In Australia there are no clear cut regulations for control of joy flight
operators who fly over our national parks. There have even been joy flights
using superseded military jet aircraft, where paying customers are zoomed
along at supersonic speed to within 150 metres of the ground, with mock
attacks on 'targets' such as unsuspecting park visitors who are camped on
lonely mountain tops of the Blue Mountains National Park, west of Sydney,
NSW.
And there is the all-pervading sound of helicopters on joy flights, with
only a voluntary 'Fly Neighbourly Agreement' to keep the choppers above 300
metres. Capertee Valley where I live, adjoins the Blue Mountains National
Park, and we are now looking at ways to stop a new helicopter joy flight
operator from starting up in our own scenic area. Currently there is NIL
background ambience in this valley for a large percentage of the time,
which makes it heaven for the wildlife sound recordist of course.
So I am wondering if any readers from countries that might have a more
enlightened legislation as regards aircraft noise, could let me know just
what their country's policy is? I would like to start lobbying our
politicions on noise issues such as these joy flights, and I'm looking for
good angles.
Any ideas anyone? Many thanks,
Vicki Powys
Capertee Valley
New South Wales
Australia
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
|