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New Rules To Reduce Helicopter Noise Between L.I. And Manhattan

NORTH HEMPSTEAD, NY (CBSNewYork) - A long-standing noise complaint can now go quietly.

WCBS 880's Sophia Hall On The Story

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It has been a problem over the heads of residents in the town of North Hempstead, Long Island for years.

Town supervisor Jon Kaiman describes what it has been like to hear the helicopters' non-stop noise as pilots fly to and from the Hamptons in the summer.

"It's a constant distraction and it gets on, I guess what someone might say, your last nerve," Kaiman told WCBS 880 reporter Sophia Hall. "You know, you wake up at 4 in the morning and then hear this helicopter and then you hear another one and you can't get back to sleep."

Sen. Charles Schumer said that new FAA rules will soon be in effect that will mandate the helicopters fly over the water, not over land - something that angers Jeff Smith from the Eastern Region Helicopter Council.

"We are not against the plan, necessarily, to fly over the water. What we're against is a mandatory route. Mandatory routes, all it does is exasperate the noise issue. It doesn't fix it," he said.

He wants the flight paths to be voluntary, not mandatory.

He also spoke of safety issues.

"I don't really necessarily want to go whether it's unsafe or not, but I'll let everybody draw their own opinions," said Smith.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments section below!

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