Mingled in with the spam and airport noise complaints, we occasionally receive an interesting email through this website’s contact form. Such was the case yesterday, when we received the email below. As the writer provided a name in the email itself, we believe that it’s from an upstanding and well-known member of the community. We didn’t confirm that the writer is, in fact, who he says he is and won’t reveal the writer’s name for that reason and out of respect for his privacy. If it’s legitimate, this gentleman owns a home in western Stuart, according to the Martin County Property Appraiser records, in the area affected by the training flight data we maintain and (we were informed after we responded) also owns an aircraft housed at Witham Field Airport.
Subject: Disguised Motives???
“You seem to go to lengths to not identify yourself yet want people to take action and assume you have sincere motives”
Admin’s Response:
“Good morning, Mr. [Name Removed to Protect the Writer’s Privacy]!
We don’t see a question in your email, but you took the time to write, so we’re going to respond as though you posed questions.
We don’t believe that wanting to maintain our privacy is the equivalent of some diabolical scheme. If others do, if the training flight noise doesn’t bother them, if they’re pilots themselves, if their health or real estate values aren’t concerns, or if for any other reason they’re unconcerned, no one is forcing them to visit the website or take action, and we won’t pressure them. We’re not some glossy corporation with a big budget backing us. We’re just ordinary people who, prior to January 2017, enjoyed a peaceful life here in Stuart, and who don’t wish to become the face of retaliation for more flights over our homes.
Our motive is to restore peace to our neighborhood. The underlying element to that motive is to stop the ill health effects and devaluing of our real estate caused by the sudden onset of constant training flight noise over our homes. After months of attempting to restore the peace through logical channels failed, yes, we invite others who are disturbed by the situation to take action. We’ve provided information which took us months to gather because we’re not all that versed in airport operations and officials haven’t been forthcoming. Many neighbors have told us they’re similarly unversed and they believed it when they read media reports that the increased noise was the fault of President Trump’s visits to Mar-a-Lago.
We don’t intentionally make any attempt to manipulate anyone’s assumptions. What people assume or what motivates them is a reflection of their life experience and isn’t any of our business or in our control.
It’s just that simple.
Regards,
Admin
StuartAirportNoise.com”
Writer’s Response:
“Thank you for answering. I am pleased to learn it is a straight forward resident complaint and not an attempt to subvert any business or aircraft owner operating on the airport.
I do wonder why you show no identity and yet identify all those aircraft and owners using the airport.
In general regarding airport noise I really don’t understand why anyone would buy near an airport if aircraft noise is objectionable and as with road and rail traffic, and increased population, one could expect increased air traffic. If you are well out of the airport noise area then I can understand a sudden change being an irritation and your attempting to take corrective action. I don’t know who would control flight training use of airspace outside the airport control zone other than FAA but highlighting every airplane using the airport is falsely alleging they are all your problem.”
Admin’s Response:
“Hello, again!
Yes, it’s straight-forward resident noise complaints that we support. We don’t otherwise care who operates out of Witham Field. When it impacts our peaceful enjoyment of the homes we’ve owned for many years — since 1990, in one case — we care. These homes our outside of the 2-mile radius, and, personally, I wouldn’t categorize them as “near an airport.” But maybe that’s just our definition, and the County sees it differently (not that they’ve said one way or another).
When logical methods of attempting to obtain information and find resolution failed, the website was the result. Two people previously came forward with name and general location (not a specific address, due to Florida Public Records regulations and, therefore, privacy and safety concerns), and their experience has made others fearful to publish their names, and much more so, their addresses. Thus, the privacy.
The images we highlight on the website are of planes flying directly over the residences in western Stuart between Kanner Highway and Palm City Road and, in every instance, they’re repeatedly flying low and loudly. Many may be heard over televisions and air conditioners inside of homes with doors and windows closed. We are not without understanding that the occasional medical helicopter or jet will be heard, but the complaints we make are, on our worst days, training flights every 2 to 9 minutes from 8 or 9 a.m. until 7 or 8 p.m. and later some days — and it has occurred 7 days per week with a sudden onset in January 2017. There have been a few exceptions, such as Father’s Day and during severe rain storms.
With respect, we aren’t “highlighting every airplane using the airport.” If a plane hasn’t flown repeatedly in a fashion a reasonable person might report on the County’s “Airport Complaint Form,” [link added for this post] it’s not included on the site. Planes sitting in hangars at the airport aren’t being unfairly vilified, nor are owners or operators for the simple fact they are owners or operators. We are displaying these images [link added for this post] — each and every one taken from a central location between Kanner Highway and Palm City Road, not 10 steps outside someone’s back door, and, as you can see from the images, most directly overhead — in response to prior failed efforts. The owner information provided on each plane is public records from the FAA’s website [link added for this post].
Regards,
Admin
StuartAirportNoise.com”
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Do you have a question? Comment? Suggestion? Please leave a comment below or get in touch with us! We welcome all inquiries, good and bad, and enthusiastically invite meaningful dialog between airport pros and foes, alike. Make it interesting enough, and we’ll post it to our blog here.