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Residents rally against noisy air traffic
Coastsiders and other Bay Area residents are banding together to combat air traffic noise wrought by the Next Generation Air Transportation System. The latest action follows in the footsteps of other communities across the United States that have found their voices are stronger together. They are getting a response from the FAA. (www.hmbreview.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Move near an airport and you will get...taa-daa... Aircraft noise. I recall the 1980s working at Pratt Whitney out in the boonies way West of West Palm beach. Developers decided it would be profitable to build large custom homes on large lots out near the facility. And the griping about engine test noise soon followed...... Surprised ?
What was there first, the airport or the houses? If you bought a house at the end of a runway what did you expect.
Half Moon Bay doesn't reside off the end of the SFO runways, nor is it exactly close to the airport, either. It does however, sit underneath one of the relatively new RNAV STAR arrivals into SFO. As an airline pilot I can tell you we fly these arrivals very precisely, because the FARs and company Ops Specs require us (mostly) to use the FMS and autopilot when flying RNAV STARs and SIDs. So the claim that there are more airplanes overhead is probably true. As to the noise, well that can be debatable due to the crossing altitudes and various aircraft engines/noise output.
Do they have a right to complain about increased air traffic overhead, that wasn't there before .. and they don't live 'near the airport'. Of course they have that right. As to the perceived noise, even the FAA has said in studies here in the Bay area, there isn't much difference in actual sound levels on the ground, when compared to before. But in any case: whether we move RNAV procedures or not, the long-term problem won't go away. Living in a highly-populated area comes with some consequences. The airport is not moving; there is no place to put it. As we continue to add more and more flights by customer demand into constrained airports, they problem of noise, and airplanes overhead, will never go away.
They moved the Denver airport 20 miles out of town in 1994. There are still complaints among the Front Range cities of too many airplanes overhead and 'noise'.
Do they have a right to complain about increased air traffic overhead, that wasn't there before .. and they don't live 'near the airport'. Of course they have that right. As to the perceived noise, even the FAA has said in studies here in the Bay area, there isn't much difference in actual sound levels on the ground, when compared to before. But in any case: whether we move RNAV procedures or not, the long-term problem won't go away. Living in a highly-populated area comes with some consequences. The airport is not moving; there is no place to put it. As we continue to add more and more flights by customer demand into constrained airports, they problem of noise, and airplanes overhead, will never go away.
They moved the Denver airport 20 miles out of town in 1994. There are still complaints among the Front Range cities of too many airplanes overhead and 'noise'.
Very well said. You summarized the issue very well in a few sentences.
Half Moon Bay is within 11 miles of SFO. We both note that noise can be an issue out to 20 miles from an airport.
This is actually old news. The various Peninsula and South Bay neighborhood groups have been petitoning the FAA for over two years to change the SFO STARs back to pre-2015, when those were over less-populated areas. The major complaint-causing issue is the SERFR arrival. The FAA has agreed to move it back, the implemenatation is coming in the next few months, and it sounds like the folks in Half Moon Bay either didn't get the memo or they don't understand/
Another case of wanting it both ways.
People demand air carriers to operate safely. They also demand the convenience of an airport local to their residences .
These same people then complain about noise from aircraft.
Ok fine. If this is the way you want it, you lose your airport. Deal?
People demand air carriers to operate safely. They also demand the convenience of an airport local to their residences .
These same people then complain about noise from aircraft.
Ok fine. If this is the way you want it, you lose your airport. Deal?