This is a guest post submitted by Kit Lewis, Wallingford resident of 27 years.
Hey, what’s with all these helicopters lately? Have you noticed? Annoyingly loud, alarmingly low, and astonishingly frequent.
We Wallingford residents know that on the 4th of July, our skies will be abuzz with hovering helicopters jostling for position to get that perfect view of the Lake Union fireworks from above. One day a year was what we used to expect. But nowadays it’s very different. There are choppers roaring loudly overhead all day long, every single day. Today I counted 8 very-low-flying helicopters zooming directly over my house in just 4 hours this morning. I know you’ve heard them over your house, too. Just what are they doing up there, why are they flying so low, and just where are they going? Is it multiple-injury Life Flight transport? Military exercises? More FEMA Cascadia earthquake recovery drills?
Nope.
They’re the next phase in our scenic city’s tourism trade: helicopter tours. There are at least 4 “HeliTour” companies originating their flights from Boeing Field and targeting such Wallingford-proximate spots as Green Lake, the Ballard Locks, Lake Union, Husky Stadium and Gasworks for their passengers’ viewing pleasure. And while the viewpoint targets are not actually in Wallingford, the routes to & from them most certainly take these choppers directly over our neighborhood, many times a day, flying low and fast to the next destination.
The Phinneywood.com blog was in a tizzy a few months ago about the altitude of Phinney Ridge vs. the altitude of these tourist helicopters, citing a few very clear FAA violations; mainly the 1,000 foot minimum height restriction over towns and cities (Phinney folks and the HeliTour websites themselves say they’re as low as 500 feet), and the regulations that prohibit single-engine aircraft from flying directly over people on the ground. The Phinney folks contacted their city and county representatives about this, and were sent directly to the FAA and the Seattle Flight Standards District Office (Really? Such an office exists?). No word on any further developments.
What do you think, fellow Wallingfordians? Are we ready for a petition to alleviate the noise? Or do we chalk this up as just another thing to tolerate as we enjoy life in the big city?
This lower Wallingford resident is either really oblivious or has tuned this out while tuning out all the other typical city sounds. I no longer really notice the seaplanes coming and going, the I-5 traffic noise, the neighbor’s dog barking or the party at the house one street over and two doors down almost every Saturday night. I’ll just add this to the list of things I will ignore in hopes of maintaining my sanity and neighborhood peace!
It was really bad up on the hill towards Aurora. Now that we live towards lower Wallingford it’s not as noticeable. Most of the helicopters we noticed were nowhere close to 1000′ up.
what we’re noticing are more and more and more and more planes going over or nearly over the house at all hours the planes fly……very noisy and our bungalow is usually pretty good with noise (thick walls) but I quess the windows (double pane) and roof (insulated) aren’t…..sometimes it’s hard to sleep or get back to sleep….we’re in Tangletown
What is a lower Wallingford resident? I lived in Wallingford for 32 years. Am I a lower Wallingford resident? It probably a great skill to no longer be able to smell the roses but I love songbirds and I find it difficult to filter out the helicopters. Unlike the sea planes that have been here forever, the helicopters which are new are starting to bug me. I generally blow this off as life in the city but if we could just change their altitude it might be enough.
Long life to all those who speak out!
I consider “Lower Wallingford” everything below 40th Street.
Thanks, what we call SOFO. Yeah, my wife and I live at the top of Mt. Wallingford. And yes only Radar came home.
Yep, that is correct and I live in lower Wallingford. I know people up the hill look down on it, literally, haha. but we love it here. We can walk to Fremont easily in fifteen minutes. No fuss no muss, best of both worlds.
Wife and I still very frustrated by the noise. I cannot hear helicopters without remembering Houlihan, Mulcahy and old Hawkeye. Obama needs to BRING THEM HOME.
A few years ago I remember Jordan alerting us that a revised flyway for Seatac would be coming our way. Now that I have had one of my ears fixed, i am incredulous at the amount of noise in our neighborhood. Whoa. Seaplanes, helicopters, regular old airplanes, cars, trucks, motorcycles and those most awful of awful, gas leaf blowers and chain saws. Boo. I definitely bend on the side of cycles, sailboats, gliders and air balloons.
I really hadn’t even noticed. Usually a lot of helicopter noise, hovering rather than flying over is because of a police incident I later find out reading the blogs. For an active burglary the police will often send a helicopter to track the perp down. Also of course, traffic incidents on 99 will bring out the press helicopters. Also sometimes copters fly over bringing patients from car accidents from the north to the trauma center at Harborview. You’re right though that hovering should be kept to a minimum. I suspect news sources will switch to drones to get overhead video of events rather than the expense of using copters. The police should do the same in my opinion, as drones make no noise at all usually.
