At the Marine Environmental Task Force Committee meeting tomorrow at 10AM, Fly Heli owner Steve Overy will be added to the agenda to explain his plans to fly helicopter tours around Fort Myers Beach.
Overy’s company offers paid helicopter tours in 10 cities across the country. He’s planning to add Fort Myers Beach to that roster for about $100 per tour. MERTF Committee Chair Dave Nusbaum tells Beach Talk Radio Overy will be given as much time as he needs to talk about his plans.
Overy has been getting pushback from people concerned that the helicopters will disrupt the birds, manatees, and dolphins in the back-bay area, where the helicopters will launch from a barge. Overy has been performing test runs the last few weeks. The Mayor also wants assurances from Overy that the flights will not be too close to land. The Fort Myers Beach Town Council does not have any say in the matter if Overy is launching the helicopter 1,000 feet away from land and he has all the needed state agency approvals.
We interviewed Overy about his plans on our show last Sunday. You can watch that interview HERE.
There will be an opportunity for the public to speak at the MERTF meeting tomorrow and we plan to carry the meeting live on our Facebook page and YouTube Channel.
As the former owner of Zoomers wwe also wanted to have helicopter rides and were flatly told NO. I wonder what has changed??????
We already have to deal with helicopters flying low over the island. Sheriff, military, private helicopters flying so low I can see the pilot. The noise is already terrible so can we get the those helicopters to not be allowed to fly over our houses like they are setting up rules for this guy? TC is going to allow it. This is just the part where it makes it seem like we have a say. Honestly I have no idea why anyone would want to pay $100 to fly over FMB. The water is dirty and our sky is always white. The views won’t be that appealing.
As a Ft. Myers area boater, I thinks its very clear that the thousands of boats and propellers that traverse that area daily have a much more significant environmental impact that one helicopter. The combined noise, pollutants, oil and fuel in the water, the carbon footprint, the propellers chopping up marine life and habitat is clearly massively more significant than that of a single helicopter in the air. Our canal home has plenty of Manatee sightings here and many of them have scars on their backs, I can safely say, none of the scars were caused by a helicopter.
The “boat pic” helicopters are bad enough when they run in the back and pelican bays. From my experience with these flights which are disruptive and annoying I would personally give this a big NO for all on island whether full time,
Just a thought… I believe there are helicopter and seaplane tours that depart from Key West and take visitors to the Dry Tortugas, including Fort Jefferson. These tours are in or near a National Park and an environmentally sensitive area. Possibly contact the Park Service to find out how they regulate these tours to minimize impact on wildlife and people.
They are popular because they offer amazing aerial views and a quick trip. They usually include a guided tour of the fort and some time for snorkeling and exploring the area as well.
I am a conservationist and pro business and may a equitable solution be the outcome.
Take offs and landings on the barge means the helicopter will be at a low altitude over the bay and likely low over the island until it gains altitude. It should take off from the mainland and fly 1,000 feet above the islands and bay.
I think it’s a terrible idea. The island is too small and the back bay will not have any solitude any longer with the landing barge.
Just when I thought the news out of FMB couldn’t be any more ridiculous. This is a terrible idea.
I am sure the owner is super nice and I love an entrepreneur but I would definitely prefer to NOT have noisy helicopters flying above or around my house, our beach and the bay all day long or even a handful of times a day.
Another disgraceful copout at Town Hall.
Not their jurisdiction? Are they kidding. That bay’s protection is the responsibility of all jurisdictions.
The politcs in this is appaling, scared to death to challenge state and federal agencies operated by the same party these bozos belong to. Good ol boys circling the wagons.
Refusing to vigorously protect that marine sanctuary is beyond shameful, it’s a derelection of one of government’s most important. responsibilities. Obiously this crowd ain’t up to it.
So what’s the point of all the turtle protection, then? Would this not negatively impact them, along with other wildlife? As a human, I would not appreciate being part of a tourist attraction every time I went outside either.
Yes its not a problem.
You people must not be spending time on our waters? I have had a boat for years and the noise from the engines and I mean engines on the bay and gulf powering over 1600 HP make more noise than a small copter in the air. We all need to think bigger and responsible for the growth of the island and get over the resistance due to wildlife everytime someone wants to add value to the area. We already have the turtles protected with dark streets that will one day probably kill someone and at least the majority of tours would be in daytime not night.
1600hp boat in a no wake zone is as loud as a helicopter. Come on Mickey. This is a terrible idea for the environment, hotel guests, restaurants, and especially home owners on the bay.
AI’s response, can’t agree with AI more…
Introducing commercial helicopter tours over Fort Myers Beach is a poor fit for a barrier-island environment due to well-documented impacts on noise, wildlife, and community safety. Helicopter noise is fundamentally different from background urban noise: it is impulsive, low-frequency, and carries long distances over water. Studies by the National Park Service and FAA have shown that helicopter overflights disrupt both wildlife behavior and human recreation even when flights are brief and intermittent. For residents and visitors who come to Fort Myers Beach specifically for its natural soundscape, repeated low-altitude tour flights would permanently alter the character of the area.
From an environmental standpoint, coastal birds, nesting shorebirds, and marine mammals are especially sensitive to aerial disturbance. Research shows that helicopters can cause flushing of nesting birds, abandonment of feeding areas, and stress responses in manatees and dolphins, even without direct overflight. Fort Myers Beach lies adjacent to protected wildlife habitats and migratory corridors, where disturbance during breeding and wintering seasons can have population-level consequences. Unlike essential aviation uses (medical, law enforcement), sightseeing flights provide no public necessity that would justify these impacts. Once established, this activity would be difficult to limit or reverse, setting a precedent that prioritizes short-term commercial gain over long-term environmental protection and community quality of life.
Exactly.
Too noisy , too low , too often .
He needs to fly away!
I am shocked how low and close to the beach they fly is that really necessary to do his business
Birds, dolphins, and rarely seen manatees won’t mind a helicopter since they are already used to noisy tourist, loud music on the beach, swimmers, power boats, jets skis, and RSW flight path. He will bring wonderful revenue and appeal to bring more tourist to the beach. Isn’t the beach all about Air BNB seasonal rentals?
Steve states in the interview that he loves this area, been coming here for years. If that were true he would never consider this type of operation in our area. He has zero regard for our wildlife or the people who live here. Please take your obnoxious helicopters to a city, this is not the place for your type of business.
Exactly!
Jet skis and power boats are louder and closer to aquatic life than the helicopters.
It’s the compression of the water that the helicopter makes as the blades spin pushing the helicopter upward.
Not a fan due to the NOISE and the disruption to the birds, manatees, and dolphins in the back-bay area.
I can’t imagine that the turtles would be okay with this. On this island, turtle concerns outrank human concerns, and they definitely outrank helicopter company concerns.
We live on the back bay 1/4 mile from the landing barge. The noise is not appropriate for a neighborhood and not welcome. It’s loud and has to be disruptive to wildlife.
Why can’t they take the barge West toward the Sanibel bridge into open water instead of in the middle of an area surrounded by homes and vital nature areas like Pelican island?