Groups continue fight against chopper noise on East End

<p>For more than a decade, groups from both the North Fork and South Fork have begged the Federal Aviation Administration for relief from noisy helicopters flying over their neighborhoods.</p>

News 12 Staff

May 10, 2018, 8:22 PM

Updated 2,407 days ago

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For more than a decade, groups from both the North Fork and South Fork have begged the Federal Aviation Administration for relief from noisy helicopters flying over their neighborhoods.
Residents in Mattituck told News 12 that they bear the brunt of the chopper noise because the pilots use the Mattituck Inlet as a runway as they head into East Hampton Airport.
They are hoping a bill recently passed by the House of Representatives requiring the FAA to reassess their complaints will help.
However, Rep Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), who introduced the bill, has little hope. He told News 12 during a Skype interview that "the likelihood of there being changes by the FAA over the course of the next few years is practically zero" if the Senate doesn't move forward with the bill or if there are no leadership changes at the FAA.
Still, groups say they will continue their fight to change flight patterns from a route over land to a route over water.
Residents say the helicopter flights ramp up during the summer season.