Latest news with #RainbowAir
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Falls Council Oks new flight path for Rainbow Air
Niagara Falls City Council members voted Wednesday night to approve a new flight plan for Rainbow Air, as the longtime Falls tour operator prepares to open its new facilities just off of Buffalo Avenue. Rainbow was seeking to modify its current operational flight path as it is set to begin operations at its new $15 million tourism center at 56 Acheson Drive opening on June 23. The new route was endorsed by the union representing air traffic controllers at the Falls airport as the quietest and safest flight path possible. 'We have reviewed the flight path of Rainbow Air. We endorse it,' said Daniel Leonard, the president of the local chapter of the air traffic controllers union. 'It is the safest path and the least disruptive to our new giant balloon flight (near the falls).' Leonard said new helicopters that will be operated by Rainbow Air are also the most 'eco-friendly' in operation currently. 'The flight path also provides, in case of emergency, the best survivability,' Leonard said. 'It gives (the helicopter pilots) options.' One of those pilots, Mark Chamberlain, told the council that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-approved flight plan was adopted after considering safety and noise as the most important issues. 'It was designed with the help of the FAA and the considerations were safety first and then noise, which has been an issue before, Chamberlain said. He said the flights will operate at a height of 3,000 feet, 500 feet higher than the company's previous flight plan. Take-offs from the new helipad will also get out of neighborhood air space and over the Niagara River quicker than before. 'We were looking to reduce the noise footprint,' Chamberlain said. 'The Airbus H-130 is the only helicopter allowed to fly over national parks and it's the quietest in the industry.' Rainbow Air has described its new heliport and headquarters as 'the largest private tourism development in Niagara Falls in many years.' The project is located adjacent to the former Carborundum Center on Buffalo Avenue. It includes two new helipads and a 30,000-square-foot building that houses aviation-related features. Representatives of Rainbow Air said they have upgraded their fleet with brand new Airbus H-130 helicopters that seat seven passengers plus the pilot. They also noted that the interiors in the new choppers are quiet enough for an audio tour to be played on speakers in the cabin, with translations into several languages for international guests. Rainbow Air, which was established in 1995, had previously operated its tours from a landing pad near the Niagara River gorge. The tour company said that the gorge pad location required an inconvenient take-off procedure and was the source of constant noise complaints from some South End residents and businesses. The company has been operating from the Niagara Falls International Airport during the construction of its new tourism center. From its new location, helicopters will fly over Goat Island before making a loop over downtown Niagara Falls. After flying over the Rainbow Bridge, the helicopter will go along the Canadian side to get a view of the Horseshoe Falls before following that route back to the helipad. Flights will last between 12 and 14 minutes, depending on the weather conditions. The tourism center is accessed off Acheson Drive from Buffalo Avenue. It includes room for three helicopters and two helipads, an outdoor dining/gathering area and parking for both cars and buses. The single-story indoor facility contains a maintenance hangar, an aviation heritage center that will present Niagara Falls' role in the history of flight, and a retail sales area with convenience food and drink items. The facility also has an entertainment center with 15 custom-designed 3-D flight simulators that allow visitors to have the experience of flying over the Falls. The project's architect, Aaron Faegre, said the new home for Rainbow Air was chosen to allow the company's helicopters 'a quick departure to the south, over the Niagara River,' which will allow the aircraft to 'climb to altitude quickly and minimize noise.' The flight path of the helicopters in and around the Falls is tightly controlled by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Air Transport Canada. Rainbow Air officials said they have conducted studies that show that the noise from departing helicopters at the new site is no greater than the noise of trucks operating on Buffalo Avenue. 'We sought to minimize noise downtown by moving here,' Faegre said. Rainbow's director of operations, Paul Faltyn, has said the project will allow Rainbow to become 'a year-round destination' in the Falls.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hearing sought for Rainbow Air's new flight plans
