordanc e with 1 4 CF R§ 11.73 , th e FA A consider s th e followin g criteri awhe n makin g a decisio n a s t o whethe r

o r no t t o amen dcurren t

regulation s base do n apetitio n for rulemaking : 1 ) Th e immediac y o f

th e safet y o r security concern s yo u raise ; 2 ) Th e priorit y o f

othe r issue s th e FA A mus t

deal with ; an d 3 ) Th e resource s w e hav e availabl e t o addres s thes e issues
. Eac h year , th e FA A prioritize s it s rulemakin g project s base do n issue s tha t ar e crucia l t o th e safety o f th e aviatio n communit y an dth e travelin g publi c t o ensur e th e FA A deliver s th e mos t valu e t o th e aviatio n system . I n accordanc e with 1 4 CF R§ 11.73 , th e FA A i s dismissin g you r petitio n for

rulemaking
. Genera l discussio n o n th e petitio n received : Geographic
. Topographi c an dClimat e Limitation s Th e geograph y tha t

Lo s Angele s County encompasse s i s a s divers e a s th e population
. Ther e ar e 1,87 5 squar e mile s o f

mountains , with th e highes t poin t locate d10,08 0 feet

abov e se aleve l ato p Mt
. San Antonio , an d1,74 1 squar e mile s o f flatlan dthat

include s alo w poin t

o f nin e feet belo w se aleve l i n th e City o f

Wilmington
. Th e differenc e i n elevatio n betwee n th e Lo s Angele s Civi c Cente r an dth e surroundin g mountain s i s greate r tha n betwee n th e City o f Denve r an dit s surroundin g mountains
. Additionally , Lo s Angele s County include s 7 5 mile s o f mainlan d coastline , plu s a n additiona l 12 9 squar e mile s o f islands
.A s aresul t o f th e influenc e o f

topograph y o n th e circulatio n o f marin e air , Lo s Angele s County' s climat e i s subjec t

t o wid e variation s withi n short distances
. Fo r

example , Sant aMonic aPie r enjoy s anorma l Jul y maximu mtemperatur e o f aroun d75 ° F , whil e th e averag e temperatur e increase s t o 95 ° Fa t

Canog aPark

i n th e Sa n Fernand o Valle y jus t

1 5 mile s t o th e north
. Lo s Angele s experience s tw o mai n an duniqu e weathe r patterns : "Jun e Gloom " an d"th e SantaAn a winds. " Th e firs t

refer s t o th e ocean fo g that keep s th e beac h citie s (an doften al l o f th e Lo s Angele s Basin ) overcas t

int o earl y afternoo n an dmos t commo n i n June , bu t

can occu r

an y tim e betwee n Marc h an dmid-August
. Th e middl e o f autumn (October-November ) ofte n bring s th e Sant aAn awinds , strong , ho t wind s fromacros s th e desert tha t increas e brush-fir e dange r an d revers e th e prevailin g offshore winds
. Topograph y an dclimat e condition s play a n importan t rol e i n apilot' s decisio n whethe r t o fly an dwhat

route s t o use , especiall y durin g th e haz y day s durin g th e "Jun e Gloom. " Reduce dvisibility an dlowe r clou dceiling s forc e visua l flight rule s (VFR ) helicopter s t o fly a t

lowe r altitudes
. Airspac e Complexit y i n Lo s Angele s County Souther n California' s airspac e i s extremel y comple x an dha s high-volum e ai r traffi c du e t o multipl e international , domesti c an dgenera l aviatio n airport s i n clos e proximit y t o on e another , militar y operations , an dflight trainin g activity
. Currentl y ther e ar e 2 7 airports (1 5 publi c use , 1 1 privat e us e an d1 privat e us e seaplan e base ) i n Lo s Angele s County with 2 1 different airport sponsors . Additionally , ther e ar e 13 8 heliport s registere dwith th e FAA
. Althoug h som e o f thes e ar e owne db y publi c entities , non e ar e publi c us e (i.e. , availabl e for us e b y th e genera l publi c withou t prio r approva l o f

th e owne r

o r operator)
. Throughou t

Lo s Angele s County ther e ar e als o numerou s unregistere dheliport s o n to p o f high-ris e building s for

