FAA tests new route for East End copters

Testing has started on a new route for helicopter traffic that could cut aircraft noise over Long Island residential communities by creating an over-water skyway to the East End, federal officials said Wednesday.

The Federal Aviation Administration conducted two test flights Tuesday. Data from the tests will help map a potential route that would send helicopters from lower Manhattan to the East End by way of airspace off the South Shore.

The proposed route would give helicopter pilots an alternative to flying over land and avoid a frequently used North Shore route, which requires helicopters to cross over residential areas of Suffolk County to reach the East End.

Residents have complained for years about helicopter noise above them especially in the summer months when the Hamptons and other East End beaches are popular vacation destinations.

Jim Peters, a spokesman for the FAA in New York, confirmed that the test flights were flown this week. "The FAA conducted these initial flights to help begin to determine if it is feasible to develop a permanent, safe, over-the-water route along Long Island's South Shore," he said in a statement. "The FAA will continue to collect data and analyze the issue."

But Robert Grotell, a spokesman for the Eastern Region Helicopter Council, said the FAA's test doesn't mean that pilots will be mandated to fly a South Shore route. A dedicated route isn't a solution to helicopter noise, he said.

"If you vary the routes, it's much more equitable to those affected," said Grotell, who represents helicopter businesses opposed to changing the current routes.

In February, the U.S. Senate passed a bill with an amendment offered by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) to give the FAA authority to regulate helicopter flight paths to reduce noise. The House has yet to pass the legislation.

"This is a good step forward in our effort to reduce the incessant buzzing of low-flying helicopters," Schumer said in a statement.