Norton Introduces Bill Requiring Helicopters to Fly at Maximum Permissible Altitude in D.C. Airspace

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), the co-chair of the Quiet Skies Caucus and a member of the Subcommittee on Aviation, today introduced a bill to require helicopters in District of Columbia airspace to fly at the maximum altitude permitted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), with limited exceptions. The exceptions would include active law enforcement investigations, transporting the president and vice president, and safety.

"Helicopter noise is one of the most common reasons D.C. residents contact my office,” Norton said. "The noise from low-flying helicopters can harm health, quality of life and even the structural integrity of homes. I am pursuing a multipronged approach to combat helicopter noise in D.C., from working with federal agencies that fly helicopters in D.C. airspace to pursuing legislation, like this important bill to require helicopters to fly at the maximum altitude permitted by the FAA.”

Norton has taken a number of steps to combat helicopter noise in D.C., including:

• In 2019, she led National Capital Region (NCR) members in requesting that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) study helicopter noise in the NCR. GAO released its study in January 2021.
• In 2021, she sent separate letters to the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Park Service asking them to fly their helicopters in D.C. airspace at higher altitudes, limit nighttime flights and flights over residential areas, and provide advance notice to residents of prolonged training missions in particular areas.

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