Rep. Berman Seeks to Curb Helicopter Noise

During the weekend of Carmageddon, many Westside residents complained that noisy helicopters, mainly from television news outlets, were hovering over their homes all day.

Similar complaints were made during Prince William and Katherine's royal visit to Los Angeles, the week before, and during President .

Now some relief could be on the way.

Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Los Angeles) introduced legislation on Capitol Hill Thursday that would force the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to restrict helicopter flight paths in Los Angeles County and set minimum altitudes within 12 months.

According to a press release issued by Berman, the FAA has refused to regulate private helicopter flights above Los Angeles. The sound of choppers buzzing overhead is a constant and common noise heard by many residents on the Westside due to the high volume of them operated by the LAPD and TV news stations. Mar Vista and Venice resisdents are already battling the noise and pollution that comes from on a daily basis.

“Residents deserve relief from the thunderous clacking of helicopter blades hovering directly over their homes, and instead all they’ve been getting is the runaround from government agencies,” Berman said in a press release. “The buck stops here because it is simply unacceptable for residents to be forced to contend with these brazen helicopter operators on their own. This bill requires the regulations that will give residents the relief and increased safety they are so desperately looking for.”

Here at Patch, one of the most common emails  and tweets we get are questions from concerned residents wondering why a helicopter was hovering over their house.

Berman’s bill would require the FAA to regulate helicopter operations above Los Angeles within 12 months of being signed into law. The bill also calls for the FAA to set guidelines on flight paths and minimum altitudes for helicopter operators in residential areas of Los Angeles County.

Exemptions would be allowed for law enforcement, emergency responders, and the military, so it's unclear how much the bill would fix the noise problem. The LAPD currently operates the largest municipal helicopter force and heliport in the world and is responsible for a great portion of the helicopter air traffic over Los Angeles.

Berman's press release pointed to Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York's amendment to the FAA Reauthorization Bill earlier this year, which passed the Senate and required similar regulations to helicopter operations above Long Island.

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