A growing amount of helicopter noise coming from the Sonoma County Airport just south of Healdsburg is driving nearby residents crazy, according to the Press Democrat. The reason there’s more chopper noise now is because a company called HeliCo Sonoma set up shop at the airport a few years ago, and has reportedly been ramping up their operations. HeliCo provides services such as flight instruction, private charter rides, sightseeing tours and firefighting backup, according to the company’s website. “We’ve lived here since 1987, on Silk Road,” one neighbor tells the PD — “and it’s definitely the worst we have experienced.” More from the story: “The people living in the neighborhood bordered by Mark West Station, Silk and Windsor roads say the charter helicopter company… is eroding their quality of life. HeliCo’s owner insists he has done everything he can to accommodate their needs while running a company that, in his eyes, provides a vital service. Airport management, acknowledging a deluge of complaints, maintains there is little they can do to intervene within the structure of federal regulations governing airfields. And as the standoff has lingered, both sides are trading accusations of harassment and intimidation.” Read the full story in the PD. (HeliCo Sonoma & Press Democrat; paywall)
