The Ryder Cup left Brooklyn in a tailspin!
The flyover borough was so tormented by the incessant buzzing from $1,275-a-seat charter flights ferrying wealthy golf gawkers to Long Island, politicians are now demanding an outright ban on the exclusive, low-flying aircraft.
The pricey flights were not just low enough to rattle residents out of bed but they hovered in place long enough for them to watch the snobby passengers snapping selfies inside, according to a letter penned by northwestern Brooklyn representatives.
“Community members were unable to work, rest, sleep, or enjoy the outdoors due to the constant noise and vibrations from these flights,” Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, City Councilmembers Shahana Hanif and Lincoln Restler, state Sen. Andrew Gounardes and US Rep. Dan Goldman seethes.
“Our communities should not have to deal with relentless noise pollution so that the people chartering helicopter flights can breeze on by and avoid vehicular traffic or public transit. The companies are breaking the rules, and catering to a small number of ultra-rich people at the expense of everyone else’s health and quality of life.”
Loud and low-lying helicopter rides are not new for Brooklynites, but the nuisance reached a peak during the three-day tournament last month at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale as golf fans took to the skies to skirt intense ground transit.
The presence was so overwhelming that some residents called 911 out of fear that something sinister was taking over the skies, neighbors said.
“Many people have equated it to waking up and thinking there was a military operation. Working up to dozens and dozens of helicopters is — especially in the state of the world — terrifying,” said Briana Aguilar-Austin, who endured the three nights of torture in Boreum Hill.
The five politicians collectively received more than 500 complaints over the three-day weekend, with neighbors describing the nuisance to The Post as the “talk of the town.”
Flight data obtained by the pols showed that the chopper rides departed primarily from the Downtown Manhattan and West 30th Street Heliports, the latter of which is home to Blade, a ritzy chopper charter company frequented by the likes of Andy Cohen, Jon Hamm and other celebrities.
Blade was apparently behind what Aguilar-Austin called a “military”-esque chopper operation — the company boasted to Vertical Magazine that it was facilitating “one of the largest civilian helicopter movements to a sporting event in U.S. history” for the price of $1,275 per seat on a one-way ride.
Blade did not respond to numerous requests for comment.
The issue is not just a noise problem, Aguilar-Austin said, pointing to the tragic crash last spring that claimed the lives of a family and their pilot when a malfunctioned chopper crashed into the Hudson River.
“What happens if there’s a mechanical issue over downtown Brooklyn?” she said.
“The fact that for a wealthy few, tens of thousands of New Yorkers were negatively affected to a shrug of the shoulders of Blade — who made who knows how much,” she continued.
“I think what we saw in this moment is that the wealthy got to treat our city like it was its own personal playground at the expense of literally tens of thousands of New Yorkers.”
The local leaders demanded that the city Economic Development Corporation and the Hudson River Park Trust, which run the respective heliports, shut down all non-essential helicopter travel for the sake of the surrounding neighbors.
The EDC, however, pointed out that its Downtown Manhattan heliport is public use and that users do not need prior permission — and that the Federal Aviation Administration has control of the airspace.
“As administrator of the city-owned public-use heliports, EDC cannot impose restrictions on ‘types’ of flights or aircraft that land at Downtown Skyport or East 34th Street. Airspace is controlled by the FAA and subject to federal regulation and applicable case law,” a spokesperson told The Post.
“NYCEDC is committed to a future of air travel that is quiet and clean. That’s why we’ve made historic investments to upgrade and electrify the City-owned heliports to spur the transition to eVTOL aircraft that will improve the quality of life for New Yorkers — from the noise above their heads to the air they breathe.”
The Hudson River Park Trust noted that it was evaluating the disturbances emitted from its West 30th Street spot, but would not commit to limiting or prohibiting future rides.
“The Trust is currently gathering the information requested by the elected officials who wrote to us regarding disturbances to Brooklyn residents during the Ryder Cup. Only the FAA has the authority to dictate flight paths. Over the years, the Trust has been guided by the historic positions of the State and City regarding the necessity for a west side heliport as a transportation use, and tourism flights are already prohibited from taking off or landing here,” a spokesperson said.
“We remain committed to working with the community, our elected officials and the heliport operator on operational issues while also working with the State and City with respect to longer term planning considerations.”
The FAA could not respond to requests for comment due to the government shutdown.
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