16-Aug-2012 Source: ERHC
Starting August 6, the North Shore Route is mandatory for all helicopter transiting along the north shore of Long Island. The FAA mandate requires pilots to maintain an altitude of at least 2,500 feet. The FAA has developed a training capsule describing the route, altitudes and exceptions to the rule and that the course should be available on the FAASTeam website. It is imperative that our members and pilots who use this route send the ERHC suggestions, comments and especially “real world” situations when following this route to include, near misses, unavailable ATC, and deviations from the route. This information will be put in a database and sent to the FAA and NTSB on a monthly basis. As of today all of the ERHC’s voluntary Long Island dispersal routes and transitions are no longer applicable. The ERHC does not feel comfortable with mixing voluntary with mandatory routes. Please send Lauren all of your comments at admin@erhc.org. We will also discuss this issue at length at the ERHC Annual Meeting September 14â€16.
Here’s a link to the final rule that created this requirement: http://erhc.org/forms/j41Qhu6H5983.451.511.96.pdf
The training video can be found at: http://www.faa.gov/tv/?mediaId=530
PART 93 †SPECIAL AIR TRAFFIC RULES
1. The authority citation for part 93 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40103, 40106, 40109, 40113, 44502, 44514, 44701, 44715, 44719, 46301.
2. Amend part 93 by adding subpart H to read as follows:
Subpart Hâ€Mandatory Use of the New York North Shore Helicopter Route
93.101 Applicability.
93.103 Helicopter operations.
Subpart Hâ€Mandatory Use of the New York North Shore Helicopter Route
§ 93.101 Applicability.
This subpart prescribes a special air traffic rule for civil helicopters operating VFR along the North Shore, Long Island, New York, between August 6, 2012and August 6, 2014.
§ 93.103 Helicopter operations.
(a) Unless otherwise authorized, each person piloting a helicopter along Long Island, New York’s northern shoreline between the VPLYD waypoint and Orient Point, shall utilize the North Shore Helicopter route and altitude, as published.
(b) Pilots may deviate from the route and altitude requirements of paragraph (a) when necessary for safety, weather conditions or transitioning to or from a destination or point of landing.
