graphic source: FAA SoCal Metroplex Final Environmental Assessment 8/2016
The FAA announced on September 2nd the current primary departure route at the San Diego airport is to be replaced with a new route that includes a waypoint 1.4 miles farther south of the the southermost tip of Point Loma to a total 2 miles south of Point Loma to minimize eastbound flights over the peninsula.
Residents applaud future flight paths but say they won’t address ongoing concerns
By Joshua Stewart / San Diego U-T
After a year of lobbying by Point Loma residents, the Federal Aviation Administration is attempting to keep noisy air traffic away from the peninsula’s neighborhoods and landmarks by adjusting a proposed departure route for eastbound flights out of San Diego International Airport.
However, residents remain concerned about the current flight path for some planes that head south out of the airport and then bank sharply to the east over the finger of land.
“As this relates to the peninsula communities, this is a significant win, but it doesn’t do anything to impact the day-to-day issues,” said Casey Schnoor, a member of an organized group of residents.
The FAA has embarked on a plan to revise arrival and departure routes at airports around the nation to trim costs and aviation fuel expenses. Locally, the agency proposed a change that eliminated a flight “waypoint” southwest of the southernmost tip of Point Loma for outbound flights. That adjustment caused people who live on the peninsula to worry — and protest — that planes headed to destinations east would pass directly over their homes as they flew toward a waypoint over the Silver Strand south of Coronado.
Read the rest of this article here:
From No Plane Noise: Significant volume of community input and political involvement from Rep. Peters, Mayor Fauconer, Super. Cox, Councilmbr. Zapf, Sen. Feinstein and Boxer influence FAA’s decision. See www.noplanenoise.com (click on “News” tab) or their facebook web page for full details.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
The Airport Noise Committee is a classic, local govt. storefront that accomplishes nothing. I’ve read the minutes of those meetings. And I’ve used Webtracker frequently and have logged many complaints about noise, curfew violations, altitudes lower than 1,500 feet…they respond but its always “mechanical issues” or “weather”. Out of maybe 2 doz complaints, only 3 have actually resulted in fines. And the fines are such chump change compared to the budgets of these carriers they’re meaningless. Expanding Lindbergh field instead of moving the airport was insane and dangerous…
I get so angry with opinions, as witnessed in the UT, that express contempt with PL and OB residents who are outraged at the continued intrusion in to their peace and tranquility from these damned planes. These idiots, obviously, are transplants from some time or other. Many, many homes and cottages were built well before Lindberg Field went from a sleepy one or two planes per day to the current every 30 seconds as the sound fades to a dull roar only to be replaced with another 110 ear splitting carnage. Curfews and noise abatement? In our dreams only.
True story. And the absurd fact is that the regulations only apply to departing flights- incoming flights can arrive whenever they feel like it, at any decibel level and at 800 feet if they so choose. Soundproofing? There’s a waste of space-over 3K applicants (all homeowners…Wait! As usual, what about the renters?) and they’re so behind in the program they’ll never catch up. The “noise dots” (aka decibel level recorders)? Who cares- the one near my apt regularly exceeds 80dB. No one collects the data or does anything about it- wonder how much those cost the taxpayer? “Committee” has become a euphemism for pointless busywork.
some of those RMT’s (noise monitors) have been out of commission (from time to time). Thieves were going into the boxes ripping out the innards (possibly to sell as scrap). The boxes would be left open for weeks. Neighbors would call the police, someone from the airport authority would eventually come out and patch ’em up. Then, no more AA staff, it would be subcontractors doing the patching. Hard to say if those things are even calibrated properly or when the last time they were calibrated (or even if they are).