North Fork residents demand end to low-flying, noisy Hamptons-bound helicopters

They’re mad as hell and they’re not going to take it anymore.

A crowd of more than 100 people packed a Southold Town helicopter forum last night, armed with questions and ready to fight to preserve their quality of life on the North Fork, which they said has been shattered by the steadily escalating procession of helicopters and sea planes that fly overhead at all hours.

One by one, residents spoke passionately at the podiums, describing years of failed attempts to be heard on the federal level and imploring elected officials for help. Solutions brought to the table included controlling the number of flights and altitude and even banning flights to the area and shutting down the East Hampton airport permanently.

The forum was set by the Southold Town Board and County Legislator Al Krupski in response to the public outcry over escalating helicopter traffic, in the hopes of developing noise abatement measures and the means for reducing helicopter traffic.

Federal lawmakers did not attend, though they sent staff members who addressed the Krupski and the Southold Town Board. Speakers included Assemblyman Anthony Palumbo, Rep. Tim Bishop’s district director Adam Santiago, Sen. Charles Schumer’s L.I. district director Kyle Strober, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s L.I. regional directo Debbie Tinnirello. In addition, several citizen advisory council members from communities of the South Fork provided their perspective, as did Southold airplane pilot Joseph Fishetti.

Riverhead Supervisor Sean Walter attended the meeting but did not speak. In an interview after the meeting, he said it was telling that the “wrong group” of FAA regulators was there. “Where was the rule-making staff? That’s who residents need to speak with.”

“The next time the East Hampton airport or the Southampton helipad or Gabrieski Airport does any type of construction, the DEC should issue a positive declaration to assess noise impacts,” Walter said.

Other Riverhead residents turned out last night, too. Janice Lorusso said her home near Iron Pier beach is right near the transition spot for helicopters. “They’re over my house before 6 a.m.,” she said.

South Jamesport resident Georgette Keller said her brother-in-law owns a home on Skunk Lane in Cutchogue and added, while things were better in Riverhead, “It’s shifted east. The shell game is happening now. You guys are under siege.”

Reading a letter from her brother, she suggested the southern, ocean-route be used, with a 5,000-foot minimum flight requirement and no flights on Sundays. “And if they don’t have the apparatus, they shouldn’t be allowed to come to East Hampton.”

Some have recorded over 30 helicopter flights in one morning, said Keller, adding that the noise was destroying the area’s culture and tranquility.

“We are being exploited. They think they can walk all over us,” she said.

Supervisor Scott Russell has said he would also like to organize a community-based action group in town.

Russell has also said although the federal rule requiring Hamptons-bound helicopters to fly over the L.I. Sound along the north shore was extended for two years by the FAA in June, the FAA did not adopt a proposal endorsed by Schumer and Bishop to require helicopters to stay off-shore and fly around Orient Point and Shelter Island to the South Fork. Walter first argued for that route in 2010, but got no response.

As a result, Russell said the noise has just “gotten out of hand. It’s gotten worse.”

All town issues, he said, must undergo a cost benefit analysis. But, while traffic and congestion on county roads bring a boost to the economy, “There is no such benefit to air traffic invading our open spaces. It’s just cost, to our peace and quiet and to our way of life. It’s a problem created by others for the benefit of others. Southold has become a doormat to East Hampton. The problem with doormats is they are meant to be walked on — and it needs to stop.”

Krupski said, out on his farm early Monday morning, he heard a “lot of traffic overhead, “appropriate for the day of the meeting. It’s like they really wanted to emphasize what they can do to us.”

The legislator added that all involved need to work together to address the problem.

Strober, representing Schumer, said the senator is “absolutely furious that people’s quality of life is being ruined by helicopter noise over Long Island. Everyone that owns a piece of land, it’s your piece of the rock. And if you can’t go outside and have a barbecue in the summer in peace, that’s a shame.”

Strober said Schumer, Gillibrand and Bishop continue to fight for the all-water route, at a higher altitude, around Orient Point.

Santiago said Bishop wasn’t present because he had a prior commitment to the Sound Beach Civic Association, but said the congressman continues to urge the FAA to adopt the all-water route so that helicopters fly around Orient. “We need the FAA to hear this — this is a real problem for the North Fork,” he said.

