Idaho Mountain Express: Limit jets at Friedman

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Limit jets at Friedman

A letter has been sent to SkyWest Airlines offering support for Federal Aviation Administration approval of commercial regional jet traffic at Friedman Memorial Airport.

The letter specifically mentions the CRJ700 regional jet as the replacement for the aging turbo-prop Brasilia planes that will eventually be removed from SkyWest's fleet. The decibel level difference between the two aircraft isn't substantial: takeoff for the Brasilia is 63.2 decibels and the CRJ700, 68.2. The approach noise level is also similar: Brasilia, 81.8 and the CRJ700, 82.5.

It is noteworthy that the letter sent to SkyWest was signed by the mayors of Sun Valley, Ketchum and Hailey and the chair of the Blaine County Commission, and that the letter was withdrawn by the Friedman Memorial Airport Authority from consideration by the mayor of Bellevue, who represents residents whose lives will be directly impacted by the addition of regional jets.

On the surface this looks fairly benign and not terribly intrusive. However, the Friedman Memorial Airport Safety Risk Management report includes all regional jets, and a proposed letter of agreement sent by airport Manager Rick Baird and Air Traffic Manager George White to the FAA in December 2011 requested that all Category "C" aircraft be included.

What does this mean to the residents whose lives are impacted by airport noise? It opens the door to regional jets as large as the CRJ900 (takeoff dB of 83.9; approach, 98.0) to land at Friedman Memorial Airport. If the airport is expanded, it's likely the extended or new runway built will support the weight of the 737—another C Class jet (takeoff dB, 88; approach, dB 91.9.)

There would be fewer objections to the proposed letter of agreement had the Friedman Memorial Airport Authority limited the request in the proposed letter of agreement to CRJ 700s.

The request to include all Class C aircraft is alarming and the potential negative impact to the residents of Hailey and Bellevue is enormous.

Sheryl Schowengerdt

Bellevue

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