2022253143 

Tilv^OTHV H. BISHOP 

12:24:26 06-25-2010 2/5 

Congress of tfie Itiiiteti ;i)tatcg 

ji)o\m of 3Ari.uTSEiUatib£s 

Mlaaljmstoii, QC 20515-3201 

.[line 24. 2010 

riie llonorable .1. Randolph Babbitt 

.•\dministral()r 

li.S. Depariinent (.ifTransponaiioa 

Federal Aviation Administration 

800 Independence .Ave.. SW 

Washinyton. D.C. 20591 r"7 

Dear .Administrator Babbitt. 

I am writing today to provide you with olTicial comments regarding the Federal Aviation 

.Adinini.stration\s (FAA) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on the New York North Shore 

Helicopter Route (Docket No. FAA-2010-0302; Notice No. 10-08; RJN 2120-A.I75). I applaud 

your efforts to address helicopter noise over Long Island communities and I look Ibrwaid to 

continuing to discuss how we may eflectively address this problem. The rule being proposed by 

your agency is a first step towards providing my constituents with relief from the undue burden 

of helicopter noise. 

For several years, frequent helicopter traffic above Long Island communities has 

diminished the quality of life for residents in these areas. In my congressional district, excessive 

noise caused by helicopters regularly traversing the skies above residential neighborhoods is a 

source of constant Iruslration for many on my constituents and among the most common 

complaints I hear Irom individuals and lamilies. To address this issue. I have worked with my 

colleagues in Congress to open a dialogue between the FAA, helicopter operators, and the public 

on various ways to address this continuing problem, as well as collect relevant data from regional 

airports, homeowners and industry representatives. 

.As you may recall, the FAA initialed a regulatory solution in response to similar 

complaints about the same problem more than two decades ago. Flowever, the rulemaking 

process was discontinued when helicopter carriers addressed noise pollution by initiating 

voluntary efforts, W'hich proved incfljective. In recent years, the FAA has discounted its ability to 

legulate helicopter traffic, limiting the effectiveness of proposals to deal effectively witii the 

issue. Ilowevei-, the FAA and industiy representatives did take steps to assist in the development 

of new voluntary effort - a North Shore helicopter route •• that sought to direct helicopter trafllc 

along Long island's northern shoreline between fixed waypoint VPLYD and Orient Point and is 

ihc basis for the current proposed rule. 

While hardly the remedy irustrated residents demanded, the volunteer route was a 

signiilcani step towards a potential solution. Unfortunately, since the route was first 

implemented, it was clear that more was needed to mitigate helicopter noise over Long Island in 

order to ensure that individual communities were not unduly burdened by the repeated usage of 

spccillc transit points over the North Shore. 
2022253143 12:24:54 06-25-2010 3/5 

fhat is why on December 9. 2009, Senator Schumer and 1 met with you to discuss FAA's 

aulhoril}' to regulate helicopter traffic, and asked for your assistance in implementing more 

concrete restrictions on the .Noilh Shore route and related transit points. As a result of these 

discussions and your agency's commitment to addressing unnecessary and oveily burdensome 

noise polltiiion. this proposed rule takes another step towards a reasonable balance between 

elTicient aerial transportation and a better quality of life for those on the ground. 

It is with this goal in mind that I have included comments and lecommeadations from the 

East End Helicopter Noise Stakeholders (iroup for inclusion in the proposed rulemaking process 

(.Attached). It is my hope that your agency vvill give their recommendations every consideration 

and include them in the final rule to the greatest extent practicable. 

Again, 1 would like to commend your efforts to address the longstanding issue of 

disruptive helicopter noise over Long Island. I look forward to working with you throughout the 

rulemaking process to ensure that the voices of my constituents are heard and I stand read}' to 

assist you in any way I can. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the included 

recommendations please feel free to contact Mark Copeland in my Washington, D.C. office at 

(202)225-3826. 

