Ban Sought on Hudson Copter Tours

Tourists who want a bird’s-eye view of the New York City skyline might be out of luck.

Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey joined local officials from both sides of the Hudson River in Hoboken on Friday to call for a ban on tourist helicopter flights.

As the Democrat called the flights a threat to the quality of life of residents, he was interrupted repeatedly by the buzzing sounds of helicopters.

“There’s simply too much helicopter traffic and not enough oversight,” Menendez said.

Unless a solution is reached, he said, he’ll push for a ban when the Federal Aviation Administration’s reauthorization comes up next year.

“Since the industry has been unresponsive and the governmental agencies don’t seem to have the wherewithal to get this done, we will,” he said.

Residents along the waterfront complain of constant noise loud enough to shake their windows and interrupt conversations.

“It’s like being on a landing strip here in an airport,” said Charles Wesoky, 70, of Weehawken.

This article appeared in print on page 4 of the August 11th, 2014 edition of Hamodia.