Comments on: Do airport neighbors have… a brain ?

By: PlasticPilot

PlasticPilot — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:03:45 +0000

Adam, you’re 100% correct. As you probably felt, this post was more of an epidermic reaction, and a bit of provocation, than anything else. I’m sure you also read my older post about respecting noise abatement procedures, and make all what is possible to reduce all nuisances…

http://www.plasticpilot.net/blog/2008/05/28/airport-neighboors-are-our-friends/

By: Adam Smith

Adam Smith — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 19:03:35 +0000

I agree with you entirely PP. That being said most people don’t think about things logically when they are upset. All that goes through their head is “these airplanes are bothering me, what can I do about it” and the sad situation is that the airports will usually be the victim.

In the case of big airports the airports are not in danger because the general public uses them and they recognize the value. The problem is that the general public does not recognize the value of municipal or GA airport and when the town goes to war on a small airport the town usually wins.

Even though we know that in a lot of cases the airport was there first, all that we need remember is that we are in the minority and we will lose. For that reason I was always taught during my training to follow published noise abatement procedures and I do my best to follow them.

By: PlasticPilot

PlasticPilot — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:37:59 +0000

Tartofraiz, I know that the city was there before the aiport, but I guess that when it got built, the population got consulted. When the city of Meyrin, close to Geneva airport, was extended with social habitations, there were promotion based on the fact that inhabitants will be able to “see the aircraft taking-off and landing from their balcony”.

I’m not saying that the town shall move, but that I can hardly unerstand someone complaining, if that person bought a house in the present situation…

By: Tartofraiz

Tartofraiz — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:19:38 +0000

I agree with Adam.

Just a bit of information about Gonesse : the city was founded in 832…

It is also true that in the 1950’s and 1960’s population was not as dense as it is nowadays around Paris. When it opened in 1974, Charles de Gaulle Airport was “in the middle of nowhere”. The situation is quite different today…

By: Adam Smith

Adam Smith — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:28:45 +0000

I think that this problem is actually bigger for smaller GA airports. A big airport with commercial traffic will not close but a smaller airport, that was there first, may close as a result of neighbors.

We in the GA community need to do our best to follow noise abatement procedures around populated areas to keep the neighbors happy. Regardless of who was there first there are generally a lot more non pilots than pilots voting for City Council.

By: Xavier

Xavier — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:24:10 +0000

I fly out ot LELL.
This (General aviation) airport has been there far before the (Spanish Civil) War ~1939.
Even so, today, the neighbours claim the aiport should be closed.
Not only because of noise, but also because of danger.
Two years ago, a Cessna 172 crashed into an illegal crane raised beyong legal maximums and in the QMS line. Pilot and 3 passenjers died. The aiport was closed by authorities for 21 days causing serious economic issues to airport companies.
Neighbours have been trying to use this accident as a weapon against the airport.
The truth is, though, that the area where the aiport is is already saturated and there are lots of economic interests in real estate there.

I’ve always thought how unfare it is to go live near an infrastructure one day, and later claim the infrastructure is annoying you.
A different thing happens when the infrastructure is built later.

Probably, the authorities should reward the neighbours of such things (airports, drug treatment places and the like) so that their comunity is compensated by that reward.

Congrats for your blog.
Xavier
www.aviador.es