Readers' comments

#1 I would like to propose the following isues be explored and mitigation measures be taken:

1) FAA Advisory Circular 91-36C ("Visual Flight Rules (VFR) Flight Near Noise-Sensitive Areas"),
requests aircraft to maintain a minimum altitude of 2,000 feet above the surface of wilderness areas. This requirement is being routinely ignored by tour companies, especially helicopters, in the Sedona area with respect to the Munds Mountain Wilderness Area, and the Secret Canyon Wilderness Area.

2) High-noise versus low-noise aircraft. Older versus newer aircraft noise suppression designs. Encouragment of noise reduction through technology, i.e. noise suppression techniques on existing aircraft, or upgrade of aircraft to modern, quieter designs.

3) Re-routing of older, noisier aircraft to non-wilderness areas, and those areas less susceptible to wildlife and human impact in the forests. Encouragment of re-routing as a noise management technique.

4) Better management of high impact noise from corporate jets, whose traffic will continue to increase to serve luxury destination resorts like 7 Canyons.

5) Implementing a study of the biological impacts of increasing airport noise on wildlife in the wilderness and the National Forest, for instance, what is the impact on sensitive gestating wildlife, or for wildlife about to give birth.

6) Consideration given to establishing no-fly zones, or no-fly times (e.g. Monday morning from 9-Noon), to allow hikers, and other recreationists designated periods of peace and quiet.

Sincerely,

Ron Vernesoni

#2 Noise from aircraft of any kind is negligible in Sedona. It is a total non-issue. There are many more pressing issues in Sedona. If Ward is making this a campaign issue he is mistaken and out of touch.

The airport is not broke. Don't fix it.

#3 Sedona's airport is an accident waiting to happen. No matter who or what "was there first", an unregulated airport in the center of a concentrated population is a physical hazard to all concerned but most especially to our houses, people and school children directly under flight paths. The physical geography and susceptibility to sudden shifting wind currents makes the Sedona Airport an especially dangerous place to take off and land small aircraft. It serves less than 5% of our citizens, primarily a 100 member group of private airplane owners who lease and exclusively control operations for their sole advantage. I like both Michael Ward's and Ron Vernesoni's ideas but would like to offer an even better proposal. A control tower per se would only cement a very bad place to have an airport.

How about moving all Verde Valley air operations - for Camp Verde, Cottonwood and Sedona _ to one central and air safer undeveloped public land and serve the flying public and local business interests in general? Yavapai County's very valuable table mesa could then be opened to one and all via scenic parks, pools, playgrounds and full circle trails with maybe an upscale golf resort nestled in the middle to help pay the freight on our property tax bills!

#4 Please do not fall for this proposed idea of having an "upscale golf course" where the a/port is now. WE DO NOT NEED ANY MORE GOLF COURSES IN SEDONA OR THE WEST IN GENERAL!!!! This valuable land would be another area that the local people would not be able to afford and would increase traffic intollerably. You know very well that there would be "upscale" stores there -not trails. If people want to live in Scottsdale, let them move there. Leave Sedona alone. This sort of thing has been proposed many times through the years. Also, the noise problem is a problem. People (tourists) as well as the local people come here for peace and quiet. I can't tell you how often a meditation, etc. is destroyed with these airplanes flying too low - between them and the tours on the ground, a good part of Sedona is being ruined.

#5 The dimensions given of 5 miles and 3000 ft are the dimensions of Airport Traffic Areas (ATAs). These no longer exist! Class D airspace (the least restrictive "ATC controlled" airspace), dimensions are variable, and intended to encompass the airport operations. This could be as small as 3 miles and 1200 ft. Aircraft are not required to obtain permission to operate within class D airspace! FAA requires aircraft to remain 1000 ft above populated areas, and requests, but does not require a higher altitude over wildlife and scenic areas.  A control tower will not decrease noise, and may actually have the opposite effect by attracting more traffic!

#6 The comments made by #3 are the worst sort of fear mongering. "An accident waiting to happen"? "School children" at risk? Please, keep it real. Life is an accident waiting to happen. You are way more apt to to killed or injured in a car wreck than by having a plane fall on your head. And the "school children" - hey, you forgot to mention all the widows, orphans, and babies at risk also.

Commenter #3's appeal to envy was particularly ugly. Who cares if only 100 people have planes? I say good for them!

Commenter #4 must not be much of a meditator if meditations are ruined by a plane passing by. Here's a tip from someone meditating 2 hours per day for the last 30 years. Everything, including and especially the drone of a plane, is going AUM. In short, the airport and the noise therefrom is the least of Sedona's worries.

#7 I come across this conversation as I am currently looking to visit Sedona. If it helps to shed some knowledge of airport upgrades, here you go.

I lived in a small town that had an airport the size of the Sedona airport in question. The same concerns were brought up publically there as well as additions to the airport were proposed. This city now has a international commercial airport with large jet liners flying on low approach to allow for minimum stopping distance on the runways.

I must also mention that the land around the airport was bought up by the airport owners for expansion to what is now called ORLANDO SANFORD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT located in Sanford, Florida. You can look this information up publically if you know google well.