CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Josh Starmer says he's gotten little sleep in the past month because of the UNC Carolina Air Care helicopter.

“The UNC Air Care helicopter has been flying over our house a whole lot more than usual,” he says.

Hospital staff says pilots have to refuel at the nearby Horace Williams Airport because of ongoing construction back at the hospital. The short distance from the helipad to the airport causes pilots to fly at a low altitude. Starmer says the new flight path is keeping him and some of his neighbors up at night.

“And they fly low overhead. They do it all through the night...every hour. You hear the helicopter. The house shakes. So it's a big disturbance.”

He and a few other have written to town leaders about the problem.

“We just wake up. Put a pillow on the head and do what we can.”

Hospital staff says pilots can start refueling back at the hospital sometime in mid-May. Meanwhile, they're asking pilots to do what they can to minimize the noise at night.