East Hampton Helicopter Noise

My name is Bob Wolfram, and along with thousands of other year round residents, I’m angry! I’ve done things the “right” way; routinely called the East Hampton Airport to lodge noise complaints, Congressman Bishop and Senator Schumer, as well as several other State and local politicians have also been contacted. The helicopter, jet and plane noise makes it unbearable to use my yard for many months of the year and it’s insufferable. 

We have been by told the Airport Manager that he has taken steps to make it better; instead, it’s gotten much worse. Flights occur any time of the day or night at the whim of the affluent who demand and pay for 24/7 access in and out of the airport. The planes are flying too low, the helicopters never rise to 2,500 feet immediately upon takeoff. There appears to be no “traffic circle” at the airport to share the pain of the noise in different directions. The pilots seem to fly when, and where, they choose. There is NO control. Even Islip McArthur Airport imposes time curfews! They don’t allow jets to fly over residences at 12:45 AM, awakening us last week. 

A law was recently proposed and sent to the FAA by Tim Bishop and Charles Schumer to have the FAA regulate the flight path of helicopters. It does NOTHING for us on the East End. It also doesn’t address the fleet of commercial, private, corporate jets and seaplanes that are a huge part of the noise pollution problem. 

The East Hampton Town Board has done absolutely nothing constructive; why should they kill the golden goose that brings in buckets of fees to their coffers. Southampton Town officials are just ineffective. Southampton Town Supervisor Throne-Holst’s recent comment reported in WSJ, “…. noise is part of the fabric of life in the Hamptons…”  shows her total lack of regard for the year round Southampton citizens. Bottom line, nothing has worked “yet”.  

I recently found Frank Dalene’s website and endorse its intent. We’ve been in touch by email, and we are choosing to become active in the campaign to end commercial flights at the East Hampton airport. Please do the same. Sign the petition. Send emails to your friends and neighbors. Send to Frank pictures, videos, and your story of how the noise has affected your lives.  We’d love to see the airport shut down completely, but if it has to exist, force it to return to the private airport it used to be. 

Lastly, Frank’s site is about East Hampton AND Southampton.  If the commercial flights end, a big part of the noise problem will end with it, and bring some peace to those of us who live in the vicinity of the current flight paths. Contrary to remarks we’ve heard from proponents of the airport, you DON’T have to live near the airport to be affected.  We moved here 30+ years ago; when we built our house 20 years ago, the airport wasn’t flying in hundreds of jets and helicopters on a daily basis.  The constant barrage of noise affects Sag Harbor, Southampton, Shelter Island, North Haven, Noyack, Westhampton, Bridgehampton, East Hampton, Sagaponack – the WHOLE Eastern end of Long Island. 

Personally, I’d love to see ALL air traffic routed around Orient Point, over the Park in Montauk, East to Georgica, and approach the airport over Georgica Pond.  Departing flights would reverse the course or continue West a mile out over the ocean. If Mr. Wealthy Executive can spend $3,000 to get out here, a few hundred dollars more for the slightly longer ride shouldn’t be a problem. And this route only adds about ten minutes to the flight. Another solution – Gabreski Airport could be the “last stop”, and service to the Hamptons provided by the Hampton Jitney. Gabreski has a major runway almost two miles long and it’s big enough to land Air Force 2. 

View this website that shows current flights at the EH airport. YOU WILL BE AMAZED!     

http://flightaware.com/live/airport/KHTO 

I live 2.4 miles from the East Hampton Airport near Sagg Road. I’m not moving to appease the beast. Please join in; if enough of us voice our displeasure, something will HAVE to change.

Sincerely,

Barbara and Bob Wolfram