Keep Current Rules on Helicopter Flights

* As an operator for 11 years in this city and an active member of numerous boards and committees on community noise and safety, I strongly oppose any changes to the current FAA regulations on helicopters.

In 11 years of operations in Los Angeles, Heli USA has safely flown over 200,000 passengers with not a single accident.

Certain individuals who are not aviators are trying to raise the minimum helicopter altitude to 1,000 feet above the ground. This change would actually decrease safety for the following main reason: There are already numerous fixed-wing aircraft operating at these higher altitudes, including airliners, in what is already overcrowded airspace. Adding helicopters to this airspace would drastically increase the chances of a midair collision over this city, which would be far more catastrophic than the helicopter crash in the Cahuenga Pass.

The helicopter industry in Los Angeles, both civil and government, provides numerous benefits for this city. Any change to current regulations would severely affect our industry’s contribution to this city.

NIGEL TURNER

Turner is president of Heli USA, Los Angeles.