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Helicopter Study

Helicopters are used on a daily basis throughout the metropolitan Washington region – by both public and private agencies – to perform a variety of missions. In order to document current helicopter operations, as well as to determine how they are affecting the region today and how they may continue to do so in the future, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) is sponsoring a regional helicopter system plan study. The study is being conducted simultaneously with a statewide helicopter system plan sponsored by the Maryland Aviation Administration. This will allow coordinating data collection and analysis across the metropolitan Washington – Baltimore region. In conjunction with COG, the Federal Aviation Administration is providing a large portion of the funding.

Helicopter activity in the region may be apparent to many residents and visitors, but the impact of that activity, in terms of social costs and benefits, has not been evaluated systematically in recent years. In fact, COG conducted the last study examining vertical takeoff and landing aircraft in the region a decade ago. . Since 1992, helicopter operations in the area have changed. This study will capture up-to-date information on helicopter activity and examine its costs and benefits to the community and its residents. The new study will build on, and to the degree possible, incorporate data from the 1992 study, as well as the Committee on Noise Abatement and Aviation at National and Dulles Airports’ more recent information on helicopter activity and noise.

How do we collect and use pertinent data?
Because helicopters frequently operate outside of controlled airspace, and are operated by a wide variety of private companies and public agencies, there is no single source of data about their activity. As a result, surveys will be used extensively in this study to collect such data as: how many and what type of helicopters are based in the region; what missions do they serve; who operates them; what routes do they fly and at what altitude; and how often do they fly, etc.

This data is very important for analyzing:

• Noise effects
• Noise abatement procedures that effectively address the public’s concerns
• Economic effects and public service benefits of helicopters
• Future trends for helicopter activity in the region

You are encouraged to fill out the on-line survey. Your assistance is greatly appreciated. Consult the menu at right for newsletters, the project schedule, reports, and information on the Metropolitan Washington Joint Helicopter Advisory Group. Please visit the comments page to provide general input outside of the scope of the survey.