by Dave Schwab / Peninsula Beacon / August 10, 2022
The Federal Aviation Administration has implemented a new San Diego International Airport (SAN) departure procedure intended to lessen noise impacts to areas in the flight path, by having planes fly further out over the ocean before turning back south of Point Loma.
The new ZZOOO3 departure procedure was implemented by the FAA based on a recommendation made first by the Airport Noise Advisory Committee (ANAC) subcommittee. Formed in 1981, ANAC is composed of up to18 voting members drawn from various organizations, residential areas, and professional associations. It provides a forum for collaborative discussion of aircraft noise issues and related matters.
“The FAA has implemented a new ZZOOO3 departure procedure that was vetted in the Flight Procedure Study, accepted by ANAC, and submitted to the FAA in 2019,” said Sjohnna Knack, program manager, airport noise mitigation at San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. “The fact that airplanes are flying further out into the ocean before they turn is a win for all people living near the flight paths west of the airport. It’s a great example of just one of the many tangible items ANAC has been able to accomplish. We are still analyzing the data, and will have some pre- and post-ZZOOO3 noise monitoring data to share at the September ANAC meeting.”
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{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
Funny. I was just in the process of writing an article about the amount of noise being generated from the airplanes these past two weeks. Much more than usual. I wonder what ocean the planes are flying out over. Can’t be the Pacific.
What am I missing? I live in the flight path and the planes go directly over my house all day. How is this new maneuver of turning further out in the ocean going ot have any affect on me? It won’t but it does seem to alleviate noise to the upper Point Loma neighborhoods. That’s wonderful.
Geoff, it does nothing, repeat, nothing for OB. It just means that they will fly straight a little bit longer before they make their left or right turns. It will probably help the Sunset Cliffs and wooded area residents, but that’s about all. But, I don’t expect them to stop complaining.
Realistically, those of us in the Loma Portal and OB areas will never get real relief until the airport is moved, which ain’t gonna happen.
Not for you and I for sure, Paul. I wonder how much of a difference this will make and where exactly. May have to do some research.
Agree, this impacts residents up on the hill, and possibly sunset cliffs.
I’m on the south end of OB and I don’t think I can hear the planes after they turn back over the point.
The existing and new waypoint actually constrains southern US departures over a narrow path. There have been proposals to let them fan out to spread out the pain, this ain’t it.
I researched the flight paths and noise contours before moving here. You won’t find me complaining about the current situation. And I still have single pane windows.
You have free A/C, and free dual paned windows.
Man, can you all just move that freakin’ airport? Move it out near the Salton Sea, then install a bullet train to get all those travelin’ folk out there. What a ridiculous pack of hyenas these gummint folk are. Forty years of airport talk!
Triple pane windows! Palm trees too tall! Noise! Traffic! What a pack of
short-sighted individuals. Move it!
Sheesh, decades ago the airport in Medellin, Colombia was right in the freakin’ city. The pilots had to nose dive the plane after negotiating the mountains; then the state moved the airport about 18 miles away.
If the Colombianos can do it, then–
Oops, error message. Airport can’t be moved.
Right, because urban people are so much more important than folks who live in the desert! Ain’t nobody that counts who lives out there anyway! Let them planes fly over their houses! And no problem ’bout that bullet train flyin’ 100 miles an hour day and night past all those folks living in East County. Nothin’ but trash out there anyway!
Mark G, Borrego Springs
We can fit a LOT more low cost, high rise domiciles in that space where the airport currently is. Two birds, one stone as the saying goes. All is costs is a little noise for the eastern side of the county.
As others said, I don’t see how planes flying out further west before turing around to get to their destination is going to make any difference in noise if the planes are still going to fly other the same area when they head back east. All it’s really going to accomplish is add time for the plane to reach its destination, tho only by a few seconds to a minute.
All this being said, it’s kind of a non starter. The airport will never move. Ever. Those who live in the flight path will continue to deal with the noise, which is just an accepted part of living in that spot.
The wider arc means the loudest, lowest part of takeoff will happen further from homes. Once they pass over the peninsula, they will be at higher elevation with less throttle.
ANAC, who apparently pushed for this, is populated by unpaid community members such as Fred Kosmo. If he calls it a win, I’ll take his word for it. Especially considering the FAA had recently proposed making the turn shorter and louder.
“ Fred Kosmo, Jr., chair of Peninsula Community Planning Board and an ANAC board member, said the new departure procedure “affects planes taking off and turning south.” He said it is a major step forward.”
Not sure I follow this, “the loudest, lowest part of takeoff will happen further from homes.” How does a turn farther out affect this part of the take-off?
The longer arc means they will be at higher altitude and airspeed before they pass back over the peninsula.
It’s the reason the JETTI and LOWMA and POGGI points are there to begin with, or at the very least it’s how they benefit point lomans. This goes a bit further.
Of course this does not apply to missed approaches. Every now and then we get something extremely loud and low over the hill, that’s often the cause, that they decided to pull up at the last second, hit full throttle, and loop around for another try. Some are also military down in coronado, but ptheir planes are much, much louder.
OK, yes, I understood that part, what puzzled me was what I quoted. No matter, we agree the beneficiaries will be in the southern part of the Point.
And no, this won’t affect anyone that’s in OB due WNW of the runway. There is no avoiding them. This is regarding where they turn back over the point, which currently is at about 12,000′. Anyone living in OB under planes at 500′ would probably chuckle at the complaints from point lomans.
I beg to differ! I’m in OB and it’s so bad its scary. It is just NOT ok at all.
You don’t know much about Fred Kosmo. I do and I would not take his word for anything.
I’m pretty sure the loudest, lowest part of takeoff is directly over my house. Signed, the corner of Voltaire and Worden
This has been TERRIBLE at my house. Really bad. I mean it was already not good at all but it is now at such an intrusive noise that is impossible to become “white noise”.
Why are they changing this again? I mean I totally get that other people don’t want this over their homes either but it was in the disclosures when you bought your home!! It was known and hopefully you checked into this before purchasing your home without the intention of getting those flight patterns moved. We all signed up for what it was but changing it just makes way more issues for everyone!