Riverhead reconvenes helicopter-noise task force to press FAA and officials for route renewal and enforcement

Riverhead town officials reconvened a helicopter-noise task force and called on federal officials to renew and enforce the FAA's North Shore helicopter route, which meeting participants said expires on 2026-07-29. Councilman Ken Rothwell opened the meeting and said the panel will press for both extension of the route and stronger enforcement against private flights that deviate over residential areas.

Rothwell said the task force is focused on private helicopter traffic rather than medical or law-enforcement flights, which he praised for emergency response. "We're focusing on private helicopter uses," Rothwell said, adding that the town has already sent letters to federal offices and expects to continue that outreach.

John Cullum, who said he formed the Riverhead aircraft-noise committee, described years of low, repetitive flights over Northville and on the North Fork. "I would get close to over a 100 helicopters a weekend over my home," Cullum said, recounting how voluntary route changes and later shortcuts shifted traffic inland. He and other residents identified operators including Zip Aviation and the Blade seat-service that have increased weekend departures.

Theresa McCaskey, who identified herself with a local aircraft-noise committee, said past public meetings showed strong turnout and stressed safety risks where helicopters transition near sensitive sites. "This is not just about noise. This is about safety also," McCaskey said, noting flights over storage tanks and near hospitals.

Participants raised enforcement and regulatory options. One attendee pointed to a Department of Transportation notice (RIN2120-AK39) that in 2023 proposed making the North Shore requirement permanent; the group said it was unclear whether the docket remains open for comment and urged residents to watch and submit input. Town participants said they are also relying on their U.S. House and Senate offices to press the FAA to post and extend the rule.

Attendees described practical steps residents can take. Town leaders updated a complaint form on the Riverhead website and asked people to log date, time and other details of low flights. Cullum recommended pairing app-based reports with phone calls or emails to airport staff; he described an "AirNoise" tool that can auto-populate altitude, speed and tail number and said some airport directors prefer a follow-up call.

Questions at the meeting clarified legal minima and local guidance. A participant noted that the legal minimum altitude for helicopters is 500 feet, while many pilots operate at higher altitudes over water; attendees said East Hampton and Gabreski airports ask pilots not to operate before 7 a.m. but that those requests are not uniformly followed.

The task force also discussed where flights originate. Multiple speakers urged that Gabreski Airport (Francis S. Gabreski Airport) and other staging points bear more of the routing burden, calling for route changes that do not concentrate flights over Wading River, Jamesport and other North Fork communities.

Rothwell closed by saying the town will continue its outreach to federal representatives and expects to reconvene the committee next month to report on whether the FAA posts or renews the North Shore route. He said town staff will provide residents with contact information and forms to help build an evidentiary record for enforcement.

The committee did not take formal legislative action at the meeting; members agreed to continue letter-writing and to compile complaints and technical data for follow-up with federal and airport officials.