Helicopters All Day Long

[fall]

I know Alpine helicopters has been around a long time but I must not be the only one living in West Kelowna that gets tired of listening to them all day. West Kelowna seems to be a free for all for helicopters to fly and land wherever they like. Alpine has two locations, Valhalla has one and the mini storage has their own personal heli pad on the roof. They do not "seem" to adhere to the regulations and stay 1000 feet above houses and shake your house as they fly over. I realize West Kelowna is hurting for any type of business but would love to see them moved to the airport area like most other towns.

[Relentless]

Yeah, I have to agree, they are located in strange places, considering everything has grown.
It must get super annoying at times.
Here in Rutland we have numerous loud airlines flying overhead all the time, and the airport is 5 kms north of here.
I guess we just have to suck it up............or move.

[Steve-O]

Like UV says "everything has grown". Especially housing in the Rose Valley area, right above the several helicopter businesses.

[GordonH]

I suspect once the cost of relocating starts to look better than staying put, they will move. Until then try to learn to live with it.

Of course looking at YLW all the spots along westside look full, not sure if there are any plans to open up the east-side to business.

[fall]

Yeah, have learned to live with them but it sure would be nice to see them go. We are under the regular flight path to the coast from airplanes and they are not an issue, they fly over and are gone within seconds. The helicopters go up and down and hover around in circles all day long over the houses and are loud. The houses are generating a lot more revenue for the district than they are. I haven't seen Valhalla much lately, they used to "seem" to skim the tree tops and I would question whether they adhered to transport Canadas regulations. Note to anyone who wants a helicopter and to be able to fly and land it anywhere you like...West K is the spot!

[TreeGuy]

[skydawg]

How do you know they are flying lower than 1000 ft? I have been working in that area this week and last and not once did i send anything below 1000ft other than take off or on approach to land

[fall]

I will see if I can get a few videos, my eyeballs are not an altimeter but they "seem" to fly well under 1000 feet over houses. Nobody ever complains or pays attention so maybe they think they can push the regulations and get away with it. I have been able to see the pilot a few times and wave at him if I wanted.

[mae]

I agree that the helicopters can get annoying at times. The summer months are especially bad. I know I'm being a little paranoid here but I would really like to see those choppers stay clear of the schools. Of course in the summer the schools are empty but lets not take a chance of some horrible incident taking place when they are full of our children. They are landing and taking off in close proximity to the new primary school in particular.

[Bpeep]

That's the key word.
NEW school.
If it was so bad or unsafe they woulda built the school elsewhere.

[Treblehook]

If one buys or builds in the vicinity of an existing helicopter base or maintenance facility, should they not expect some helicopter noise? Some of these heli businesses have been situated in their current location for decades. Is any of this noise situation similar to the situation where suburban development extends out into what was once rural environs; and then, the suburbanites begin to complain about and insist that long existing farms move or shut down, because the animal smells are unpleasant? This same problem often happens with people who buy or build on the in and outbound flight paths at major urban airports. Duh??

[gardengirl]

If one buys or builds in the vicinity of an existing helicopter base or maintenance facility, should they not expect some helicopter noise? Some of these heli businesses have been situated in their current location for decades. Is any of this noise situation similar to the situation where suburban development extends out into what was once rural environs; and then, the suburbanites begin to complain about and insist that long existing farms move or shut down, because the animal smells are unpleasant? This same problem often happens with people who buy or build on the in and outbound flight paths at major urban airports. Duh??

I agree. This sounds a tad like the person on who moved to a property very close to the gun club and complained about the noise.

[fall]

If one buys or builds in the vicinity of an existing helicopter base or maintenance facility, should they not expect some helicopter noise? Some of these heli businesses have been situated in their current location for decades. Is any of this noise situation similar to the situation where suburban development extends out into what was once rural environs; and then, the suburbanites begin to complain about and insist that long existing farms move or shut down, because the animal smells are unpleasant? This same problem often happens with people who buy or build on the in and outbound flight paths at major urban airports. Duh??

Some helicopter noise, not flying around in circles over houses half the day. They could head over the mountain areas where there are no homes. A lot of the houses and areas they fly over were established long before Alpine. Valhalla and the mini storage came years later. The homes are miles and miles away from the base. They need some restrictions, times and areas have changed. Alpine has grown over the years and has created more air traffic.

[kgcayenne]

aaaaannnnnnnd these folks bought homes near helicopter companies because..... why? What about the large quantity of dust from the gravel pit run by the concrete co? What about the visual noise of the wrecking yard? What about the electroplating business? What about the...

.... that's right, it's an industrial area, it has been this way since I was a kid, and I'm in my 40s now.

Again, they bought houses there, why?

[OREZ]

There are actually three helicopter operators in close proximity to one another in that same neighbourhood. Alpine, Valhalla, and Wildcat. And there's also a guy with his own personal R44 which he flies in and out of the fitness place on Stevens Rd. Alpine has the most aircraft and has been there forever, the neighbourhoods have grown around it. Like she ^^^suggested^^^ Maybe it's not the best location if you don't like helicopters, much like living in Ellison isn't good for people who don't like the sound Jet engines taking off.