Currently, the rules governing helicopter and fixed-wing air tours over the airspace of the islands are largely limited to those in the Hawaii Air Tour Common Procedures Manual, a Federal Aviation Administration document that was issued in 2008.
At the prodding of the Legislature, which last year adopted a resolution calling for an update, the FAA is now working toward that end in tandem with a set of stakeholders led by local aviation experts. The stakeholders list, which includes several government officials and local helicopter tour industry representatives, all but omits the general public.
That’s unacceptable. However, in the aftermath of last month’s deadly helicopter crash in Kailua’s Coconut Grove neighborhood, we’re now seeing pushes for more scrutiny of air tour safety and for stepped-up efforts to engage the public in candid dialogue about long-standing noise concerns and other issues.
It’s a given that the document delves into technical details about flight paths, altitudes and noise-mitigation that might elude the average layman. Still, because air tour operations affect the everyday life in many communities across the state, the public should be folded into the conversation.
Two members of Hawaii’s congressional delegation — Sen. Mazie Hirono and Congressman Ed Case — are rightly asking the stakeholders to initiate a broad community engagement before the document is finalized. The effort should include explaining airspace rules in lay terms, and holding public hearings.
Among the manual’s rules is one the FAA established for Hawaii alone 25 years ago, when a so-called “flight-seeing” industry was booming here. It requires tour aircraft to fly at least 1,500 feet away from the ground, ocean or any land formation. Previously, tour operators could fly as low as 300 feet over populated areas — and otherwise at any altitude that would allow a safe emergency landing.
The agency maintained that due to Hawaii’s topography, much of which lacks suitable landing sites, and unpredictable winds, the higher minimum altitude was needed to give pilots more time to react in an emergency and maneuver to a safe landing. In addition to that sensible reasoning, FAA had to address an escalating count in crashes. Twenty-four people had died in tour accidents in the three years preceding the 1995 rule.
Since then, the skies have been deemed safer for tours; and tour operators persuasively maintain that flight safety and responsible operations are ongoing top priorities. Industry advocates, such as the nonprofit Hawaii Helicopter Association, can further meaningful interaction with the public by responding to airspace complaints and offering guidance on how a layman can accurately track flights.
By Jan. 1, all aircraft using Daniel K. Inouye International Airport will be required to have an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, which pinpoints exact aircraft location and altitude. A helicopter with an ADS-B transponder can be tracked by anyone online at www.flightradar24.com.
In the wake of the tragic April 29 crash on Oneawa Street that killed the pilot and the tour helicopter’s two passengers, some state lawmakers also are calling for debate on whether tougher rules should be imposed on the tour industry. State Rep. Cynthia Thielen, who represents the Kailua district, has pointed out that the state and counties may have some ground-based leverage.
As a means to address safety or noise concerns, she has suggested legislation directing the state Department of Transportation to limit ground permits for tour helicopters at state airports, and instructing counties to do the same at private landing/takeoff areas. Expect much more discussion, as federal, state and county leaders respond to citizen worries.
