On Tuesday, February 28, a very rare event occurred: Denver International Airport (DIA) opened, more than a year behind schedule and $3 billion over budget. Forgetting all the jokes about baggage and putting aside the politics of getting this project built, the fact that a world-class airport was built and finally opened is a phenomenon never before seen in the 1990s. We in general aviation hear much more about airports closing, or restrictions on their use, than we do about new airports being constructed. The nation will lose another public-use airport this week — one of about 74 that will close or turn private-use this year. Unlike the closing of the old Stapleton International, which DIA replaced, if your community loses an airport, it's not likely one will be built to replace it.
While future capacity improvements were cited as the main reason for constructing DIA, one cannot ignore that Stapleton was one of those airports close in to the city, surrounded by residential communities on all sides. Whether they be large or small airports, noise has become one of the leading causes of airport closures across the United States. In fact, the nation has lost more than 2,000 public-use airports since 1971. The level of airport noise complaints at our airports has been exacerbated by the continued encroachment of airport property by residential and other non-compatible development. Just ask the dedicated people in AOPA's airports department, who track zoning problems and handle your individual airport concerns. They will tell you that calls for nighttime curfews and operational restrictions continue to increase daily.
Local airports aren't the only areas to raise the ire of non-aviators in the form of noise complaints. "Aircraft noise" has become one of the environmental buzzwords of the '90s, receiving national attention in the U.S. Congress. Special regulations have been promulgated for flying over the Grand Canyon and proposed for scenic areas in Hawaii and other "tourist" areas. Those calling for such restrictions cannot even define what they refer to as "natural quiet," which aircraft supposedly interrupt. At a congressional hearing on this subject last year, AOPA demonstrated to the committee members, through videotape, just how quiet a typical single-engine airplane overflying a wilderness area at 2,000 feet can be. We contrasted the barely audible sound created by the airplane with the noise of waterfalls, kids playing, and recreational vehicles.
As cities and suburbs have spread, airports and residences have become increasingly wedged together. Gone is our ability to use the time- worn phrase, "the airport was here first." These words present an unconvincing argument to homeowners and apartment dwellers who have established their homes a mile off the departure end of a runway. In addition, people change their attitude about airplane noise, based on their circumstances. In the early 1970s, I used to fly my family to Sunriver, a recreational and retirement community built around a well- maintained 5,500-foot runway in central Orgeon. How perfect it would be, I thought to myself, to retire to this fantastic spot and own an airplane to travel throughout the West. To my amazement, when I returned four years ago it was as pretty as I had remembered it, although a much bigger community had been built. Many airline pilots, it appeared, had the same idea as I and were living in retirement homes surrounding the resort. To my surprise, I was told that there was a constant push from residents to close the airport — and some of these closure advocates are pilots. The drone of an airplane overhead may be music to the ears of pilots like us; for the slumbering non-flyer next door, however, it can be as grating as the gleeful band of trash collectors seeking to finish a day's work between 5 and 6 a.m.
For some people, the intrusion of airplane sounds into their homes, particularly late at night, is a source of irritation that becomes magnified because airplanes are conspicuous, unfamiliar, and perceived by some as unnecessary. With the rapid increase in noise-related constraints on our airports and other areas, AOPA continues to believe that local airport users and pilots must address this challenging subject head on. By developing and implementing a proactive plan to address aircraft noise concerns, we can alleviate some of the non-flyer pressure being placed on our airports.
For instance, when the community surrounding Fullerton Municipal Airport in California called for the closure of this important Southern California reliever because of noise and safety concerns, local pilots joined forces with airport management and the community; they took the concerns of residents near the airport very seriously. More importantly, they listened and, working together, voluntarily developed noise abatement procedures to reduce the community's concerns. Once the community understood the importance of the airport, antagonism turned to support.
To help bring pilots and communities together on the subject, AOPA has turned to a medium that employs both sight and sound. A new videotape, titled "Flying Friendly," reinforces concepts we all learned during our initial flight training and focuses this knowledge on voluntarily reducing our noise impact on the surrounding community. The tape dramatically demonstrates the reduction of sound on the ground by reducing RPM in a complex airplane after climbing to a safe altitude, or achieving a higher altitude before reaching the airport boundary in a fixed-pitch airplane. We also believe this video will significantly help the community and airport understand each other's needs. While it's important for pilots to view this tape, imagine the impact of a presentation to city or county officials responsible for the airport. These officials are usually the ones who receive most of the noise complaints from their constituents, and they would welcome the ability to cite what pilots are doing to be good neighbors.
AOPA recently provided copies of this important video to every state's aeronautics director. We're also making it available to FBOs and flight schools through an expansion of AOPA Project Pilot. Be sure to ask your FBO if he or she has requested this tape in response to our mailing in March. Promote using this tape and its "Flying Friendly" title for a meeting of local pilots. After playing the 20-minute video, spend the balance of the time setting specific paths for takeoffs and landings to reduce noise at your airport.
As users of the airspace and airport system, we all have a stake in the continued unrestricted operation of our airports. Let's show the uninformed that we are concerned as to how they perceive our "noise." Simple techniques in "Flying Friendly" can give you the tools necessary to make new friends for your airport. We've begun to spread the word and now it's your turn. Working collectively with the airport and the community, we can make a difference in how aircraft noise is perceived.
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