Once all the people who complain about the noise get their way it will be impossible to land aircraft at our airports. These people don't want trucks to drive through their cities or to have people who are less fortunate around. They want all the goods and services to be there magically and never have to be bothered by noise and people they don't want except when they are supplying those things. If they get their way, pilots who are already busy will have to increase their approach and departure procedures to a point that might be bordering on unsafe operations. Aircraft don't operate on wishes. They need to be operated within parameters that are safe. They can't shoot silently into the sky like a rocket and return silently like a badminton shuttlecock, dropping on to the airport without a sound. This is not a new issue. The people who complain might be new to it though. It also looks to me like the media is making Surf Air their scapegoat. There are lots of more important issues that need our attention. Couldn't people find issues to have addressed by our government that are really important instead of wasting so much time on this one. You moved to where the planes are people. Do you really think it is right to start complaining when you knew what you were getting all along? If you say you didn't know then shame on you for not doing the research first.

@PH: While the general presence of planes in this area is not a new issue, the current flight path as well as the amount of noise affecting the more densely populated areas is new and has caused a significant amount of grief recently. You can find more background information by just googling "new SFO flight path".

Also, googling "noise-related deaths" will point you to studies explaining the relationship between noise and serious health consequences. This is an important issue that is important enough to petition the government.

Personally, I barely notice the planes and am not bothered by that at all. What drives me nuts are the trains and their whistles, particularly the freight trains that come through every evening around 9pm. They are so much louder and disruptive (and unnecessarily long) than the planes are. Even when I lived in Sunnyvale under the approach to Moffett, and I'd have to pause the tv while the C-130s went overhead, I found this less annoying than the trains. Now, maybe it was because I didn't have kids then, and it's the train noises that wake my son up, but come on. As I understand it there is a protocol of blasts, as well as a supposed decibel limit for those horns, but I think many are going way over. What do I do about that?

Couldn't agree more on the trains. The duration and volume of the horn change is excessive and extremely disruptive in the evenings.

Occasionally the military planes shake the home to a level to which you feel you are about to be bombed. It is kinda cool although startling but at least it is in the middle of the day.

Wholeheartedly agree with Matt, planes aren't new but the new flight path is definitely much louder. And it's not just one or two, it's multiple flights within minutes of each other, over and over and over.

It is louder now than a little while back, but it was lots worse years ago. The FAA implemented quieter approach procedures, but then NextGen comes along and makes it noisier again. People complain in cities like Mtn. View and Palo Alto where they are miles from the large airports. What do you think it is like for those in San Jose who are right under the approach or departure paths of most of the traffic? I haven't seen them written about. It is a modern world and we are choosing to live where there is noise. No one forces us to live here and we have lots of worse health issues than the aircraft noise in this area. The sirens, trains, idiots driving badly, garbage trucks and leaf blowers are more irritating than the aircraft. I do not believe our health is in grave danger from the aircraft noise, but if I lived a mile off the end of the runways 30 at San Jose I'm sure it could lead to problems. The papers need to write stories that show us the facts and not the complaints of a few people. They don't do anyone service by just telling us we have noise sensitive people around here. Most of us don't care, but we do have a choice and that is to live somewhere else if we aren't happy here. Remember: The airports were here first and any reasonable person should feel that things are going to get busier and air traffic as we know it is only going to increase. We would have more of it but there isn't enough concrete to handle more planes. I'm lucky to be able to leave this area soon, but I will miss the airplanes that I have always been fascinated by. As far as health goes, the rent and traffic and crime is more stressful to me. I wish everyone well and hope you all find a good solution for each of you.

Moffett airfield was completely shut down in 1993. In the late 1990s, FedX tried to get in, but the city voted them down because it would have added massive amounts of noise.

Also, in the 1980s regulations were implemented requiring cities to relocate people living in homes with air traffic above certain levels. If the air traffic is above a certain level, the cities are required to relocate the people in homes above required levels.

No one in Mountain View was given a vote that I know of on this traffic. I'm wondering how it was implemented without resident approval.

There have been numerous threads/conversations regarding aircraft noise on the Palo Alto online forums in recent months. The FAA's rollout of NextGen is the problem here folks, and it isn't even fully rolled out in the bay area, yet. I am reposting some of the main reference links for those who would like to learn more about NextGen.

Sky Posse Website has a wealth of information, including a detailed explanation of NextGen (with links) a reference library, links to flight trackers for the three bay area international airports as well as a link for a worldwide view of flight traffic.

Imho, San Jose Webtrak5 link gives the best data of *real time (*10 minute delay) air traffic over Mountain View - including carrier, arriving/departing, airport, altitude and visual as it the plane flies overhead with a grid map of the streets below. You can simply click on the plane at the point on the map where it was causing the noise disturbance, and a box will appear and you can file a noise complaint.

Link to SkyPossee

Web Link



Here is a video of an Arizona congressman discussing the problems the rollout of NextGen rollout has caused for Phoenix area residents, and the FAA's violation of the law in NextGen's implementation.

Web Link



Another news story about the impact NextGen has had on Phoenix area residents. (Incidentally, Phoenix was one of the first cities to be blessed with NextGen and it's resulting negative impacts on residents.

Web Link



And here is what the website Aviation Impact Reform has to say about NextGen present day vs NextGen as proposed/sold in 2004.

Web Link




This list is for those who have found it difficult to locate the phone numbers to call and complain about airplane noise. You can use these numbers to call regularly. Some of the complaint lines count each call and some count the same person just one time each month.

SFO Airport complaint line: 877-206-8290
Palo Alto Airport: 650 329-2405
San Jose Airport: 408-392-3501
San Carlos Airport-Surf Air: 650 573-2666

THE FAA
San Jose: 408 291-7681
Oakland (This station covers SFO): 510 748-0122



This is NOT garden variety aviation noise resulting from a temporary shift in air traffic due to prevailing winds or other weather...this is a major shift if aviation arrival and departure traffic into/out of bay are airports which has created PERMANENT aviation "super-highways" over residential areas, and at MUCH lower altitudes than planes previously flew overhead. The noise you hear is REAL, and it's only going to increase as time goes on.


Educate yourselves about the FAA's NextGen program. The general public was basically blindsided...for obvious reasons.

Thanks, The FAA is the problem here, for posting. Unfortunate that the web addresses got deleted, but I'm sure I can find the information. Thank you again for the great post!

@Mt. View Neighbor,

I just doubled checked all the links - clicking the word(s) "web link" - and they were all working for me, taking me directly to the linked websites. Maybe refresh your computer and try again, as the links should be working.

@The FAA is the problem here
Yes, the links are working. Thanks!

What is it people want? Let's move the traffic over people who don't complain or maybe just ban airplanes. Do any of you travel by air? They could go back and do it like they did many years ago. Build new airports way away from population centers and make people drive for miles to get there. Of course that would only create a whole new area to do it all again with new people complaining. If you live in an area served by a major airport there will be noise. If you move there you are stuck with some of it. When you live in an apartment you get to hear garbage trucks, leaf blowers and delivery people all day. It goes with the territory. If people don't like it they should move or insulate their house, but not at taxpayer expense. No one makes us live here. We chose it shouldn't have been so naive about the environment around us. There are some who have legitimate complaints, but most people are just plain making something out of a situation they got in to by living here. There are many other people with serious problems and needs for us and our government to spend time and money on. We need to get over this and move on.

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