wrote in :

The FAA looks at comments, then kisses them off.

The FAA is required by law to consider all comments. They may not accept
all of them, but they are required to consider and provide an answer to all
of them.

That said, the air tour guys are way behind the power curve on this one.
The comment period for the NPRM has already been extended, and this is the
second period that is about to expire.

I'm a professional helicopter pilot, and I would never, ever get on a
helicopter tour, nor allow anyone in my family to get on one. I have no
sympathy for the air tour operators at all. They use inexperienced pilots
who they overwork badly, in many instances, and accidents are probably
inevitable under the current regulations. Not all operators do this, of
course, but enough do to make more regulation necessary. If a segment of
the industry doesn't regulate itself, and kills enough passengers, it's
going to get regulated by the government, whether or not the regulation wil
actually prevent more accidents.

--
Regards,

Stan