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Copyright © 2002 Express Publishing Inc.
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For the week of March 26 - April 1, 2003

Editorials

Whose noise problem?


Excessive jet noise at Hailey’s Friedman Memorial Airport generates an ample supply of complaints to the airport authority every year.

Bellevue officials are particularly annoyed by the noise, which they say is increasing.

They are frustrated with the authority’s apparent inability to do much about it. Even members of the authority have expressed frustration over the noise that emanates primarily from private and chartered jets.

Airport manager Rick Baird says 90 percent of pilots comply with provisions that prohibit operations after 11 p.m. and before 7 a.m., and limit takeoff and landing patterns. The rest get polite letters or phone calls asking them to comply with the noise abatement procedures.

The high compliance rate is great, but it obviously hasn’t kept a few bad eggs from driving Bellevue and Hailey residents crazy.

Authority members say they would like to do more. However, they say the Federal Aviation Administration discourages penalties by requiring a prohibitively expensive study--$600,000—before the airport is allowed to impose penalties.

There’s a cheaper way.

The airport should publish the names of repeat offenders. The names of pilots and the names of individuals or companies that own, lease or charter the planes should be published each time a violation occurs.

The Wood River Valley is a small place and residents aren’t shy about talking about valley issues like jet noise.

If the names of people and companies who blow off the airport’s noise restrictions become well known, they will suddenly find it easier to comply with the rules than to face the public derision that will accompany repeat offenses.

With publication, it won’t be Bellevue and Hailey with a noise problem. It will be pilots and owners.

 

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The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.