"Solution coming to cut copter noise near Arizona airport"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Solution coming to cut copter noise near airport
By Edythe Jensen
The Arizona Republic


Growth at the Chandler Municipal Airport could hush some of the helicopter
noise over neighborhoods in coming months.

Airport Manager Greg Chenoweth said the facility is seeking Federal Aviation
Administration approval to change some flight patterns, integrate helicopter
operations with fixed-wing flight patterns and raise the air space ceiling
to 3,500 feet from 3,000 feet. That would spread helicopters from a flight
school over a larger area and reduce the intensity and frequency of noise
over neighborhoods south and east of the facility, he said. The changes
could take effect by summer. 

Quantum Helicopters has been ordered to phase out use of the southern
taxiway by July 1 because new aircraft hangars will be built there,
Chenoweth said. The flight pattern changes are expected to be approved
before then. 

Helicopters have used the taxiway for more than a decade, but it will soon
be reserved for the growing numbers of fixed-wing craft, Chenoweth said in a
memo to city officials. Last year, Chandler completed a nearly $2 million
project to move the heliport to the southeastern edge of the airport from
the western side where it had been a longstanding source of complaints from
rural neighbors.

The city may have traded one set of complaining neighbors for another. The
relocated heliport is close to new subdivisions that weren't built when the
city started planning the move. 

In a separate action, the Chandler City Council commissioned a $326,476
airport noise study this week that could set the stage for additional
restrictions and regulations. 

It's the first noise study since 1998 and is expected to be done by early
2009. 

Dirk Matthews lives under the current helicopter flight path and vows he's
not exaggerating when he describes the helicopters buzzing over his backyard
southeast of Gilbert and Germann roads.

"One flies over our house every one to three minutes all day long when
they're in the heavy patterns," he said. "Here comes the red one, here comes
the white one, here comes the yellow one; I know them all. I counted over
200 of them one Saturday." 

He has been complaining to city officials since Chandler moved its heliport
to the southeastern edge of the municipal airport last year and said he has
gotten no relief.

But a city-commissioned airport noise study is giving Matthews hope. The
study, approved by the City Council on Thursday, is the first since 1998. It
will measure noise levels, look at complaints from residents, examine
development around the airport and evaluate the impact of noise on the area.

Peterson Farms resident Barbara Smith said the concentration of helicopters
creates excessive racket and dust around her home. 

"I don't mind the (fixed-wing) planes as much," said Smith, adding she is
probably more sensitive to the problem because she is retired and home all
day. But any activity reduction would be welcome, she said.

Matthews said it will likely take action by the city or the FAA to get
results because Quantum Helicopter officials have been unresponsive.
Quantum, which moved its operations to Chandler in 1994, operates a busy
flight school, and provides aerial photography, charter flights and
helicopter sales and service. 

Quantum President Neil Jones did not return calls seeking comment. 

In e-mail he sent to Matthews that was copied to Chenoweth, Jones wrote, in
part, "Your position seems to be like that of a few of your neighbors in new
subdivisions next to the airport. You read and apparently ignore all of the
provided documentation on airport activity, do very little or no due
diligence as to researching what living across the street and underneath the
established flight path of a major general aviation airport will be like,
and then when you move into your home, want everyone at the airport to
change their operations to accommodate you."


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