Helicopters
Table of Contents
Introduction
"Climate pollution from aircraft is often overlooked, but if aviation were a country, it would be among the top 10 greenhouse gas emitters." - Environmental Defense Fund
Helicopter Problems
Air Pollution
CO2
This greenhouse gas impacts our climate.
"Each helicopter produces 950 pounds of carbon dioxide per hour. The average car produces 22 pounds per hour. Eight choppers idling on the heliport is like 340 cars idling. Fossil-fuel guzzling nonessential helicopters, such as those used for tourist joyrides, are the antithesis of environmentally-friendly modes of transport. With the extreme negative effects of climate change looming for coastal cities such as NYC (eg., rising sea levels and ensuing floods; deadly heat waves), we must end the use of such carbon-intensive, unnecessary aircraft incessantly flying in our airspace for no good reasons." - Stop The Chop
Leaded Fuel
"According to a 2016 study from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), advocates are right to challenge helicopter usage. As of 2016, helicopters, not cars, are the biggest source of lead emissions in the U.S. When upgrades to automobile engines eventually phased out the need for cars to use fully leaded fuel, the same could not be said for helicopters, which utilize piston engines that require leaded fuel." - Green Matters
The Impact of Medical Emergency Helicopters
"Attention for the environmental impact of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) has been limited so far, although HEMS’ impact on CO2-emissions is substantial. Helicopters are responsible for a significant part of the carbon footprint in HEMS and burning of fossil fuel (mainly JetA1) is responsible for 95% of the helicopter related emissions [9]. For every kg JetA1 fuel burned, on average 3.16 kg of CO2 is released into the atmosphere [10]. Commonly used HEMS aircraft in Europe, the Eurocopter 135P2 or the AugustaWestland 169, use around 270 kg of JetA1 fuel per hour on average. During an average mission with a flight time of 50 min (20 min approaching the patient, 20 min transporting the patient to hospital, and 10 min return flight to base [11]), 0.72 tons of CO2 are emitted into the atmosphere. This, to provide a perspective, equals CO2-emissions of a 6000 km car journey from Tromso, Norway to Marrakesh, Morocco [10]. Other aviation related environmental aspects warranting consideration include helicopter manufacturing, maintenance, and crew-training." - Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine
Noise Pollution
"Helicopters are so loud due to blade-vortex interaction. The air pressure decreases above and increases below the blades as the main rotor spins, providing upward thrust. A vortex is created to even out the air pressure, which produces sound vibrations when it hits the next blade."
"According to the Helicopter Association International (HAI), the sound of a helicopter flying at 500 feet is about 87 decibels. At 1,000 feet, the sound drops to 78 decibels. For comparison, a vacuum cleaner is about 75 decibels while a power lawn mower is about 90 decibels.
The sound of the blade-vortex interaction is much louder for passengers and pilots. The perceived noise when riding in the helicopter is typically around 97 decibels." - Aerocorner: Why Are Helicopters So Loud?
Health Impacts
"Like unwanted tobacco smoke, noise doesn’t just bother people but also adversely affects human health and function.
Transportation noise is particularly concerning considering millions of people face small health effects from exposure. Most experts say data shows a causality of transportation noise exposure and adverse health risks. These risks stem from the “fight or flight” responses triggered in humans from loud noises: chemical changes in our bodies from this stress can cause vascular dysfunctions that lead to disease.
The only federal U.S. noise regulation comes from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The NIOSH recommends 85 decibel(dB) equivalent continuous sound pressure level for 8 hours to reduce hearing loss from occupational exposure. The World Health Organization (WHO), however, recommends only 1 hour of exposure per day to 85dB to prevent hearing loss.
There are no standards for occupational or non-occupational exposure to low-frequency noise, which is produced by helicopters. There are also no federal guidelines for public noise exposure" - Stop The Chop NY/NJ
"There are many human health and well-being concerns from aviation noise exposure.
Annoyance: Noise interference causes resentment, discomfort, and displeasure. Annoyance varies with sound level and pitch as well as with social, psychological, or economic factors.
Cognitive impairment: Aircraft noise exposure has a negative effect on reading comprehension, memory, and sustained attention. One study found that children in noisy areas are more likely to give up on difficult tasks.
Sleep disturbance: awakenings, arousals in heart rate, and body movements are linked to chronic noise exposure. These disturbances may result in next-day fatigue.
Cardiovascular disease: coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke are associated with exposure to high levels of aircraft noise." - Stop The Chop NY/NJ
Solutions
The following are various solutions to avoid flying and to reduce the harm caused by the aviation industry.