Palumbo, who lives in New Suffolk, said the helicopters had really been “pounding away” that morning at 7 a.m. and had woken his kids, ages 10 and 7.

An attorney, Palumbo suggested the way to control the issue was not legislative action, an “exhaustive process,” but controlling the number of flights and other measures.

Pilot Fischetti said he became involved in 2008 as chairman of the noise abatement committee at Gabreski Airport, when the five East End towns first got together to try and find solutions.

There are three heliports in New York City, from which 90 percent of the flights originate; the other 10 percent come from Westchester and Morristown, Fischetti said. On the East End, those flights land principally in three places: Gabreski in Westhampton, a heliport in Southampton, and East Hampton airport — with 60 to 70 percent of the 7,000 flights per year bound for East Hampton, according to Fischetti.

The problem did not exist prior to 2008, Fischetti said. Before then, helicopters flew east across the center of Long Island, following the Long Island expressway route. Communities in Port Jefferson and Stony Brook complained and Schumer got involved, with the end result an agreement by the Eastern Region Helicopter Council to move all flights to the north shore.

Fischetti said he agreed with Palumbo that legislation was not the answer and suggested mitigating the issue by controlling the number of flights, with the south shore route, across the Atlantic Ocean, being utilized, as well.

The suggestion was met with a loud chorus of boos and shouts from the audience.

“That’s not acceptable,” one woman called out.

The problem, Fischetti added, is that it’s been historically difficult to fly over John F. Kennedy International Airport.

“Too bad,” an audience member shouted.

Russell said one of the keys to mitigating the noise concerns is to demand the helicopters fly higher. Currently, he said, helicopters must fly at 2,500 feet when in flight, but when on the transitional route, readying to land, pilots fly at their own judgment, with no regulation, based on what they determine is a safe altitude. “That’s a problem,” Russell said. The town has no legal authority to regulate the altitude of flights, he noted.

“I can’t enjoy my backyard,” said Peconic resident John Skabry, who has lived in his home for 44 years. “We should be able to worship on Sunday in a quiet church,” he said.

“It’s no surprise to me that the west end and East Hampton are taken care of. That’s where the money is. When I see helicopters flying over my house, I think of the senators and the congressman coming from the Hamptons with satchels full of money to fill their coffers and get re-elected,” Skabry said.

Russell asked FAA representatives directly why the all-water route adopted stops west of Mattituck; they responded that they hadn’t worked on the rule and could not answer.

Krupski asked the FAA representatives what it would take, to get the all-water route extended around Orient Point.

“A miracle,” someone called out from the audience. “Someone dying,” another said.

Again, the FAA reps said they were not part of the rule-making process and could not comment.

“Then why are you here?” one audience member demanded.

Krupski asked how to get in the same room with the FAA decision makers.

Ciccone said there is a process for rule making by petition and the FAA did not rule by committee; a proposal would be considered and put out for comment.

Bob Mallafonte, of the Sag Harbor civic association, has been working for years on the issue. “We would like to see a complete ban of helicopters,” he said and advocated residents reaching out to the East Hampton Town Board.

FAA restrictions tied to funding limit the ability of East Hampton, as proprietor of the airport, to regulate helicopter landing times can fly and the number of flights allowed. Those restrictions will expire on Dec. 31, 2014, thanks to a successful lawsuit by a noise abatement group that sued the FAA nine years ago, arguing that the FAA funding was based on a master plan that was never formally adopted.

Mallafonte said residents should bombard the East Hampton Town Board, the FAA and elected officials.

“They’re terrorizing us, our children, our wildlife,” he said. “Our goal is to have you unite with us on the South Fork and get after East Hampton and the FAA. They’re the ones that caused this and they will be the ones to fix this.”

Russell said when forming the town committee, “I don’t need five or seven of you. I need 500 or 700, telling East Hampton how they feel. East Hampton had no problem telling me how they felt about the deer cull. Let’s return the favor.”

Showing photos of a helicopter over her backyard, Peconic resident Margaret Skabry added, “It’s indefensible. I am not trash and I do not like being treated like trash by my elected officials and my government.”

A request for comment from East Hampton Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell was not immediately returned.

“They haven’t heard the last of us,” Russell promised. Let’s get the ball rolling.”