Thu, Apr 03, 2003
Helicopter Association International (HAI) President Roy
Resavage told members of Congress today that a recommendation by
Congressman Steve Rothman (D-New Jersey) to ban all helicopter and
general aviation traffic from the airspace 15 miles around New York
City would have "a severe financial impact" on business and
corporate operators.
"Helicopters are not recreational vehicles utilized by weekend
pilots. They typically are commercial business operators or
corporate operators of Fortune 500 Companies," Resavage said in a
letter to Congressman Rothman as well as members of the New York,
New Jersey and Connecticut congressional delegations. "These
operators conduct upwards of 100,000 operations per year at the
three Manhattan heliports," Resavage said. He also emphasized that
the creation of "gateway airports" outside of the FRZ, that would
mandate landing and inspections of aircraft by TSA, are also not
realistic.
It is the contention of HAI, Resavage said, that the recently
instituted Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) established in
the New York City metropolitan area meets all the necessary
security requirements with which Congressman Rothman and others are
concerned. The ADIZ prohibits all unknown traffic in the area 30
miles around Kennedy, La Guardia, and Newark airports by specifying
certain requirements.
Temporary flight restrictions around sporting events also
continue to be enforced, which include the Meadowlands, Yankee
Stadium, and Shea Stadium, for periods of one hour before and one
hour after an event.
Resavage concluded by saying that helicopters are not a threat
to New York City. "They require a significant amount of training in
order to be flown, they are kept in secure locations due to their
high cost, and they are not recreational vehicles," he said, adding
that "most helicopter pilots are ex-military, and many have had the
highest security clearances." HAI encourages its members who reside
in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to contact their members
of Congress on this issue.
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