Last week, U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) applauded the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for launching a dedicated helicopter noise complaint system for the Los Angeles County. This system will allow Los Angeles residents to call a local telephone number to file a complaint, as well as submit a noise complaint on a website dedicated to Los Angeles helicopter noise.

Feinstein and Schiff, with the support of Los Angeles congressional delegation members, successfully included language in the fiscal year 2014 omnibus spending bill that required the FAA to initiate regulations addressing helicopter noise above Los Angeles within one year of enactment, unless the agency could meet six voluntary criteria regarding helicopter noise, including the creation of a comprehensive noise complaint system. The one-year deadline to meet such voluntary requirements expired in the middle of January and the U.S. Secretary of Transportation has yet to make a final determination on whether enough voluntary progress has been made to avoid regulatory action.

“I am pleased to see the FAA put a noise complaint system into operation, and especially one that will allow residents to research in near-real time which helicopters are part of the problem,” Schiff said. “Implementation of a noise complaint system is the first concrete result of a now years-long process of collaboration between the FAA, homeowners and helicopter operators. But while this is a step in the right direction, we are still waiting for a final determination from the secretary of transportation on the progress of all six voluntary measures set out in the FAA’s initial report on helicopter noise. Much more progress needs to be made and it is my hope that this noise complaint system — along with the data it collects — will provide us the necessary information to better identify the bad actors and bring about noise relief to all Los Angeles residents.”

A dedicated noise complaint system will provide the FAA, helicopter operators and the community with data in order to begin addressing and identifying measures to mitigate helicopter noise. In order for Los Angeles residents to file a noise complaint, they can either call (424)348-4354 or file a complaint by visiting www.heli-noise-la.com. Once on the website, one can either file a general complaint by inputting their zip code, date and time of disturbance and the disturbance type, or use an interactive map to specifically locate the helicopter that caused the disturbance based on one’s location.

The interactive WebTrak map on the website allows individuals to track helicopters flying above Los Angeles County at near real-time. Once the individual has identified the helicopter that caused the disturbance, they can file a complaint from the map, view the flight path and find out the distance the helicopter was from the individual’s location.

Furthermore, the noise complaint website provides information on how to use the automated complaint system.

“Helicopter noise has disrupted the daily lives of thousands of Los Angeles residents for years, and allowing the public to report incidents to the FAA is a welcome and necessary step toward solving this problem,” Feinstein said. “While the reporting system is important, additional action by the FAA is needed — and overdue. The agency must work with pilots and the public to propose new flight patterns and practices. We will continue to press the case for rules that can reduce noise and protect privacy in Los Angeles communities.”