I am an airline pilot who also happens to have a helicopter rating. The rules for helicopters are a little bit different from fixed wing airplanes which generally have a 1000′ minimum altitude limit above ground over congested areas like cities and structures. There are exceptions for aircraft making take offs and landings.(Like seaplanes)
Here is what the FAA says about helicopters which are NOT subject to the same minimum altitude as fixed wing planes:
(d) Helicopters – Helicopters may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed In paragraph (b) or (c) of this section if the operation is conducted without hazard to persons or property on the surface. In addition, each person operating a helicopter shall comply with routes or altitudes specifically prescribed for helicopters by the Administrator.
Helicopter operations may be conducted below the minimum altitudes set for fixed-wing aircraft. The reason: they have unique operating characteristics, the most important of which is their ability to execute pinpoint emergency landings during power-out emergencies. Furthermore, the helicopter’s increased use by law enforcement and emergency medical service agencies requires added flexibility.
Basically a helicopter can auto-rotate and land in a much smaller space than a fixed wing aircraft. Still the accepted minimum is about 500 feet which is quite low. I see most helicopters flying between 500-1500 feet over our neighborhood.
Let’s face it, we basically live in a very active area of the city with the skies active with aircraft at all times of day. The sea planes make just as much noise in my opinion for those of us near or south of 40th. We are under the approach paths for SEATACs 3 runways when landing to the south.
Small fixed wing airplanes are prevented from flying much above 3000 feet over our neighborhood because of airspace above us protecting the jets. That provides a narrow corridor for all the air traffic. Helicopters stay mostly out of the way by flying a bit lower than the fixed wing aircraft.
As a pilot, I don’t mind all the traffic and like the Blue Angels in the summer, and seeing the B-17s and B-24s flying around the holidays. I live with the sea plane noise and have found peace knowing that we actually live adjacent to a vibrant seaplane airport.
There are quieter places to live I am sure, but I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
75 year old antique oil burners like Fortresses and Liberators are fine. And the floats with their 8 a.m. (9 on weekends) flights out over the Canal. Modern screaming death machines like the Blue Angels can go straight to h e double l. Same with the big commercials one after another at 5 a.m. that sound like they’re landing on Queen Anne.
What the ??
Hi, I know that this post is a year old, but couldn’t find any other threads on this highly irritating issue for me. I am stunned that I don’t hear more people complaining about this. It seems to be increasing, and as of June 1 it appears that they are allowed to fly over (as in directly over) my house every ten minutes. I know this post is a year old, but I am determined to do something about this! This qualifies as significant noise pollution. Does anyone have any idea where we start to address this? Thanks
Hi Meta — This is a topic of some concern in my new neighborhood of Ballardistan, at least if you believe next-door.com posts. The helicopters are supposed to fly no lower than 500 ft (I assume from the level of the ground and not sea level)…I would suggest you start with a call to your City Councilperson, who should be able to direct you to the correct authority and, theoretically advocate for you through the complaint process. That said, such assistance is only slightly likely from Rob Johnson’s office and completely hopeless from Mike O’Brien’s office. I wish you luck.
I agree with you. 6/26/2017 The are annoying and disturbing birds. i live on Phinney ridge.
we can contact
FAA Aviation Noise Ombudsman by or phone write below.
email at this link
https://www.faa.gov/contact_faa/?returnPage=M%2FWY%3FO%2BN%2D%249%20JJ%28P%2DEY9SE%29G%3DCIA%27FU0%22%5E%202%23GHZ%2EH8%2EY%3F7%28%3F%5EF%23DCKRBU%2152MA%2A%5E%2CP%24%21%3A%21%25%5FJ7%5FNA0%2527%5FHV%2FDDRCL%2DZ6C7%5E%5D%26EB3H%29BV%3FZ%22YN%29%3A%2C%3B%29Z%23H9R1%2ED%3F%3A%3ENMB6LYJH85%24%5CF%3A%24%20&mailto=%3C%2A3%29%5CA%28%5F4%3C%29%20EO8%20AGZMI%40HV%3FAY%2DFF406MQ%268C0%20%20&subject=M77I%2EH%2A%5E%3E6%5D%5CJO%28H%23TKYKD%3D%224AYP%28F%24H%21HU%3B%2EUKVJO%5C%261%3D%27%28%2F%5EERFC%3BFJB%219%3C%29%40YR%2F%5FD09%22D%2FO
Phone
(202) 267-3521
Mailing Address
Federal Aviation Administration,
Aviation Noise Ombudsman, AEE-2
800 Independence Ave. S.W.
Washington, DC 2059
Thanks,
Tim Humes and Cindy Johnson