FAA Agrees to Host Symposium on Tourist Helicopter Nuisance

The Federal Aviation Administration has agreed to hold a symposium within the next month to address the nuisance posed by tourist helicopters that fly over the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, according to a statement from Sen. Bob Menendez’s office.

The decision by FAA Regional Administrator Carmine Gallo to tackle the quality of life complaints associated with the flyovers comes on the heels of a Monday meeting with Menendez, Rep. Albio Sires and the mayors and residents of impacted Hudson County communities.

While Hudson County residents are well-accustomed to some degree of noise pollution from low-flying New York City tourist helicopters, the issue has generated increased interest of late due to the growing frequency of flyovers.

At a press conference convened by Sires earlier this month at Pier A Park, Mayor Dawn Zimmer was one of several officials who publicly called for a ban on flyovers, describing them as not just an inconvenience, but an “excessive, unreasonable and unfair” imposition on local residents.

"Simply put, these helicopters have gotten out of control," she said. "It’s time for a ban of tourist helicopters from the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. They bring no benefit to New Jersey while they fly too frequently, too low and too loudly over our homes and over our waterfront.”

While quality of life complaints stemming from flyover noise remain the most most frequently aired concern about the copters, Menendez stressed that flyovers also raise safety concerns, as was crystallized in a recent copter crash.

“Today, we are talking mostly about nuisances that are dramatically impacting the quality of life for these communities,” Menendez said. “But the reality is tomorrow we may be talking about a tragic incident that could have been avoided. The time to act is now. I am committed to exhausting every one of our options in providing our communities along the Hudson River the relief they need.”

A date for the FAA symposium has yet to be announced.