Heard in the Hallways: Are Noise Woes in D.C. Headaches for All?

Curious as a U.S. operator what noise-related hurdles you may face in the future? Keep an eye on the neighborhoods around Washington.

A Washington Post columnist who answers readers’ questions recently fielded one about helicopter noise and found his answer provoked complaints that showed "this is a bigger deal than he originally thought." Residents complained not only of hovering TV helicopters but low-flying military ones widely viewed as ferrying fat cats to and fro. A local politician and noise monitor said they are mostly training flights, but noise complaints are "a growing issue that’s on the front burner for us."

Why should you care? The residents making those complaints are the friends and neighbors of congressional staffers (or the staffers themselves) who guide the course of federal regulation of helicopter noise.