Hearing To Be Held On Temporary Restraining Order That Would Block Implementation

A court in Central Islip, NY will hold a hearing Monday to determine whether noise restriction imposed on helicopters and other aircraft operating out of East Hampton Airport will be allowed to go into effect Tuesday morning.

The FAA supports a temporary restraining order (TRO) that would prevent the law from taking effect until a full noise study can be conducted at the airport. The hearing had originally been scheduled for May 14th, but it was postponed until Monday due to a change in the judge who will hear the case.

The TRO was filed by the Friends of the East Hampton Airport Coalition. It said that the town does not have the authority to impose restrictions at the airport, and claims that the restrictions are "arbitrary and discriminatory."

The East Hampton's aviation attorney Peter Kirsch said that the group would have to prove that the restriction would cause them "irreparable injury." Kirsch said that he was confident the town would prevail in the hearing.

The Sag Harbor Express reports that earlier this month, the town board set stiff fines violating noise curfews, from $1,000 for a first violation to $10,000 for a third and subsequent incidents. A fourth violation could get an operator banned from the airport for two years.

Local pilot Katheryn Slye said that the companies hardest hit by the fines and penalties would be small, local operators. She said an unexpected weather event could force an arrival after the 11:00 p.m. curfew through no fault of the company. "You're grounding us," she said. Slye asked for a waiver process for locally-based pilots who might arrived a few minutes after the curfew.

(Images from file)

FMI: http://ehamptonny.gov/