Residents urged to speak out about helicopter noise at East Hampton
Town Board meeting Tuesday

As the clock ticks toward a Dec. 31 deadline that could signal signficant changes in the North Fork’s helicopter noise situation, local residents are galvanizing and urging the East Hampton Town board not to accept any future funding from the Federal Aviation Administration — a move that would give East Hampton Town the jurisdiction to ban helicopter traffic altogether.

“Our goal is to ban choppers at the East Hampton airport,” Teresa McCaskie said in an email Monday. “Thousands of residents from Riverhead, Southampton, Shelter Island and Southold wish to enjoy their backyards, beaches and parks without the disruption of helicopters buzzing overhead.”

For months, McCaskie, who lives in Mattituck, and other North Fork residents have raised their voices against escalating helicopter noise that they say has shattered their bucolic quality of life.

With East Hampton’s contractual obligations to the FAA expiring the end of this month — after which the town will be able to regulate the type of aircraft and times of use at the town airport — residents are keeping up the push for stricter regulations. The plan to turn out in force tomorrow for a town board work session at 10 a.m. at East Hampton Town Hall (159 Pantigo Road, off Montauk Highway), according to McCaskie.

At tomorrow’s meeting, representatives from Kaplan Kirsch, the town’s aviation attorneys, are slated to make a presentation on ways the town board could protect the public from “disturbing aircraft noise this season,” according to an email sent out by Barry Holden, who has also cried out against helicopter noise in recent months.

Quiet Skies Coalition of East Hampton chairperson Kathleen Cunningham is urging residents to attend tomorrow’s meeting and read comments into the record. Residents who cannot attend are urged to submit written comments to the East Hampton Town Board, 159 Pantigo Road, East Hampton, NY, 11937, or by email at HTOcomments@EHamptonNY.gov.

QSC has suggested alternative actions the board might take, including: banning all helicopter and seaplane landings at East Hampton airport; applying a community compatible noise emissions standard on all aircraft utilizing the airport; imposing an over-water route that takes flights around Orient Point; mandating minimum altitudes; and ensuring the town retains its rights as proprietor of the airport — maintaining financial sustainability independent of FAA funding.

Other ideas include limiting hours of operation at the airport, limiting the number and concentration of flights, and possibly creating a slot system for landing aircraft that could be sold by auction, to help bolster financial sustainability of the airport without FAA funding. A route that requires helicopters to fly over water and around Orient Point is also among the proffered alternatives.

McCaskie has long maintained that for North Fork residents, the problem lies in that pilots, at point of entry on the North Shore routes, have permission to drop altitude based on their own discretion. She questions the safety of helicopters flying over residential neighborhoods, schools and fire departments. In addition, McCaskie believes that helicopter companies with wealthy clientele headed to the Hamptons will fly lower to provide a more scenic ride for their customers.

“It is really critical for everyone to please take a few moments out of their day and send a message to the East Hampton Town Board,” McCaskie said in an interview. “We want our yards back. Our privacy back. We want to sleep, and we want to enjoy our time living on the North Fork.” Helicopter noise is also damaging to local real estate values, she said.

“I live in Mattituck. Who would have thought I’d have helicopters whipping by overhead on their way to East Hampton? Some people say you can’t change anything. I’m going to prove them wrong. I’m in this to win it.”