Goodyear residents feel unheard after flight school noise complaints

Some Goodyear residents said they are concerned about an increase in noise coming out of the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport.

United Aviate Academy, a flight school, is relatively new to Goodyear, having opened in January 2022 and graduating its first class of pilots in January 2023. But with that has come a significant increase in noise coming from the planes, which some residents say is disruptive, possibly enough to decrease nearby property values.

Jim Gordon and his wife Patricia Miller have been complaining about it at Goodyear City Council meetings for several months, as well as submitting dozens of complaints, but that's only led to dead ends. There isn't much Goodyear can do because the airport is owned by Phoenix.

They and a group of like-minded residents haven't had any luck reaching anyone at United Aviate Academy, but have communicated with the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport. They've also submitted dozens of complaints to the city but haven't seen any improvements.

Goodyear isn't the only city seeing those sorts of complaints. Earlier this week, the Colorado Supreme Court overturned a 2020 ruling in a lawsuit that would see the Denver International Airport pay Adams County $33.5 million due to noise violations.

What is causing the noise?

Paul Wegeman, who is a commercial pilot and flight instructor, said he understands the needs of the flight school but by tracking the planes on third-party apps, he was able to see planes as low as 600 feet over his house during takeoffs and landings.

According to flight regulations, planes cannot fly lower than 1,000 feet over a congested area unless necessary for takeoffs and landings. So while the pilots aren't necessarily doing anything against the law, Wegeman said he doesn't think it's necessary for the pilots to be flying so low over his home.

"It's poor piloting. They really don't need to be this far out of the pattern," Wegeman said.

Wegeman has flown out of the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport and says he understands the workings of that airport.

At the flight school, students often fly in loops to practice takeoff and landing. But there's no need for them to fly north of Interstate 10 before turning, Wegeman said. He believes the noise issue would be solved if the pilots simply turned before reaching Interstate 10.

Gordon, who is also a pilot, said the pilots should have three miles to get to the airport from his house and shouldn't need to be below 1,000 feet until they are closer to the airport.

Luke Air Force Base, which is also located in the Goodyear, hasn't caused the same issue since there are regulations on the hours the planes can fly during, as well as the number of flights, Miller said.

"We're not asking Aviate to move out. We just need them to respect us and follow the rules," Miller said.

Complaints lead to frustration at city hall

There are also environmental concerns that come with so many planes flying so low to the ground. While the final phase-out of leaded gasoline in cars was in 1996, aviation fuel still contains lead. And some studies have suggested that children who live within a half-mile of an airport have higher levels of lead in their blood.

The number of flights also significantly surpassed the number that was projected in the 2018 Phoenix-Goodyear Airport Master Plan. The number of flights was projected to steadily increase from about 132,300 in 2021 to 140,000 in 2026. However, the number of flights in the airport jumped from 164,500 in 2022 to 218,500 last year.

But those numbers were only projected, said Sky Harbor spokesperson Heather Shellback in an email. And those projections can fluctuate based on regional growth and economic conditions, Shellback said.

The group of residents is concerned that those numbers will only continue to increase over the years. Wegeman, Miller and Gordon have all spoken to the Goodyear City Council but said they haven't felt heard.

At a City Council work session in October that focused on the airplane noise, Councilmember Sheri Lauritano expressed frustration over the fact that dozens of complaints are coming in each day, sometimes looking like the same plane is being reported over and over again.

While it was stated at the meeting that the flight school would make an effort to avoid going north of Interstate 10, the group of residents said the noise issue persists.

Going forward, the group is encouraging residents to sign petitions that they're posting around Goodyear. The flyers have a scannable code, and they're also hoping to get more people to voice their concerns at upcoming City Council meetings.

United Aviate Academy could not be reached for comment.

Reach the reporter at ahardle@gannett.com or by phone at 480-259-8545. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @AlexandraHardle.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Here's why Goodyear residents are frustrated with airport noise