Decarbonize Helicopters
"Over the past 50 years, helicopters’ CO2 emissions have been reduced by 50% thanks to a variety of engine innovations that deliver more power with fewer emissions." - Airbus: Decarbonising Helicopters
Greener Helicopters
"Summary:
Helicopter rotorcrafts have the ability to take off vertically and hover efficiently. To preserve this ability, new rotorcrafts must be designed to minimize environmental impact while preserving the rotorcraft’s vital functions.
To address this issue, Europe’s Clean Sky program designed a Green Rotorcraft Integrated Technology Demonstrator (ITD). The goals include:
Reducing CO2 emissions by 20-45% per mission.
Reduce the noise footprint area by 50%.
Ensure that helicopter activity abides by the REACH initiative, which “protects human health and environment from harmful chemical substances.”
To construct a green helicopter, it is vital to have:
Green propulsion systems
The reduction of rotorcraft noise through flight path management strategy
The use of conceptual design to evaluate propulsion architectures and vehicle configuration.
This article provides an overview of ongoing research for greener helicopters through noise, emissions, and hybrid/electric power developments. Currently, gas turbine engines power most helicopters. These have poor fuel efficiency and release polluting greenhouse gasses (CO2 and NOx). NASA researchers are working to develop electric motors that match the power of gas turbines.
A NASA and Stanford study found that within the next 15-20 years electric lift vehicles might be feasible in the Hopper Bay Area, yet these vehicles did not reduce noise despite traveling at low speeds. Helicopter noise can be limited through design changes and flight path management, yet helicopter companies have not adopted these developments. To implement existing and future research on green helicopters, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) could create strict goals for reducing environmental impacts (summary provided by Grace Brennan and Shivani Tripathi)." - Stop The Chop NY/NJ
Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Modern fuel cells are much safer than the hydrogen that blew up the Hindenberg. As capacity scales up around the world, fueling stations and batteries are becoming increasingly common in our transit systems.
Hybridization
Technologies can be combined to support one another, and fill in for certain flaws.
Reduce Noise Pollution
"Helicopter noise reduction methods are typically included during the design phase to address the most common sources of helicopter sounds. ...
...
To reduce the noise for pilots and passengers, every person on board normally wears a special aviation headset. These headsets are noise-canceling, and they are also equipped with a communication system so everyone on board is able to communicate effectively.
The chopping sound is not the only noise produced by a helicopter. The sound of the engine, the tail rotor, and other factors contribute to the sound of the rotorcraft. Manufacturers use various helicopter noise reduction techniques to address these issues. For example, the helicopters used during the raid on Osama Bin Laden were modified to make them quieter. The pitch and speed of the blades were adjusted to limit the noise caused by the blade-vortex interaction." - Aerocorner: Why Are Helicopters So Loud?
Fly Neighborly
"Fly Neighborly training equips pilots with noise abatement procedures and situational awareness tools they can use to minimize the impact of helicopter noise. Helicopter-model-specific noise abatement recommendations have been developed by the U.S. DOT Volpe Center in support of FAA’s Office of Environment and Energy, in collaboration with NASA." - US Department of Transportation: Volpe Center
"For example, helicopters make more noise when turning compared to flying straight, as the change of direction alters the air vortices around the blades. This also occurs when decelerating, turning into the advancing blade, and steep descents.
Minimizing turns and avoiding decelerating when turning can help decrease the noise of the blade-vortex interaction. Shallow approaches can also limit the noise level compared to steep approaches." - Aerocorner: Why Are Helicopters So Loud?
Fly Neighborly "is a voluntary noise reduction program that seeks to create better relationships between communities and helicopter operators by establishing noise mitigation techniques and increasing effective communication."
Greener Helicopters (PDF) includes graphs, diagrams, maps, etc.
Fly Less or Avoid All Together
This is easy for most people since it's estimated that "only 5 percent of the world’s population has ever been on an airplane, and even fewer of the world’s population flies on planes regularly."
Work From Home
There are many tools that enable people to collaborate remotely. If your situation allows, make use of them.
Work Locally - Explore Eco-Friendly Jobs in Your Region
Use our Job Finder page to explore eco-friendly amployment opportunities. By finding somewhere close to home, you can avoid excessive travel.
Vacation Locally - Explore Your Region
This can be an enlightening way to gain a new sense of appreciation for your local culture, history, herritage, and wildlife. National parks help protect wildlife while educating the public. As environmental tourism picks up, there are more opportunities than ever to help your local region, while reducing your lifelong impact.
Alternatives to Standard Air Travel
The alternatives listed here are organized alphabetically, first by mode: Air, Ground, and Water travel, then by vehicle type. Not all suggestions are better than standard plane travel, but are included to provide basic information and reference.
In the future we hope to reorganize the options listing the most efficient first, and less efficient travel last.
