FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — People on Fort Myers Beach previously raised environmental concerns over a low-flying helicopter near Bowditch Point. Now, Fly Heli, the helicopter tour company behind the flights, is speaking out.
Austin Schargorodski first brought you this story and pushed for answers. Now, he got the chance to talk with Fly Heli’s president about those concerns.
Watch to hear what Fly Heli's president Steve Overy said about the concerns:
In several videos, you can see a helicopter taking off from a barge in Matanzas Pass near Bowditch Point. These flights had neighbors concerned about impacts to the nesting birds nearby. Monica Lynn said she also worried about the dolphins in the pass.
“They have a right to run their business, but do it in a way that respects the wildlife and residents as well,” Lynn said.
Schargorodski pushed for answers and looked into how the flights were allowed, especially with NOAA guidelines warning against low helicopter activity near marine life. When he first reached out to Fly Heli, the company said the barge was not being used commercially and would not comment further.
Just recently, the company announced plans to launch tours in the area and addressed the environmental concerns.
“We’re not here to overfly everybody’s house, we’re not here to disturb the birds nesting and the dolphins and manatees,” Fly Heli President Steve Overy said. “Like I said, we’re doing everything we can in the safest and most responsible way we can.”
Overy said Fly Heli worked with the FAA, the Coast Guard, and Florida Fish and Wildlife to get approvals for the flights. He said the helicopter activity seen in the video was for training.
He also believes the barge is positioned far enough away from sensitive areas.
“We’ve gotten a lot of people saying we’re flying over this point. We’re not actually flying over it,” Overy said. “We have the barge stationed, we’re over 1,000 feet away so we’re out there a good distance.”
Schargorodski took this update back to Lynn.
“I’m still very concerned about the situation,” Lynn said. “We would like them to move the landing barge to protect our wildlife, eco-tours, and the peace of our residents and tourists. We want a happy ending for all and hope Steve can meet with us to find a solution for everyone.”
Overy said the first tours should take off in the next few weeks.
