"Christopher C. Stacy" wrote:


suppose they can't make an exemption and let those helicopters in?
There are only three or four such helicopters for the whole city,
and it's not like we don't know them. These particular aircraft,
which clearly serve the public interest in this situation, could
easily be secured and inspected before each takeoff.

It seems overboard, over-paranoid, and counterproductive.

The general principles of airspace and ground restrictions are the result of
an imperfect government trying to protect against a certain future terrorist
attack. We have lost some of our freedoms as a nation because of 911. And,
standby, it will only get worse.

Having said that, I think news helicopters are a hazard to persons and
property on the ground, terrorists aside. They push and shove for advantage
and take risks that police helicopters would never take. The police and
medical helicopters serve the public interest. The newsies create a hazard
using the First Amendment as a shield.

Two summers ago there was a major structural.brush fire near my home. At one
point there where 8, count them, 8 newsie 'copters hovering out of ground
effect, over or near my home. I walked uptown for a beer until the jerks
left.