Board of Supervisors urges restriction of copter flights

Nov. 09--Annoyed by low-flying helicopters, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday urged Congress to pass a law to regulate chopper flights in Los Angeles County.

The board endorsed HR 2677, a bill by Rep. Howard Berman, D-Van Nuys, that mandates the Federal Aviation Administration set requirements for helicopter flight paths, altitudes and noise pollution.

George Abrahams lives near the Hollywood sign and considers low-flying helicopters a nuisance.

"They can buzz our residential areas and we have practically no relief," he told the board.

Fran Reichenban, with the Beach Canyon Homeowners Association, showed a helicopter operators' brochure advertising what she considered a dangerous gimmick to attract tourists.

"After 15 minutes of training, this particular business is letting you hold the reins yourself," she said. "They'll hand over the controls of the helicopter to you."

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, whose home falls within a helicopter flight corridor, said more stringent regulations are necessary.

"The helicopter community has been really brazen about it and bragging about it and advertising that we'll take you low so you can see what's going on at the theater, look in people's backyards," Yaroslavsky said. "It's gotten beyond the tipping point."

Under the proposed law, helicopter operations related to emergency, law enforcement or military activities could receive exemptions.

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