emergenc y us e tha t

ar e regulate db y Lo s Angele s County o r municipa l fire codes
. Withi n Lo s Angele s County ther e ar e differen t type s o f "controlled " airspac e (Clas s A , B , C , D , o r E ) an d"uncontrolle dairspace " (Clas s G)
. Controlle dairspac e ha s define ddimensions , withi n whic h ai r traffi c contro l (ATC ) service s ar e provide dt o al l instrumen t flight rule s (IFR ) operation s an dma y b e provide dt o VF R flights
. Advisor y AT C service s may b e provide di n uncontrolle dairspac e (Clas s G) , workload permitting
. Fixed-win g aircraf

t an dhelicopter s operat e unde r VF Ro r IF Rcondition s whil e i n flight
. Aircraf t unde r VF Rar e flow n primaril y b y referenc e t o visua l cue s outsid e th e cockpi t (e.g. , horizon , buildings , rivers , highways , etc. ) for orientatio n an dnavigation , an dt o maintai n separatio n from terrai n an dothe r

aircraft
. Aircraf

t unde r IF Rrel y o n instrument s tha t allo w pilot s t o operat e the m i n poo r visibilit y an dat

highe r altitudes
. Mos t

helicopter s operat e unde r VF Rwhic h mean s tha t

i t i s th e pilot' s responsibilit y t o "se e an davoid " othe r traffic , terrain , o r

obstacles
. Simpl y speaking , th e pilo t

i s responsibl e for

th e saf e operatio n o f

th e aircraft , whil e AT C i s responsibl e for th e overal l safety an defficienc y o f th e airspace
. Althoug h ai r traffi c controller s ma y provid e traffi c advisor y servic e t o VF Rflight s (workloa dpermitting) , this doe s no t replac e apilot' s duty t o "se e an davoid. " Man y o f th e helicopte r

operation s i n Lo s Angele s County occu r i n Clas s G Airspace
. Additionally , 1 4 CF R§ 91.119(d ) authorize s helicopte r pilot s t o operat e belo w th e altitud e minimum s ove r

congeste do r

othe r area s a s lon g a s th e operatio n i s conducte dwithou t hazar dt o person s o r

propert y o n th e surface
. MANDATOR Y MEDI A HELICOPTE RPOOLIN G - FAA-2015-5043 :I n you r

petition , yo u reques t

a n amendmen t

t o 1 4 CFR§ 91.11 9 pertainin g t o minimu msaf e altitude s ove r

congested , urban area s i n Lo s Angele s County , California
. Specifically , yo u reques t mandator y medi ahelicopte r pooling
. A s abes t practic e o r

a s avoluntary measur e for th e new s media , FA A fully support s thi s effort
. I n recen t histor y tw o Lo s Angele s County event s showcas e th e viability o f thi s measur e an dth e potentia l succes s tha t

ca n b e achieve dthroug h advance dplannin g an dcooperatio n amongs t th e new s media
. Thes e event s wer e "Carmageddo n II " an dth e groun dtransport o f spac e shuttl e Endeavo r fromLo s Angele s Internationa l Airport t o it s destinatio n at

th e Californi aScienc e Center
. Significan t

Progres s an dImprovement s Althoug h th e FA A canno t a t thi s tim e conduc t

rulemakin g for

th e specifi c petitio n requested , i t ha s take n importan t

step s tha t

further voluntary actio n o n th e part o f operators , residents , an d othe r stakeholders
. Th e FA A an dth e stakeholde r workin g group s hav e mad e significan t progres s o n eac h o f

th e si x action s specifie di n th e 201 4 Consolidate dAppropriation s Act , Publi c La w No
. 113-7 6 (Januar y 3 , 2014)
. Th e FA A i s committe dt o workin g with stakeholder s a s the y furthe r matur e an dformulat e additiona l voluntary measures . Significan t resource s hav e bee n expende dt o analyz e ho w helicopter s integrat e int o th e comple x airspac e o f Lo s Angele s County , includin g developin g ne w methodolog y an dtool s t o identif y helicopte r

