Residents testify
on Haleakala airspace
PUKALANI, Maui >> Some Maui residents are calling for federal officials to enact tougher rules to prevent helicopter tour operators from flying over the crater of Haleakala National Park.
"There are some renegade pilots coming over the rim and into the crater," said Steve Sutrov, a Kula resident. "What I'd like to see is really some kind of teeth put into this."
Sutrov was among several residents testifying before Federal Aviation Administration officials who are collecting information to draft rules governing more than 385 national park sites, including Haleakala and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island.
The public gathering Wednesday night, attended by about 30 people at the Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani, was the last in a series of scoping meetings in the state.
Federal officials plan to hold other meetings in Hawaii about the National Parks Air Tour Management Plan, after developing a draft environmental assessment.
Hawaii helicopter tour operators have had an informal park service agreement for several years, designating flight routes at Volcanoes and Haleakala, in order to minimize sound and visual impacts.
The informal agreement is voluntary and has no penalties for violations.
The congressionally mandated plan, being developed by the FAA, could impose penalties once procedures for flights are established.
Congress has ordered the FAA to develop the plan to lessen or prevent air tours from having significant adverse effects on natural and cultural resources and visitor experiences.
The act also recognizes air tour passengers as visitors at the parks.
Dave Chevalier, president of Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, said he agrees that if there are infractions, there should be a way to monitor activities and correct the problem.
Chevalier said since the informal voluntary agreement at Haleakala, helicopter tours have enjoyed a better reputation.
Chevalier said even if the FAA plan only encompasses a half-mile radius around the park, he believes operators will continue to observe the informal voluntary agreement that calls for a wider distance.
John August, a Kula resident, said most helicopter operators abide with the informal agreement with Haleakala National Park, but there continue to be violations.
Under the informal agreement, helicopters are supposed to fly around the crater unless faced with a hazardous condition that threatens the safety of the passengers.
August said that a few years ago, while camping in the crater in the afternoon, he saw seven overflights at Paleku in a span of four hours.
August said some pilots use the cloud cover as an excuse to violate the informal agreement and fly over the crater.
Ed Lincoln, a native Hawaiian, described a similar situation in Kipahulu in East Maui.
Lincoln said helicopter operators affect the quiet, cultural atmosphere of Kipahulu by flying a coastal route whenever the clouds are low over the mountains.
Lincoln said helicopter tour operators might choose other alternatives than flying to Haleakala during adverse weather conditions. "When the ocean is rough, the charter fishermen generally don't go, the whale watchers don't go. It might be when the clouds are low, the flights may not go," he said.
Sutrov said he wants the FAA to require a tour helicopter to have markings so it can be easily identified if there is an infraction of the rules. He said visitors to the park should also be informed about aircraft rules so that they can report violations.
Sutrov said he also wants the FAA to put a limit on the number of air tour businesses, flights and hours of operation permitted to Haleakala.
The number of air tours to Haleakala has increased to 10,691 in 2003 from 10,539 in 2002, according to the FAA.
Native Hawaiians said they wanted the make sure the FAA includes cultural sites and their spiritual importance in the federal environmental survey.
Hawaiian cultural specialist Charles Maxwell said there were numerous native sites in the crater, including caves and tunnels tied to Hawaiian myths.
Maxwell told federal officials that Haleakala contained a cave that dated to the third century.
Written responses may be sent by April 12 to Docket Management System, Doc. No. FAA-2004-17174, U.S. Department of Transportation, Room Plaza 401, 400 Seventh Street SW, Washington, DC 20590-001.
Documents about specific parks are available at the Hawaii State Library on Oahu and at most libraries on Maui, Molokai, Lanai and the Big Island. The FAA Air Tour Management Plan Program Web site is at www.atmp.faa.gov .
For more information, contact Steve May, Air Tour Management Plan Program manager, Executive Resource Staff, AWP-4, Federal Aviation Administration, Western-Pacific Region, P.O. Box 92007, Los Angeles, CA 90009-2007; telephone 310-725-3808; or e-mail Steve.May@faa.gov .