Wherever the helicopters fly there will be widespread noise pollution, air and water pollution, diminished quality of life, lower property values, and safety risk for residents.

 

The use of the Causeway as a transition route for the Twin Engine Helicopters is a cynical plan by the Eastern Region Helicopter Council to route helicopters away from “south of the highway” Hamptons and Shelter Island residents and over the least populous area of the North Fork.  They are betting that the small number of homeowners on the Causeway won’t be able to match the absolute number of complaints logged over the past few years when they transitioned almost exclusively over Mattituck Inlet.

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Orient and East Marion residents can do two things.  First email Sen. Schumer, Sen. Gillibrand and Congressman Zeldin and ask them not to extend the North Shore Route which “sunsets” this August.  Request that a mandatory South Shore Route be implemented for Hamptons bound aviation.  Why should the North Fork be treated as “flyover country” and get stuck with all the negatives associated with helicopters and seaplanes?  The North Fork must work to get as many helicopters as possible flying over the Atlantic to Hamptons airports.

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Secondly take notes on the time and direction of when helicopters fly over and log daily complaints by phone or email.  You can call and list the all flights at the end of each day and send an e-mail to HTO@planenoise.com with the list.  It is crucial that we work with friends and neighbors to log as many complaints as possible and it is equally important that complaints come from as many distinct households as possible.  Should complaint numbers drop this summer, the Aviation Industry will claim they’ve solved the noise issue and Orient/East Marion residents will be stuck with this plague going forward.