flight tracks
. Gainin g a bette r understandin g o f

existin g helicopte r

operation s wa s anecessar y firs t ste p i n evaluatin g existin g helicopte r

route s an daltitudes , an dth e FA A share dit s work-in-progres s with stakeholder s throug h detaile dbriefing s an dworkin g grou p sessions
. Wit h thi s foundation , th e FA A an dstakeholder s hav e mad e progres s i n identifyin g rout e adjustment s tha t coul dlesse n impact s o n residentia l area s an dnoise-sensitiv e landmark s whil e avoidin g shiftin g nois e from on e residentia l neighborhoo dt o another
. Specificall y th e FA A ha s develope dspecifi c beaco n code s for us e i n Lo s Angele s County t o enhanc e safet y b y distinguishin g helicopter s fromfixed

win g aircraf

t an dincreasin g situationa l awarenes s o f pilot s an dai r

traffi c controllers ; ha s complete dextensiv e in-depth analysi s o f adherenc e t o existin g helicopte r route s an dpotentia l for rout e adjustment s for

th e Hollywood , Torrance , Palo s Verdes , an dLon g Beac h areas ; ha s provide dstakeholde r

briefing s t o revie w an dexplai n th e result s o f th e in-depth analysis ; an dha s identifie dane w voluntar y offshore rout e basedo n analysi s o f coasta l ai r

traffi c an dstakeholde r input
. Th e FA A i s committe dt o continuin g it s evaluatio n o f helicopte r

traffi c i n Lo s Angele s Count y an dwil l continu e community involvemen t t o promot e voluntary measure s for nois e reduction
. Th e FA A ha s collaborate dwith community representative s an dhelicopte r operator s t o identif

y an dpromot e existin g bes t practice s t o reduc e noise
. It continue s t o issu e Advisory NOTAM s for larg e event s an dencourag e helicopte r operator s an dnew s organization s t o emplo y practice s tha t reduc e noise
. Th e FA A an dhelicopte r group s hav e take n advantag e o f opportunitie s t o educat e pilot s an dencourag e bes t practices
. It

remain s alert

t o th e potentia l t o us e regularl y schedule d meetings , conferences , an dspecial event s tha t attrac t helicopte r

pilot s a s wel l a s variou s method s o f communication , includin g printe dmaterial , Web sites , an dtargete demail s t o increas e awarenes s o f

nois e issue s an dbes t

practice s t o reduc e nois e ove r noise-sensitiv e areas .Th e FA A ha s implemente dadedicate dhelicopte r nois e complain t

syste mfor

Lo s Angele s Count y whic h consist s o f adedicate dwe b portal , radar flight tracking , an dabrokerin g syste m tha t ca n rout e complaint s associate dwith aspecifi c airport t o that airport' s nois e offic e an d forwar dhelicopte r

nois e complaint s receive db y airport s t o th e centralize dhelicopte r nois e portal
. Thi s syste mha s th e potential t o for mth e basi s o f

a n on-goin g helicopte r

nois e program . Monthl y complain t

revie w committe e meeting s ar e takin g plac e betwee n industry an dyou r organizatio n t o discus s complain t syste mresult s an dhel p make informe ddecision s abou t modification s t o helicopte r route s an doperations
. After reviewin g you r

reques t base do n th e curren t

prioritie s for

th e FA A an dth e guideline s foun di n § 11.73 , w e determine dth e issu e yo u raise ddoe s no t mee t th e criteri at o pursu e rulemakin g a t

thi s time
. However , you r comment s an dargument s for th e propose drul e chang e i n you r petitio n wil l b e place di n adatabase , whic h w e wil l examin e whe n w e conside r future rulemaking
. I f th e FA A doe s pursu e rulemakin g i n thi s are ai n th e future , yo u woul db e abl e t o fin dou t an d trac k i t throug h on e o f

th e tw o followin g websites :

• Fo r significan t

rulemakings , yo u ca n findth e statu s o n th e Departmen t o f Transportation' s (DOT ) websit e (http://www.dot.gov/regulations/report-on-significant

rulemakingsl
.

• Fo r non-significan t

rulemakings , yo u can findth e statu s o n th e DOT' s semi-annua l regulator y agenda, throug h th e Offic e o f Managemen t

an dBudget' s (OMB ) Offic e o f Informatio n an dRegulatory Affair' s (OIRA ) Unifie dAgend awebsit e (http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaMain)
. Fo r th e reason s above , w e ar e dismissin g you r petitio n for

rulemakin g i n accordanc e with 1 4 CF R§11.73
. Sincerely ,

Gary A
. Note k Actin g Director , Airspac e Service s