High Fliers in Hamptons Irk Ground-Bound

Airport officials and residents of the Long Island, N.Y. resorts known collectively as the Hamptons are bracing for what is expected to be the busiest—and noisiest—weekend of the year. This weekend marks Labor Day, the traditional end of summer in the United States. Even with turbulent financial markets,    Bloomberg News said, New York's best-paid lawyers, money managers, bankers and executives are flying high over ground commutes to the Hamptons that can exceed 3 hr, opting instead for 35 min flights from Manhattan. Helicopter traffic at East Hampton Airport was up 29 percent in the first seven months of this year compared to the same period last year, to a total of 3,988 takeoffs and landings. That has drawn the ire of area residents who aren’t flying. The airport’s complaint hotline registers about 100 calls each summer Friday and Sunday, about 95 of them complaining of helicopters.  For related news