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Mesa Falcon Field Airport wins coveted safety award
Publication: The Republic; Date: November 25, 2010
A year ago, a neighborhood group declared that the frequency of flights at Falcon Field Airport placed nearby neighborhoods and businesses in harm's way.
The Keep Falcon Field Safe committee demanded that the nation's fourth busiest general aviation airport scale back the number of landings and takeoffs to improve safety and mitigate noise.
How things have changed.
This week, city officials announced that the historic, northeast Mesa airfield won a coveted safety award after a Federal Aviation Administration Safety Team nominated the airport for the honor.
The Annual Airport Safety Award was presented by the Aviation Safety Advisory Group of Arizona, a volunteer organization of aviation professionals that assesses safety issues, implements educational programs for pilots and technicians and assists the FAA in identifying accident trends.
Mesa Mayor Scott Smith, a pilot, said perceptions about Falcon Field improved after the city brought the community into the discussions and and had residents help prepare a plan to reduce noise and alleviate safety concerns.
Much of the effort was spearheaded by the Falcon Field Task Force, a seven-member citizens group appointed by City Manager Chris Brady and aided by his assistant, Natalie Lewis, to draft a plan for resolving complaints.
Brady formed the group in April, 2009 after pilots who live just southwest of the airport complained that student pilots at CAE/Sabena flight instruction academy were flying broader and longer patterns than normal, placing them above homes more frequently.
After the task force recommendations were implemented, air traffic controllers orchestrated new flight patterns, flight training academy students began flying less frequently over neighborhoods during takeoffs and reached higher altitudes more quickly to reduce decibel levels on the ground.
A few months later, complaints about aircraft noise declined dramatically.
"I think the turnaround was bringing everyone to the table," Smith said. "We didn't fight with the neighbors, we engaged them, the flight school and the business community. The idea was to give everyone a voice."
"When everyone got in and saw what the facts were, they found a way to co-exist," he added. "But this will be an on-going effort that will never end as long as Falcon Field is there."
The airport's educational programs were among the airport's accomplishments noted by Joe Husband, the aviation safety group's treasurer.
Other safety improvements that contributed to the airport's selection for the award include the completion of airport perimeter fencing and electronic card access at vehicle gates; resurfacing of taxiways and aircraft parking ramps; construction of the aircraft engine run-up area; more visible taxiway markings and runway/taxiway signs and Geographic Position Markers to aid communication between pilots and the air traffic control tower.
Earlier this year, Falcon Field was named Arizona Airport of the Year by the Arizona Department of Transportation for achievements that include efforts to resolve complaints about noise and safety.
"Safety is truly our first priority at Falcon Field, and we are fortunate to have the ongoing collaboration with Falcon Field stakeholders to further our safety priority," airport director, Corinne Nystrom, said in a prepared release.
Tim Koors/The Arizona Republic
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