Hamptons Helicopters Help

You know when Summer starts on Long Island because you start to hear the helicopters overhead on Friday evenings as they come from Manhattan and head to the Hamptons. Then it starts again on Sunday as they all head back to Manhattan. The stragglers will wait and go Monday morning, when you can usually hear them at about 5:00 a.m. The problem is they fly over residential areas and their noise pollution interferes with residents enjoying their own backyards.

In April of this year, Senator Schumer announced a plan to help Long Islanders report helicopters flying below (when you can feel the walls of your house shake) or outside their designated routes. The plan has routed the flights from midtown Manhattan to East Hampton and Gabreski Airport over Long Island Sound, at a minimum altitude of 2,500 feet. It also sends pilots offshore from LaGuardia Airport to Shoreham, where helicopters fly inland over pine barrens and Peconic Bay to reach the East End airports.

Hopefully, we can all enjoy Long Island this Summer!

The hotlines for reporting helicopters not following the plan: Suffolk residents can call Gabreski Airport at 631-852-8095 (although there has been talk of a dedicated 800 number being set up); Nassau residents can call North Hempstead's 311 center.

Kathy Passarette, and Creative Home Expressions, are based on Long Island, New York. We offer interior decorating, home staging, interior redesign and color consultations. Please visit our website at www.creativehomeexpressions.com for more information about our services and fees.