Dear C4FA Supporters,
Here are some updates on aircraft noise at Palo- mar Airport, but first a shout out to the City of Carlsbad, Mayor Blackburn, and the City Council for bringing this issue to light and taking the lead to rectify it.
The City of Carlsbad recently discovered that although Palomar Airport has an FAA approved VNAP (Voluntary Noise Abatement Procedures), Palomar’s Fly Friendly VNAP flight path does not align with the FAA’s prescribed flight paths. As a result, pilots are directed by air traffic control to follow FAA flight paths and not Palomar Airport’s VNAP. The FAA’s prescribed flight path directs air- craft over our homes, schools, and parks.
So now we know… but why has this not been dis- covered or shared by the Palomar Airport Operations staff or the Palomar Airport Advisory Committee? Both are charged with the lead on the Fly Friendly Program intended to educate the pilots. How could they not know the situation between the FAA paths and the VNAP paths so this could be solved years ago? This seems outrageous considering all the years of noise complaints from the community with absolutely no resolution. This is, in fact, why the PAAC was created in the first place.
The City of Carlsbad’s first step is calling for roundtable discussions with County Airport Operations, the FAA, the City of Carlsbad, and interested stakeholders to understand why the VNAP flight path isn’t the default flight path (as we’ve all been led to believe was the case) and what needs to hap- pen to ensure the VNAP is regularly implemented. You can be sure that C4FA and the HOA groups that have been working with the County and other airports on flightpaths and noise will be there.
You may read the City of Carlsbad’s City Council Staff Report, which uncovered the flight path discrepancies here starting on page 150: https://www.carlsbadca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/16345
A copy of the Fly Friendly VNAP flight path is included at the end of this email.
As always, if you have questions, please reach out to us at [email protected]
Thank you for your continued support. We will keep you posted.
Your Friends and Neighbors at Citizens for a Friendly Airport