Sincerely. 

lim^-i^liop/ 

Member c^i^Q ongress 
2022253143 12:25:08 06-25-2010 4/5 

• / . '-

\ ^W0^ 'it 

OFFICE OF THE SUPERVISOR 

Town Hall 

P.O. Box 970 

38 North Ferry Road 

Shelter Island, NY 11964-0970 

James Dougherty 

Supervisor 

Phone (631) 749-0015 

Fax (631) 749-0728 

jdougherty@shelterislandtown.us 

June 24. 2010 

r-"cdeial .Aviation Administration 

Dockel Opeiations M-.3() 

I 200 New Jersey Aventie. SI£.. 

Room W12-140' 

West Building Ground Floor 

Washington. DC 20590-0001 

Dear J. Randolph Babbid. 

Fhis leuer is \.o express ihe support of the liiast Lnd Supervisors listed below lor (he 

final recomniendalions of the I^ast I::nd Flelicopter Noise Stakeholders Group numherct 

1 iliiough 9 attached lo ihis Idler. Docket 2010-0302. 

Helicopter flight noise has been an t.)ngoing issue for (he East End towns and ^ illages. 

T'he efforts o{ Senator Scliumer and the Slakehoklers e(.)n"imittee have our full .siippori. 

SiiicerclN: 

Mj. 

\ViIlii\ni VVilkinson 

Super', isoi' 

Ti,nvn oi'l-!a.si ltani|.iioii 

x> \; 

James Dougiherly 

.Supersisor 

'i'ouii olSlk-licr Islaiu! 

' ^ I 

Anm\ 'lhrone-Hoi.sl 

.SU|K'I'\ iSl.ll' 

I'uwn ol SoLiilianipuin 

— \ j 

^'^^xi^.fid^'^r ^ 

Scott Russell 

,Supi.'r\ isor 

Town ol ,SiHiili(.'Kl 
2022253143 12:25:23 06-25-2010 5/5 

06-21-2010 Revised Final Recommendations of 

East End Helicopter Noise Stakeholders Group 

in response to F.AA propo.sal FAA Docket 2010-0302 

Recoinniendations: 

The ixdlowing recommendations shall apply to helicopter traffic to and from East 

Hampton /Xirpori (HTO), Gabreski Airport (EOK). Soulhaniplon Village Heliporl (87N) 

and Monlauk Airport (iVFFP). collectively the East End .Airports. 

i. 'fherc should be two FAA mandatory designated routes for helicopter traffic tt.) 

and from the East End Airports: a 'South Shore Route" and a "North Shore 

Iconic". 'Fhis is essential in order lo accommodate the iniportaiit .southerly 

iransition routes from MTO and the other East FJid .Airporls and lo equitably 

distribute (he volume of helicopter traffic using the North and South Shore routes. 

2. I'he FAA should establish procedures in coordination with liasl lind Airports to 

monitor and enlbrce compliance with the proposed rotiies. 

3. When departing from either of the two Shore Routes transiting to/from any East 

lind /Xirporl or traversing the area between the two Routes, a minimum altitude of 

3000 fi. for any helicopter must be achieved as quickly as possible and mainlained 

until within the approach area of the desfination airport. 

4. The South Shore Route requires i-i "helicopter only fiight layer" at JFK between 

500-80() fl and above the current VFR coiridor lo encourage a fail' portion of 

traffic to lake this Route. This layer would be similar to ihe current SERA Hudson 

l^iver Rules. 

5. Tlte North Shore Route to FITO and !\'FfT should only permit transit to ihe east o\' 

Plum Gut. then over water to the ma.ximum exlcni possible, directly lo and from 

1 IT"() and MTP. 

6. lioih North Shore and Soulli Shore Routes should reciuire helicopiers to fly noi 

less than one mile from the shore. 

7. .All helicopler iraffic using East End Airports must follow proioeols and noise 

abalemeiu procedures as established for each airport to manage helicopler traffic. 

8. H'fO and FOR airporls should be empowered eiiher direclly or via the l'A/\ to 

manage fiiglu concenlialions and nighltirne/early morning flights, 

9. 'Fhe foregoing provisions are imer-independenl and inseparable and are snppoited 

only if adopted in their entii'cly. 

J111 to 21 . 201 0 

KC/i:)MK