Air
Air Ships
There are several types of air ship which are safer and more environmentally friendly than historical examples. Some companies are working on bringing back lighter than air travel, offering luxury travel for eco-conscious people. Currently there are 3 Good Year air bases in the USA: California, Florida, and Ohio but According to Good Year Blimp's Passenger Guide "Rides aboard the Goodyear Blimp are by invitation only." and "All airship passengers must be fully ambulatory and without physical impairment(s) that could prevent them from moving quickly at the direction of the pilot or ground crew."
Electric Planes
Fuel Cell Planes
Universal Hydrogen "We are building a flexible, scalable, and capital-light approach to hydrogen logistics by transporting it in modular capsules over the existing freight network from green production sites to airports around the world. At the airport, the modules are loaded directly into the aircraft using existing cargo handling equipment. No new infrastructure is needed. Starting with regional airplanes, we are also developing conversion kits to retrofit the existing fleet with a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain."
Ground (some Under Water)
Trains
Trains are one of the most efficient and widely available forms of transportation. With one of the lowest carbon footprints, plus the push for many older systems switching to renewable energy, this transport option is becoming increasingly suitable for countries to help meet their carbon reduction goals.
Click the Rail button to learn about different types of rail travel including highspeed, funiculars, trams, and more.
Speed: 15-80mph (24-130km/h) for class 1-4 trains. The fastest train in the world can reach 500km/h.
Pro:
Con:
Solution:
Resources: Older models used coal and water to produce steam. Most steam engines are out of use, but a few have been preserved and still for tourists or remote locations. Diesel has been used for heavy shipping, but modern trains are generall switching to elextric. Some train stations have been upgrading with solar panels on the station roof or nearby, providing an extra charge to some electric trains.
Click the Railways Sytems button to learn more about existing railways around the world, and how to ride them. We've gathered the official websites, route and station maps, how to buy tickets, and more. For some countries we couldn't find official websites, but we found traveler guides to help you find the ticket booth and which bus can get you to or from your station.
Click the Rail button to learn more about rail travel options in general.
Buses & Coaches
Click our Buses button to learn more about buses including which places have free ride programs, what updates can have the biggest impacts on communities as well as other useful info for planners and advocates.
Click the School Buses button to learn more about bus options for students.
Water
Currently most boats and ships pose a variety of health risks to marine life and the planet. Since most shipping and transit required fossil fuels, ports have some of the worst air quality, with small towns visited by cruise ships having worse air quality than many cities.
In addition to the atmospheric pollution, there's very little oversite in how boats or ships handle waste, meaning that a huge amount of plastics (including bottled water), sewage, and other harmful waste is routinely thrown overboard. Bilge waste (the oily pollution found in the bottom of ships) can be seen from space, leaving visible trails crisscrossing the ocean surface.
Noise pollution and collisions are another big problem, especially for migratory species including whales who are deafened by the noise of motors, and can be hurt or killed by speeding vessels.
Sail and electric power can help mitigate both air and noise pollution, but slowing vessels and rerouting them away from critical marine areas can further help protect wildlife.
Click the Wind Power button to learn more about wind power, including sails.
Cruise Ships
Cruise ships cause a huge amount of pollution, both with their emissions and noise. Instead of dealing with their waste responsibly, major cruise companies have been repeatedly fined for dumping sewage and plastics overboard again and again.
On top of this, the cruise ships have been linked to decline of marine ecosystems, by deafening whales and dolphins, as well as by spreading diseases to corals.
Ferry
Ferries can spew out a good amount of emissions, but can also help reduce emissions when sparing people from driving around long bays or flying between islands. Fossil-powered ferries are also pretty loud which can harm organisms such as endangered glass reefs and dolphins. However electric ferries are much cleaner, quieter, and more comfortable for passengers.
Tools & Maps
International
ADSBexchange "operates a bit differently from other flight tracking sites. As a group of aviation enthusiasts, our primary goal is to answer the question of “what’s up there” rather than “is grandma’s flight on-time”.
Organizations
International
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) "the UN agency responsible for regulating international aviation, set a goal of “carbon neutral growth from 2020” levels. The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) it has set up to achieve this goal is extremely unlikely to do so: it will probably cover less than half of international aviation emissions between now and 2035 and is likely to allow compensation without real emission reductions elsewhere. Further, CORSIA is planned to end in 2035 and ICAO currently has no plans for the period after that. The CAT rates the international aviation sector’s carbon neutral growth goal as ‘Critically insufficient’. "
North America
USA
Stop The Chop NY/NJ "is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt grassroots organization formed to ban nonessential helicopter flights over NYC, the NY Metropolitan Area and NJ.
Non-essential (tourist, charter and commuter) helicopter flights dramatically reduce the quality of life for millions of people in the New York metropolitan area. They pollute our environment, pose significant safety risks, harm our children, and make us miserable..."
