Bill Would Effectively End Most Heli Tourism in U.S.
Aviation News Online – AIN Online
by Mark Huber
– August 29, 2019, 11:19 AM
A proposed bill from a Hawaii congressman would effectively end helitours in the U.S. It would impose a 55-dB noise limit on helicopters, which no current-production machine can meet—even the quiet Airbus EC130B4, which is operated by Hawaiian helitour operator Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, can’t meet this threshold. (Photo: Blue Hawaiian)
Citing a pair of recent high-profile helitour crashes in his home state, U.S. Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii) on August 28 proposed legislation that would all but eliminate the industry.
His “Safe and Quiet Skies Act” would direct the FAA to impose a series of restrictions on the industry, including flying no lower than 1,500 feet agl; prohibiting flights over military installations, national cemeteries, national wilderness areas, national parks, and national wildlife refuges; and forbidding pilots to…