Gowanus Lounge: Serving Brooklyn

Slope “Hoovered” by Early Morning Choppers: Why?

October 9th, 2008 · 7 Comments

From our friends at Park Slope Parents comes the following email about “Helicopter Madness!!!” over Park Slope in the wee hours: “What is the deal with the helicopters at 5am in hoovering over park slope? It is INSANE!!! Anyone have information about this?” A crime, perhaps?

Tags: Park Slope

7 responses so far ↓

  • 1 binky lee // Oct 9, 2008 at 9:55 am

    That’s traffic copters reporting on the latest jams on the Gowanus… it leaves after about an hour and a half to refuel and another one takes it’s place. Been on and off like that for at least ten years. Just another part of the background noise of Brooklyn. I used to live on 15th Street but now live in Carroll Gardens – I can hear it in the distance over by you guys, and very occassionally it hovers over us to stare down on the bridges.

  • 2 s // Oct 9, 2008 at 9:59 am

    Unfortunately the Slope seems to be a fly over for Helicopters . Not counting the traffic helicopters that hover at the bridges and tunnels at rush our .

  • 3 kyle // Oct 9, 2008 at 10:08 am

    I live in the area and it is mildly annoying. However, it WAS particularly bad the other morning – hovering over the neighborhood for a good 45 minutes.

  • 4 Red Hook // Oct 9, 2008 at 12:21 pm

    The park is taking the off leash hours very seriously.

  • 5 sholwa // Oct 9, 2008 at 1:59 pm

    i believe this was due to the murder in crown heights that morning. they were canvasing the area for suspects.

  • 6 Jack // Oct 9, 2008 at 9:00 pm

    It’s not always traffic copters and as someone who is up early—and sometimes stays up late—it’s not consistent.

    But if it’s in the morning, it tends to be news traffic helicopters.

    Other times of the day, it’s usually NYPD air support. And if you live near Gowanus or Prospect Heights, then get used to it: Crimes and chases still happen there.

  • 7 Janet // Oct 10, 2008 at 9:57 am

    We’ve all been kvetching about the high-rises, but it would appear the traffic monitors could have a great view of the Gowanus from some of these, and be much quieter