Rotorcraft
Helicopter operators face tough battle from neighbors
The classic clash between operators and their neighbors is a relative constant in helicopter circles.

The classic clash between operators and their neighbors is a relative constant in helicopter circles. As cities such as Las Vegas experience surges in population growth and tourism activity, the comfort zone between people on the ground and aircraft in the sky gets squeezed to uncomfortable margins.

“We have had tremendous growth in helicopter air tours originating out of McCarran Airport to the Grand Canyon,” said Jeffrey Jacquart, airport project administrator for the Clark County (Nevada) Department of Aviation, which operates McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. Most of the helicopter tour flights pass directly over one of the oldest and most densely populated residential neighborhoods in the city, he said, and residents have become increasingly intolerant of the resultant noise levels in recent years.