From: Norm Echelberry, Tomoka Estates – (unincorporated Volusia County) near Ormond Beach

I read on a City of Ormond Beach web site there was no Ormond Beach Aviation Advisory Meeting recently because there was not a quorum present, so there was no report on noise from aircraft using the Ormond Beach Airport.

Instead of making a report on days I notice unusual activity of aircraft not following the VOLUNTARY City of Ormond Beach Airport Noise Abatement Path, I started collecting information at various times when I was able to actually document the particular aircraft that don’t voluntarily comply.  Below are on a sampling of times because I don’t have the time to be sitting out back of my home relaxing and watching aircraft over my house or off the path 24/7.  My estimation is that over 75% of the aircraft using the airport for training purposes do not follow the path.  My personal opinion is that most of the instructors and students don’t have any courtesy to people on the ground below them. This is probably most true for students flying their solo flights and could care less about anything except making the loop back to the airport and eventually getting their FAA license. 
The businesses and schools, particularly Embry Riddle University, are not good neighbors but appear to be good airport customers by using the airport. 
Recently on August 28, 2014, there was an article about the airport in the Ormond Beach Observer newspaper by Wayne Grant.  This article mentions how about four years ago there were meetings with residents to help curb the noise and how voluntary paths were designed.  In the end, after the City hired a consultant, the news was, there is nothing the City of Ormond Beach can do about controlling flights and it is up to the FAA.  Doing a little research the FAA rarely investigates creating noise abatement required paths without research and studies which has to be done by a local government agency first. 
At the meetings, the City of Ormond Beach had one person willing to create a web page to collect data on complaints that could be entered via the internet, which never happened.  Now, any data collected is based on emails or phone calls to the airport manager. 
Many of the residents attending the meetings years ago were so frustrated all they wanted to do was sell their homes and get out of town because of the noise from airplanes.  Once the word was out that the City cannot do anything, almost everyone stopped complaining.  In the newspaper article, Mr. Wallin (who I don’t recall was present at the past meetings) complained about the noise.  He is in the same type situation I have, where most of my neighbors work and don’t hear the constant buzz of airplanes over our homes.  The sad thing is, there is plenty of area over the wetlands and Tomoka River to fly over that they do not need to fly over some residential areas. 
Residents in the past, Mr. Wallin and me appear to be suffering from a new virus, called complaint fatigue.  You can complain till you can’t complain anymore and it doesn’t do any good and maybe it’s best just to give up.  I have no intention to move but might have to get headphones to listen to my television and relax outside. The best days are when it is raining or windy and it is so quiet. 

Back to the article, Mr. Mannarino, is obviously doing everything he can to help the City of Ormond Beach get businesses to use the airport.  This airport is not a commercial type airport that people board aircraft like Daytona Beach and Orlando. It’s used for some private aircraft and mostly flight training.  I do not fault Mr. Mannarino for trying to bring more businesses in, that’s his job.  Thinking about people working and using a simple example, a prostitute has a job to do, to make money and doesn’t care what other people think about what they are doing as long as they look good and make money and it’s legal – they keep doing their job.  I meet people who hate their job..I tell them at least

I recently made a complaint about a Sun Aircraft Management aircraft (based out of Ormond Beach Airport) that happened on August 14 that did not involve noise but safety.  The plane was flying from the west to east and passed over my home at an altitude I estimated at as less than 400 feet almost 1.5 miles from the airport.  The complaint, with video and photos, was sent to the FSDO Orlando office and they investigated it.  I received a call after they investigated it and was told the aircraft was doing a special maneuver, “circle to land” at 480 feet high all the way around the airport to simulate flying in a low cloud situation.  This is normally done at about 800 foot.  I talked about safety and told the investigator that if the aircraft lost power at the altitude it was at, it would never make it back to the airport and could crash into a home nearby.  I also told the investigator to send me confirmation it was investigated so if an aircraft crashes in the future at a low altitude I would have documentation of complaining about this type of situation.  Here is the response I received via email after the discussion:

“The flight school involved in your low flying aircraft complaint has been notified and will advise the flight instructors to at all possible avoid flying over your home at low altitudes.  There are certain circumstances that may require an aircraft to fly over your home that is out of the pilot’s control.  Such items would include air traffic avoidance from ATC air traffic control separating aircraft while flying in the pattern at the airport.

Sincerely,

Keith M. Owens