NY Seaplane Pilots – Update!

Update Submitted by Bradford Parker,  New York:

Right now we need names and email addresses from seaplane pilots and/ or supporters.
The most important thing that anyone can do is write:  Commissioner Pete Grannis, New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway , Albany, NY 12233-0001. Request or write: “Please allow Lows Lake to stay open to seaplane access.” Explain why the lake is important for the tourism business and that seaplanes are beneficial and how local seaplane opeators help in keeping this area alive and humming”.

From the Editor: Seaplane Pilots – Please sign up for news feeds on this issue to receive updates as they become available! Thank You!  

Written by: Bradford Parker, NY

Yesterday, on April 20’th of 2010,  20 North Country New York Pilots attending a FAA Safety Seminar in Potsdam , NY signed a letter to NYS Environmental Commissioner Pete Grannis asking that Low’s Lake, the last backcountry lake, of any size and float plane accessibility, remain open after 2012 to float planes. The lake is also the source of almost 50% of the revenue to the last two remaining commercial Adirondack Float Plane operators. Tom Helms of Helms Aeroservice in Long Lake, NY and his father before him have operated there for nearly sixty years.  He and Jim Payne of Payne’s Seaplanes in Inlet, NY have been working extensively and for several years by themselves and with some support from town officials for several years to protest closures and more recently to find an alternative backcountry lake location to survive the scheduled closure of Low’s Lake.   Unfortunately, even with “official promises” to help, these attempts remained largely unsuccessful.

 
We know that this is a great challenge but recently the DEC and APA , which along with the environmentalists, have insisted that two fire towers in the “wilderness” must come down, have begun to change their opinion after public uproar and now seem to think that accommodations can be made.
  
 If we have enough people and can join with some of these other groups to promote our issues we have possibilities of success. Seaplane pilots must be willing to be vocal and integrate with other community groups that promote reasonable economic  opportunities and use of our public natural resources.

The group is looking for support by fellow seaplane pilots and the public to address these issues properly and in a fair manner. If you can help, please contact BradfordParker[at]Hotmail.com with ideas and for feedback. Stay tuned here and receive updates on this important advocacy issue for our NY Seaplane Pilot community!

Fly Safe!