Residents of Hilton Head Island's Port Royal Plantation have endured a persistent low-flying helicopter noise for nearly a week, described as 'irritating' and 'noisy' by long-term resident Chris Garmston. Every 20 minutes from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., helicopters fly directly over the neighborhood, a significant departure from the usual 'one and done' commercial flights from the nearby airport.

The disturbance intensified when the U.S. Navy confirmed the noise stems from helicopter training exercises expected to continue through the week's end. While the airport stated crews are attempting to avoid noise-sensitive areas, calls to county officials went unanswered.