Here’s why helicopters have been flying low over Hilton Head Island recently
A barrage of helicopters flying low over the north-end of Hilton Head over the past week has been disturbing the peace for some residents.
Port Royal Plantation resident Chris Garmston told The Packet the noise started early last week and has persisted daily, except for Sunday. Every 20 minutes, from about 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Garmston said, he and his wife have heard a helicopter flying low over their neighborhood.
The Hilton Head resident of 30 years called the noise “irritating.”
“We’re used to living in this lovely, peaceful island,” Garmston said. “It was just noisy and irritating.”
Port Royal Plantation is close to the Hilton Head Island Airport, where commercial airplanes take off and land daily. Garmston said he’s used to the sound of planes coming and going, but they’re not as disruptive, since they’re typically “one and done” and don’t fly directly overhead his neighborhood.
The reason for the helicopters over Hilton Head
Garmston said residents didn’t initially receive any kind of notice about the noise and helicopters. But in a Facebook post Sunday evening, the Hilton Head Island Airport shared the reason for the noise.
According to the post, the U.S. Navy is conducting helicopter training that is expected to continue through the end of the week.
“Crews are doing their best to avoid noise-sensitive areas while following required training procedures,” the airport wrote on Facebook.
Calls and emails from The Packet to Beaufort County Airports Director Jon Rembold and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort were unsuccessful Tuesday morning.
Why the training happened over land instead of water
Garmston provided The Packet with an email he received from Ward 6 Council Member Melinda Tunner Tuesday morning. Garmston said he also spoke with Tunner.
According to the email, Rembold informed Tunner that the standard protocol is for the training exercises to be executed over the water, but when that airspace is being used, those flights happen over Hilton Head communities. The airport is required to accommodate military activity, Tunner wrote.
This story was originally published February 17, 2026 at 10:31 AM.
