Low Flying Helicopter Freaks Out Candlewood Lake Boaters
It's a picture-perfect day on Candlewood Lake, ideal for an afternoon of boating with a group of friends. Let's say you've decided to anchor about 200 hundred yards off of Chicken Rock. Suddenly, you hear the sound of a helicopter approaching, but instead of flying over, the pilot begins slowing down and proceeds to hover 200 feet over your boat!
The rotors are now so loud you can't hear yourself talk, and the copter's engine is drowning out your music. You must ask yourself, "Why in hell is this copter overhead looking down at us from us at 200 feet? Check it out!
According to the Newstimes, Danbury Municipal Airport Administrator Michael Safranek filed a complaint with the FAA saying that the helicopter pilot, New Milford resident Avi Shevah, was flying too low under federal aviation regulations.
The helicopter is a Robinson R-22, a two-seat, two-bladed, single-engined light utility copter. Safranek disclosed to the Newstimes that the flyovers have occurred numerous times over the last six weeks. When Shevah was questioned, he said, "he operated within the regulations, flies in a safe manner, and his R-22 helicopter has a registration that gives him permission to fly over water."
Boaters' reactions to Shevah's helicopter shenanigans run the gamut from curiosity to fascination to anger. Question: Why do you think Shevah has been looming over boaters in his R-22 Helicopter? I've come up with some possibilities.
- Showing off for boaters and friends.
- Taking a closer look at the hot bikini-clad ladies!...
- A different approach for picking up chicks...
- Trying to win a contest for the best essay, "What I did on my summer vacation."
- "Hey, look at me! I'm rich!"
The Fascinating Story of the Candlewood Lake 'Island House'
Candlewood Lake - Then and Now
Gallery Credit: Ethan Carey