Is the FAA really going out and taking a single complaint seriously about noise? The story surprised me, apparently the FAA got a single complaint about a hospitals helicopter and urged them to move to a hangar. Later another FAA Inspector reversed the first one.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=22384375

Yep, I had a single complainer and it took about four registered letters with threats going both ways and two months of back and forth before things cooled down. The inspector threatened in writing to revoke my certificates even though he knew that I was operating within the regulations set forth in the FARs. Instead of explaining the regulations and how I was following them, he told the complainer that he would "get something done". He insisted that I set up a sort of "TFR" around that person's house which has absolutely no basis in law, and would have affected the property rights of four of my customers by restricting their ability to use aircraft to treat their crops. It's the kind of crap that makes you hate your government.

There are also many airports that have non-standard patterns because of single complainers. It doesn't seem to matter that changing the pattern put double the traffic over houses on the other side of the airport.

I trust that that person who made that complaint is 100% certain that they will never need that helicopter.

Having nearly lost my left arm a few years ago in a farming accident, the sound of a helicopter was the most beautiful noise I ever heard.

Send the detractor a set off Bose QC's and be done with it.

Send the detractor a set off Bose QC's and be done with it.

+1

The FAA and police dispatchers need to have this response handy:

"Thank you for contacting us, but that's just stupid. We will not be responding. Do not contact about this again."

At the Easton Pa airport, there is a small house across the street from the end of the runway 36. One day I flew the approach into RW 18 which has a down slope leading directly into the garage of the house. Also the runway is 1950 feet plus or minus long so it is a tight fit for a Baron anyway. Shortly after touchdown I realized that the plane was not going to stop on the runway so I pushed on the power and went around. Needless to say the homeowner was quite unhappy that I made so much noise. He was already at the counter of the FBO at Easton when I came in after changing direction and landing uphill, again, over the roof of his house but this time a little more quietly, since I wanted to put it on the numbers and leave some uphill roll out room.
He was having a rant about us stupid pilots who dont know how to fly blah blah blah. My only real answer was to apologize for making so much noise, but isn't it better to listen to a go around instead of have us come through the garage door?? I dont know how long he has lived at the end of the runway but I know that the airport has been there longer than he has, which is the usual problem with small airports in the country and almost everywhere else too. Just like "right to farm" which means that sometimes things smell funny in the country, airports that have been encroached should have "right to fly" signs on all 4 corners. Maybe the people who move to the country for peace and quiet and tranquility might think twice about buying next door. We get the same crap at our airport which has been encroached and is fenced in and has trees that block the runway approaches because they grow and we cant cut them down. Our Beech airplanes in particular are pretty noisy and I draw an occasional complaint too. However I am not going to move just because one neighbor is a chronic bitch artist.

We had a guy write some uninformed screed our local newspaper, decrying that KESN was, and I quote "destroying the fabric of Easton society."

Of course, not to be silenced, I reminded him with those pesky things called "facts" that Easton Airport has existed since the early 1900s and that significant portions of the town of Easton grew up around the Airport and that it is an integral part of that fabric this knuckle-head said the facility is destroying.

It is no secret where airports are - including area 51 - why this ridiculous conversation continues to happen baffles me.

Just remember that the "who was here first" argument is a loser every time.

No one cares if the airport has been there 100 years.

You fight attacks on airports by making friends. You make friends now, so they will be there when you need them. You make friends by having events (and get good publicity for them), by inviting politicians out (and get good publicity for them), by welcoming medivac flights (and get good publicity for them), by doing Angel Flights (and get good publicity for them), by doing Pilots for Paws (and get good publicity for them), by doing Young Eagle days (and get good publicity for them), by knowing all the members of your city council, by knowing the mayor, by knowing the police chief, by knowing the fire chief, by knowing the district attorney, by working with the local media regularly, by having an active pilot group at the airport to make these things happen.

In the middle of a fight is a really bad time to be introducing yourself to those who will decide the fate of the airport.

You want to be a known quantity -- someone who is trusted and who is already viewed as an asset to the community -- when another party lodges a complaint.

You fight next year's attack on the airport by taking action today.

Very well said.

Very Sun Tzu-ish.

The owner of our airport once had a 145 check running operation. He had planes coming and going at all sorts of evening hours. One neighbor said at a meeting that she didn't know what was going on but "with all those planes coming and going at night that they had to be up to no good!!" We have tried having some events but not well attended. Owner wants to sell out now and some of us have informally discussed a group buyout as an LLC just to get some life back in our airport.

Not easy these days getting people to invest in a White Elephant.

pL

Just 20minutes ago two Cobra gunships came in from the east at about 3-400 ft. AGL, did a 360 almost right over my house before heading down to Kirtland. Had to run outside to watch. I love it when that kind of stuff happens!

That's the difference between those of us who love aviation and those who bitch about just about anything that makes noise. The other day some ANG kids were actually doing maneuvers at our airport A flight of Blackhawks came in and disgorged this group of slightly overweight camo painted what looked like teenagers who came humping down the ramp with 80 lb Alice packs on. Reminded me of long ago, only about `1/3 of them were women!! I wish they would do that every weekend. Those Blackhawks are noisy but not as bad as the Hueys were 40 years ago. I wonder how many of those neighbors who complain would bitch about the kids who are volunteering to fight for our country. They probably dont even know the difference between a Blackhawk and a bumblebee.

PL

Hi Robert,

It's not just airports. Where I went to school (the first time) was an urban university that's been at it's campus since 1840 something. The neighbors were absolutely the most miserable people I have ever had to deal with. They hated the university, they hated the students, and if you tried to do anything, they'd have City Hall coming down on you in no time.

Our fraternity was one of the few who didn't have a house. There was a moratorium, if you can believe it, on fraternity houses on Greek Row. But we found an owner who was willing, and the rent was right (plus an offer of some sweat equity). So, we prepped our case, did the research, got some alumni help, filed for a variance and got on the docket. Probably took the better part of a semester. We show up, and bam, variance denied. It was pretty clear that had been decided prior to the meeting.

Why the university tolerated such treatment of their students was one thing, but they had their own battles to fight. To this day the local neighborhood attitude towards the school ranged from indifference at best, to out right hatred at worse.

If you don't want to put up with the noise/hassle, don't move next to the University that's been there for 170 years.

Best,
Rich