Niagara Falls City Council members will consider scheduling a pubic hearing to review a proposed new flight plan for Rainbow Air at their meeting on Thursday. The hearing is expected to be scheduled for 6 p.m. on June 4 in the council's chambers. Rainbow Air is seeking to modify its current operational flight plan as it prepares to begin operations at its new $15 million tourism center at 56 Acheson Drive. The helicopter tour operator has described its new headquarters as 'the largest private tourism development in Niagara Falls in many years.' The project is located adjacent to the former Carborundum Center on Buffalo Avenue. It includes two new helipads and a 30,000-square-foot building that houses aviation-related features. Representatives of Rainbow Air said they have upgraded their fleet with brand new Airbus H-130 helicopters that seat seven passengers plus the pilot. They also noted that the interiors in the new choppers are quiet enough for an audio tour to be played on speakers in the cabin, with translations into several languages for international guests. Rainbow Air, which was established in 1995, had previously operated its tours from a landing pad near the Niagara River gorge. The tour company said that the gorge pad location required an inconvenient take-off procedure and was the source of constant noise complaints from some South End residents and businesses. The company has been operating from the Niagara Falls International Airport during the construction of its new tourism center. From its new location, helicopters will fly over Goat Island before making a loop over downtown Niagara Falls. After flying over the Rainbow Bridge, the helicopter will go along the Canadian side to get a view of the Horseshoe Falls before following that route back to the helipad. Flights will last between 12 and 14 minutes, depending on the weather conditions. The tourism center is accessed off Acheson Drive from Buffalo Avenue. It includes room for three helicopters and two helipads, an outdoor dining/gathering area and parking for both cars and buses. The single-story indoor facility contains a maintenance hangar, an aviation heritage center that will present Niagara Falls' role in the history of flight, and a retail sales area with convenience food and drink items. The facility also has an entertainment center with 15 custom-designed 3-D flight simulators that allow visitors to have the experience of flying over the Falls. The project's architect, Aaron Faegre, said the new home for Rainbow Air was chosen to allow the company's helicopters 'a quick departure to the south, over the Niagara River,' which will allow the aircraft to 'climb to altitude quickly and minimize noise.' The flight path of the helicopters in and around the Falls is tightly controlled by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Air Transport Canada. Rainbow Air officials said they have conducted studies that show that the noise from departing helicopters at the new site is no greater than the noise of trucks operating on Buffalo Avenue. 'We sought to minimize noise downtown by moving here,' Faegre said. Rainbow's director of operations, Paul Faltyn, has said the project will allow Rainbow to become 'a year-round destination' in the Falls.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rainbow Air Helicopter Tours emphasizes safety after New York City crash
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) — Rainbow Air Helicopter Tours offers panoramic views of Niagara Falls and attracts tourists from across the country and world, but Thursday's deadly helicopter crash in New York City has raised concerns about helicopter tours. Safety has never been more apparent after the crash in the Hudson River, which killed a family of five who were on vacation from Spain and a pilot while they were on a tour around the city. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. Since 1995, Rainbow Air has offered tours in the restricted airspace around Niagara and Horseshoe Falls, with safety being its main priority. 'Flying over a natural wonder like Niagara Falls, there's only one place in the world where you can do this,' said Patrick Keyes, Rainbow Air's sales and marketing manager. 'We're lucky that we have that opportunity to fly in that short airspace with Canada and give people the panorama view that they want. They love it and we want to continue doing that. The only way we can continue to do that is if we're operating in a safe manner.' Keyes said ensuring people's safety is a top priority. 'It's everything. Safety is what drives our entire experience,' Keyes said. 'We are very conscious in making sure we do every required check by the manufacturer and the FAA and by the company. We have our own standards and we meet or exceed those standards. If we don't, we're not gonna fly.' While businesses in Niagara Falls prepare for this year's upcoming tourist season, Keyes said Rainbow Air is committed to keeping them safe. Rainbow Air's team consists of pilots who have various military and medical evacuation backgrounds, according to its website, along with professional mechanics and maintenance workers who maintain the aircrafts every day. 'To have state of the art machines that are greatly maintained, full-time mechanics, people that have known these machines for a long time, it gives us a great step up,' he said. 'It's not something that everybody can do, but we're fortunate that we have the commitment from our ownership.' Keyes added that professionals at Rainbow Air work every day to ensure a safe flying experience. Sarah Minkewicz is an Emmy-nominated reporter and Buffalo native who has been a part of the News 4 team since 2019. Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahMinkewicz and click here to see more of her work. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
