Aug. 9-15, 2019 Your Neighborhood — Your News®
THE NEWSPAPER OF FLUSHING, AUBURNDALE, KEW GARDENS HILLS & FRESH MEADOWS
75 cents
GET THE LATEST NEWS EVERY DAY AT QNS.COM
Quieter skies may be on the horizon
Queens pols call on FAA to make alternative North Shore Helicopter Route permanent
BY JENNA BAGCAL
Two lawmakers are calling
on the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) to
make an alternative helicopter
route permanent following its
success in northeast Queens.
Since the agency
implemented the six-month
pilot program for the
alternative North Shore
Helicopter Route in October
2018, residents have reported
significant decreases in
helicopter noise during
the busy summer months.
Now, Councilman Paul
Vallone and Congressman
Tom Suozzi want the FAA
to make the successful pilot
program permanent.
Beginning in October 2018,
the FAA tested the alternative
route which shifted air
traffic away from northeast
Queens, cutting helicopter
and seaplane traffic by up
to 50 percent. In April 2019,
Vallone and Suozzi requested
a 180-day program extension,
which benefits residents
in Bayside, Bay Terrace,
Malba and Whitestone until
Oct. 2, 2019.
“From Memorial Day to
Labor Day and into the fall,
northeast Queens residents
will be free to enjoy their
backyards, parks and
waterfronts without the
constant assault of helicopter
noise that unfortunately in
past years became the norm,”
said Vallone. “As this pilot
program continues to provide
needed relief to the families
who call northeast Queens
home, I join Congressman
Suozzi in urging the FAA
to establish this as a
permanent change.”
The FAA established
NIGHT OUT IN NORTHEAST QUEENS
the original North Shore
Helicopter Route in 2008 so
that pilots had a voluntary
path to travel over the Long
Island Sound. In 2012, the
agency mandated pilots to use
the route when flying to and
Police officers from the 109th Precinct at the Aug. 6 National Night Out
Photo by Carlotta Mohamed/QNS
from the East End. In 2020, the
FAA ruled to keep the route
active through 2020.
“I am grateful to the FAA
for heeding my numerous
phone calls, letters and
personal entreaties to
address the helicopter noise
in Whitestone,” Suozzi said.
“All reports indicate that the
pilot program has resulted
in dramatic quality of life
improvements for the residents
of northeastern Queens. Now,
Council member Vallone, the
folks at We Love Whitestone,
and I will continue pleading
with the FAA to take this very
successful pilot program and
make it permanent.”
Suozzi, who is the co-chair
of the Congressional Quiet
Skies Caucus, has worked
with local groups like the
We Love Whitestone Civic
Association to adopt commonsense
solutions to mitigate
noise and air pollution.
FAA conducted tests and
evaluated VFR helicopters
and floatplanes operating
at New York City heliports
and seaports during the sixmonth
period. LaGuardia and
New York TRACON used the
alternative route during the
six-month period.
Read more at QNS.com.
Vol. 28 No. 32 48 total pages
GREAT TIME TO SWITCH TO AT&T WIRELESS-BAYSIDE
BUY ONE
GET ONE FREE
(see store for details)
SPECIALS
iphone 8 64GB-$10/mo
iphone 6S 32GB - $1/30mos.
Samsung A6 - $5/mo
38-27 BELL BLVD.BAYSIDE ( NEXT TO AVLI ) • (718) 819-8883
/QNS.COM
/QNS.com
