Ground the Fleet

The former owner of a helicopter service that takes tourists on sightseeing flights through the Grand Canyon told National Park Service officials the other day: “We owe it to everyone on Earth to see the canyon.” That is a noble sentiment and profitable, too, if you are the person at the helicopter door collecting a fee from each passenger.

But there is no obligation whatever that everyone get a chance to see the canyon from the window of a buzzing airplane or a cacophonous chopper. Nor does the law of the land grant any commercial interest the right to make a living off the national park system.

The copter entrepreneur testified at a Las Vegas meeting called by the Park Service to hear comments on the proposed regulation of the growing business of Grand Canyon air tours. The service will hold five such meetings in considering 13 options that range from doing nothing to banning all flights.

What is incredible is that the federal government has not acted before now to severely restrict or halt air traffic in and over the canyon. The only formal rules in place, imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration, bar pilots from flying within 1,500 feet of a congested area such as Canyon Village on the South Rim. Under an informal agreement, pilots are supposed to stay out of the inner gorge of the Colorado River and avoid the most popular tourist spots.

The problem has become acute with 42 flying outfits offering Grand Canyon tours. About 400,000 customers fly out of Las Vegas alone each year.

The issue goes beyond the dispute between backpackers who have complained about engine noise and the air operators who contend that the inner reaches of the canyon are accessible only to elitist athletes. The Park Service is concerned about the effect on wildlife and park resources like ancient Indian dwellings.

There are many ways to enjoy the Grand Canyon, and one does not have to be either an aerobics champion or an aviator to do so. The National Park Service should ground the Grand Canyon air fleet.