named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Legal Advocacy and Municipal Action
Supports local governments and communities in pursuing legal action and zoning enforcement against unauthorized or excessive helicopter operations, including backing lawsuits against the FAA and heliport operators.
Policy and Legislative Campaigns
Advocates for federal, state, and local legislation to ban or restrict non-essential helicopter flights, such as the Communities Before Air Tourism Act and the Improving Helicopter Safety Act.
Public Awareness and Media Engagement
Engages national and international media to highlight the impacts of helicopter noise and safety risks, including interviews with major outlets like ARD German TV and The Guardian.
activities · 3 groups
What they do
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Transportation Policy Advocacy & Infrastructure Reform 3 activities
- Advocacy to ban non-essential helicopter flights in the NY/NJ metropolitan areaOrganizes grassroots and policy advocacy campaigns to ban non-essential helicopter flights, including tourist and commuter operations, in the New York City and New Jersey metropolitan area. Efforts include media engagement, public education, and coordination with elected officials and community boards.
- Coordination with elected officials and intergovernmental advocacyFacilitates and coordinates advocacy letters and statements from New York and New Jersey congressional representatives, governors, mayors, and local officials to federal agencies such as the FAA and the Department of Transportation, urging reforms on helicopter safety, noise, and flight restrictions.
- Influencing public policy and regulatory changes for helicopter operationsAdvocates for legislative and regulatory reforms, including supporting the passage of Intro 26-A in NYC, promoting state and federal legislation (e.g., S4639, H.R. 4880), securing reductions in tourist flight hours and annual flights at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, ending city-sponsored flight promotions, and influencing concession agreements to include noise and operational restrictions.
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Neighborhood Civic Engagement 1 activity
- Direct public engagement and complaint response on noise pollutionResponds to noise complaints from New York City residents, particularly those previously dismissed, and hosts public town halls to inform and engage affected communities, such as the Facebook Live event with Andy Rosenthal.
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Clean Transportation Adoption & Infrastructure 1 activity
- Documentation and public education on helicopter risks and environmental justice impactsDocuments and publicizes historical data on helicopter crashes in the NY/NJ area from 1970 to present, maps unregulated commuter flights over environmental justice communities, and provides educational resources on noise pollution and its health, environmental, and security risks.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$92K
Contributions & grants$92K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$23K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
balance sheet
Total assets$75K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$75K
1 years on record · 2023–2023
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
board members · 7
- Adrian Benepe — Director
- Andrew Rosenthal — Director, President & Treasurer
- Bill Thomas — Director
- Eric Katzman — Director
- Ken Coughlin — Director
- Kenneth Lay — Director
- Melissa Elstein — Director, Chair & Secretary
relationships · 49
Who they work with
- ARD German Radio & TV Partner — Media partner that featured STC Board members in a segment on helicopter noise pollution.
- Arline L. Bronzaft Ph.D. Partner — Board member of GrowNYC and key figure responding to noise complaints and advocating for quieter urban environments
- Assemblymember Tony Simone Partner — Legislative partner co-sponsoring bills to restrict helicopter operations and close the West 30th Street heliport.
- Blade Partner — Identifies Blade as the primary operator of commuter helicopter flights over Brooklyn that are the focus of advocacy efforts.
- Brewer/Nadler Helicopter Task Force Partner — Collaborated with the Brewer/Nadler Helicopter Task Force at a press conference.
- Brooklyn Community Board 6 Partner — Member of the coalition supporting Stop The Chop NY NJ
- Brooklyn Heights Association Partner — Member of the coalition supporting Stop The Chop NY NJ
- Carnegie Hill Neighbors Partner — Member of the coalition supporting Stop The Chop NY NJ
- City of Hoboken Partner — Partnered through local legislative actions, including resolutions and official letters, to address helicopter overflight issues.
- City of Jersey City Partner — Collaborated on passing a city resolution addressing low-flying helicopter traffic.
- Federal Aviation Administration Government — Target of advocacy efforts to update flight charts and implement airspace regulations for dense urban environments.
- GrowNYC Partner — Collaborates on noise pollution resources and public education efforts
- Hudson County Board of Commissioners Partner — Supported the organization's advocacy by passing a resolution in favor of state legislation to reduce helicopter operations.
- Ken Coughlin Partner — STC Board member involved in advocacy and media outreach.
- Lincoln Restler Partner — NYC Council Member who participated in a media segment alongside STC representatives on noise pollution.
- Manhattan Community Board 1 Partner — Member of the coalition supporting Stop The Chop NY NJ
- Melissa Elstein Partner — STC Board member involved in advocacy and media outreach.
- Move NY Campaign Partner — Member of the coalition supporting Stop The Chop NY NJ
- Municipal Art Society of New York Partner — Member of the coalition supporting Stop The Chop NY NJ
- Natural Resources Defense Council Partner — Member of the coalition supporting Stop The Chop NY NJ
- New York City Council Partner — Works with multiple City Council members to advance local legislation and resolutions aimed at reducing helicopter noise and restricting non-essential flights in New York City.
- New York City Economic Development Corporation Partner — Collaborated to influence the 2024 Request for Proposals for the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, advocating for reduced operating hours and inclusion of quality-of-life impact assessments.
- New York Post Partner — Cited as a source supporting the argument that helicopters pose a terrorism risk due to lax security and proximity to landmarks.
- New Yorkers for Parks Partner — Member of the coalition supporting Stop The Chop NY NJ
- Next Gen Noise Partner — Member of the coalition supporting Stop The Chop NY NJ
- Noise Free America Partner — Member of the coalition supporting Stop The Chop NY NJ
- Office of Governor Phil Murphy Government — Received support through a formal letter to the FAA requesting prohibition of nonessential helicopter flights.
- Office of Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg Government — Recipient of a coordinated letter from NY-NJ lawmakers supporting H.R. 4880, facilitated by the organization.
- Queens Quiet Skies Coalition Partner — Member of the coalition supporting Stop The Chop NY NJ
- Quiet Communities Inc. Partner — Member of the coalition supporting Stop The Chop NY NJ
+ 19 more
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Equity-Based Narrative Advocacymethodology: environmental-justice-advocacyBy mapping and narrating helicopter noise as a dual-city issue, we reframe noise pollution as environmental injustice, because linking overflights to systemic inequity strengthens moral urgency and coalition-building across communities.
- Framing Helicopter Flights as Security and Public Riskmethodology: security-risk_framingBy highlighting documented crash risks and unsecured access to pilots and flight paths near landmarks, we generate public and political support for restrictions, because safety and national security frames resonate more strongly than noise alone in urban policy debates.
- Grassroots Mobilization for Policy Changemethodology: grassroots_organizingBy organizing affected community members and securing local resolutions, we build political pressure for regulatory and legislative action on helicopter flights, because bottom-up advocacy increases legitimacy and decision-maker responsiveness.
- Public Education to Shift Norms and Build Supportmethodology: public_education_campaignBy educating the public through digital town halls and campaigns, we shift social norms around helicopter use and build broad-based demand for change, because awareness precedes political will.
- Regulatory and Fiscal Levers to Reduce Non-Essential Flightsmethodology: regulatory-and-fiscal-restrictionBy advocating for taxes, operational restrictions, and relocation of helipads, we reduce helicopter overflights, because financial penalties and regulatory barriers deter non-essential use while shifting infrastructure away from vulnerable populations.