Johnny Lee's letter on behalf of the Government Flying Service (GSF) concerning the 'Silvermine' route routinely used by helicopters of the service headlined, 'Sensitive to comfort of the community' (South China Morning Post, March 22), was interesting and informative, but not entirely convincing.
In it he suggests that the route is placed equally between Discovery Bay and Mui Wo, is set at an altitude above 300 metres, doesn't go near built-up areas, and that therefore it does not favour Discovery Bay in terms of noise nuisance avoidance.
My observations, and those of many of my fellow hill walkers is that the helicopters often fly level with or below the tops of the hills in that region and stay on the Mui Wo side of the watershed, placing them easily within the Mui Wo basin, and well out of earshot of Discovery Bay, the hills providing a natural sound- proofing to the north.
This route also places it much closer to Mui Wo than to Discovery Bay (unless you count the golf course, which Mr Lee may well do) and over built-up areas such as Wang Tong (unless by 'built-up' Mr Lee means high-rise, in which case he discounts 99 per cent of the Mui Wo basin).
The truth is that a direct route out towards Central, fairly avoiding the outskirts of both Discovery Bay and Mui Wo, and travelling above 300m, would put the helicopter route slap bang over the Discovery Bay golf course, and the GFS is simply not willing to do that.
Even the fact that Mr Lee and the GFS call the route 'Silvermine' suggests some leaning towards the Silvermine Bay or Mui Wo area as a matter of policy. I have never noticed these helicopters from Discovery Bay.