Fly Heli Tours announces they have stopped Fort Myers Beach flights for season
Fly Heli Tours, the helicopter tour company which aroused widespread opposition to its flights over Fort Myers Beach from a vessel and landing pad in the bay, has announced they have stopped their tours for the season.
The company stated on their website that their Fort Myers Beach tours are closed for the season. The vessel/barge that was used by their helicopter for landing and taking off has not been seen out in its usual spot in the bay, not far from Bowditch Point Regional Park, in recent weeks.
When they will return is not clear. Fly Heli Tours owner Steve Overy did not respond to a message seeking comment.
Questions over which government agency is responsibility for regulating the flights continues as numerous state and federal agencies are pointing their fingers at each other in response to questions about who has control over reviewing the activities of the vessel in the bay off Fort Myers Beach that the helicopter was taking off and landing from for their flight tours over the island..
Meanwhile, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said they have wrapped up their investigation into a complaint that a helicopter used by Fly Heli Tours harassed an osprey nest near the Pink Shell Beach Resort by flying too close. The FWC has not found cause to charge the company with harassing the nest.
Jennifer Rusk, vice chair of the Fort Myers Beach Environmental Resources Task Force and a former observer for the International Osprey Foundation, said she had observed the helicopter flying over nearby over the Pink Shell Beach Resort in close proximity to the nest when landing, resulting in the mother osprey taking off. Only one of three eggs in the nest hatched this year.
Other residents have complained about helicopters allegedly flying too low, close to their homes. Photo and video footage has captured the helicopters as they take off and land not far from boats, homes and buildings in the area.
Overy has previously denied allegations that his helicopters have flied too close to homes or the osprey nest.
Bradley Johnson, a spokesperson for the FWC, said the investigation into the osprey nest was complete unless the FWC receives additional complaints of harassment. “We have not documented any instances of harassment,” Johnson said.
Additionally, Johnson said the FWC “has not documented any violations or disruptions to shorebirds and their nesting activity in reference to the helicopter and its activity near Fort Myers Beach.” The vessel was located not far from Matanzas Island, a state-designated critical wildlife area home to shorebird nesting populations.
Fly Heli Tours was utilizing a boat docked at Moss Marina to transport passengers to the vessel anchored in the bay, not far from an area in the bay between Matanzas Pass and San Carlos Bay known as a dolphin nursey.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stated in January that they were reviewing the activity of the helicopter landing barge/vessel, but later referred questions to the FWC and the U.S. Coast Guard. The U.S. Coast Guard did not respond to questions concerning the vessel’s activity.
The Florida Department of Transportation, which has codes governing the use of helipads, referred questions to the FWC as well.
Michael Johnson, communications director for the Florida Department of Transportation said the helicopter operations are “a unique circumstance that involves multiple state agencies.”
Johnson said the Florida Department of Transportation “has been in close coordination with our partner agencies to ensure awareness of this operation and compliance with all applicable rules and regulations. As a result of that process, the equipment in question has been deemed to be a vessel and has been documented as a vessel by the United States Coast Guard. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is the regulatory agency for vessels.”
FWC spokesman Bradley Johnson referred regulatory questions involving the helicopter to the Federal Aviation Administration.
“The FWC regulates vessels in Florida, primarily by enforcing boating laws and ensuring safety through compliance with rules and regulations,” Johnson said. “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the primary regulatory body for aircraft.”
Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Donnell Evans referred questions o the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
“NOAA has established regulations to prevent low-flying helicopters from causing harassment to marine mammals under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA),” Evans said.
Keely Belva, a spokesperson for NOAA, referred questions back to the FAA and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Overy recently donated $2,000 to the Fort Myers Beach Anchorage Advisory Committee to help sponsor the Cruisers Appreciation Day. Fort Myers Beach Harbormaster Curtis Ludwig, requested a donation from Overy for the event after he was asked by the committee to seek out donations for the event, Fort Myers Beach Public Information Officer Abigail Eberhart said.
Fort Myers Beach Observer Editor Nathan Mayberg can be reached at NMayberg@breezenewspapers.com