Mike's Minute: Why do we get exercised about helicopters?

Helicopters are such an Auckland issue. 

I love helicopters. I have flown in a lot of helicopters. 

Our place is on a flight path north. People who go to the Bay of Islands and to the flash golf courses north of Auckland fly over our place. 

On a sunny Saturday they start 6.30am-ish in summer. On a still day you hear them coming maybe 30 seconds before you might see them. 

Because I like them, I have never understood the Waiheke moaners who can't stand them and want them banned on their island. 

To me a helicopter is full of people going places, i.e. tourists and golfers. These are people we like and want. 

If you haven't followed the story, Ali Williams, once an All Black, and Anna Mowbray, part of the Zuru clan, are a couple and they have a house in Westmere, which is an inner-city suburb in Auckland. They applied to land their chopper at their place. 

Cue the horror. 

Far too much money and time has been spent on this – over 1400 submissions. That’s right, 1400. And what was mad about it was a number of submissions submitted that they had no view. 

You can't make this up. The number of people who are clearly bored out of their minds is unreal. 

Many a submission against their use of a chopper in suburbia came from people who don’t even live in Auckland. Not only were they not close to the landing pad, but they're not even in the same city, i.e. it's got nothing to do with you. 

Lawyers, council staff, submissions, hearings, and Lord knows how many hours and dollars and, as you will have heard, Williams and Mowbray win. They can land at their place two times a day for no more than 10 times a month. 

There is nothing, said the Commissioners, untoward, unacceptable, or significantly out of character with helicopter noise, which I think is fair enough. 

But two questions; 

1) How many got exercised out of petty jealousy, i.e. rich folks doing stuff we don’t like? 

2) How unpopular does it make them? And do they care? 

There is of course the precedent now. Suburbia and choppers are no big deal. 

Very Auckland. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It is such an Auckland issue, isn't it. Helicopters. I
love helicopters by the way I've flown, and a lot
of helicopters now places on a flight path north. People
who go to the Bay of Islands and to the
flash golf courses north of Auckland. They fly over our
place on a sunny Saturday. They start maybe four or
six thirtysh in summer on a still day. You can
hear them coming maybe thirty seconds before you might see them.

(00:20):
And because I like them, I've never understood why, you know,
for example, the way Hecki monas who can't stand and
want them banned on the island. A helicopter to me
is full of people going places, you know, tourists and golfers.
These are people we like and people we want. Anyway,
if you haven't followed the story, Eli Williams once in
All Black, and Anna Mobray, part of the Zuru clan,

(00:40):
are a couple and they got a house in Westmere,
which is an inner city suburb if you're listening outside
of Auckland. They applied to land their helicopter at their place.
Que the horror. Far too much money and time has
been spent on this whole issue fourteen hundred submissions. That's right,
one thousand, four hundred submissions. What was mad about it

(01:00):
was one A number of submissions submitted said that they
had no view. You can't make the stuff up. The
number of people who are clearly bored out of their
brains is unbelievable. Too many A submission against their use
of a chopper in suburbia came from people who don't
even live in Auckland, not only not close to the
landing pad, but not even in the same city. I e.

(01:22):
It's got nothing to do with you. So Lawyer's council staff, submissions, hearings,
Lord knows how many hoursand dollars and as you will
have heard Williams and Mowbray one they can land at
their place two times a day, no more than ten
times a month. There is nothing said the commissioners untoward,
unacceptable or significantly out of character with helicopter noise, which

(01:43):
I think is fair enough. But two questions. One, how
many god exercised do you reckon out of petty jealousy? Oh,
they're rich, so we don't like rich people doing rich
people's stuff, So we'll complain about it, and two how
unpopular do you reckon it makes them locally? And I
suppose question number three do they care? There is, of course,
the precedent that's been set now Suburbia and choppers are

(02:06):
now apparently no big deal, Very Auckland. For more from
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