Norwood Residents Accuse Helicopter Pilots of “Buzzing” Homes Near Airport-November 5, 1986

Norwood Airport Hearing Draws Heated Debate Over Low-Flying Helicopters and Night Curfews

Residents called helicopter pilots “cowboys” last night and accused them of buzzing homes near Norwood Airport and causing excessive noise. The pilots, including a State Police lieutenant, denied the charges. The two sides clashed at an airport commission hearing on helicopter procedures and noise complaints. Seventeen people attended the hearing, which was held at town hall.

Virginia Cotton of Heather Drive, a member of Stop Norwood Airport Growth, said a helicopter five times flew low over about 20 homes on her street Oct. 21. Airport tower officials later said the helicopter belonged to the State Police, although descriptions given by four witnesses last night indicated it might have been another helicopter.

“There are cowboys,” Cotton said, supporting a remark made last month by commission Chairman Walter J. Grady. Grady alleged in The Patriot Ledger that there are “cowboys” as well as responsible pilots flying helicopters. He charged that helicopters had flown low over people and aircraft on the ground, creating a safety hazard. Cotton said the helicopter that buzzed her neighborhood swooped as low as 150 to 200 feet above homes. Her husband, SNAG President Paul Cotton, said the helicopter did not look like either of the two State Police helicopters that operate out of Norwood. Airport Manager Thomas J. Maher said flight controllers identified the craft as a State Police helicopter. About six helicopters use the airport regularly.

Peter Sarnie of Ridgewood Drive, a frequent critic of airport noise, urged the commission to consider instituting a night curfew at the airport. “It’s human beings against machines,” Sarnie said. “If you put machines too close to people, the people suffer.” Maher said the airport has received just 17 complaints about helicopter noise in the last three and a half years, although he agreed that not all problems are reported. “The helicopter pilots have been extra cooperative and try to make the least amount of noise,”

Maher said. Lt. Thomas Flaherty, commander of the State Police air wing, said he has never seen “wild” flying or “hotdogging” by helicopter pilots. “I haven’t seen any willy-nilly flying – and I’m the only one in this room who could do anything about it,” he said. Flaherty said he prohibits his pilots from flying over homes, even though it is legal for them to fly and land just about anywhere. He said he has flown at “tree-top level” chasing cars and not received complaints before.

Robert Broadley, a Wiggins Airways pilot for 20 years, said pilots have tried to prevent noise problems by avoiding residential areas. “We’ve done our damnedest to reduce noise over there,” Broadley said. Maher said he would study the possibility of obtaining state and federal funds to move helicopter landing and storage sites away from homes. The commission has drawn up procedures that would prohibit helicopters from flying low or hovering over people, other aircraft and buildings. The procedures include flight paths that avoid residential areas. Details of the procedures are still being worked out between the local commission and the Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission. Pilots say they have already started following the procedures.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger