CAANSC, Added Local Information (Community Action Airplane Noise Sonoma County)

WEBSITE FOR: Community Action Airplane Noise Sonoma County (CAANSC)

THIS PAGE: ADDED LOCAL INFO

Some added local information on this topic

(1) This article about the Oct. 2 airport meeting and our concerns includes useful background information. (Oct. 4, 2024)

The fight to change the flight paths

Sebastopol Times
A lecture and workshop hosted by the Santa Rosa Airport at Analy High School draws a collection of unhappy West County residents

https://www.sebastopoltimes.com/p/the-fight-to-change-the-flight-paths

* The updated version of this article has a map of the new route that started in January 2024 over Graton to Occidental (RREHD). I also have a direct link to the images below.

(2) Two community-created maps

So that you can see what specific areas on the ground are and could be impacted.

Map of the recently-created airplane route over Graton to Occidental (RREHD), which was started about Jan. 2024 - and a map of the prior route
From Sebastopol Times article. Images by Sandy DeVries-Troxel.

Map of the recently-created RREHD departure route and Cignus Proposed Approaches 14 + 23
Image created by community member.

3) A

rticle about the issue and our concerns. (Jan. 18, 2025)
Through the efforts of local folks, we got our story in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat in January! This article has lots of useful information about the issue.

NOTE: The first link below has the online digital article. It can only be read by Press Democrat subscribers. If you can't read it, click on the second link below to read the text. Soon I'll also add a scan of the print article to that link. (We found someone who has it and will scan it for us.) 

Sonoma County residents report ‘deafening’ airplane noise after federal air traffic changes
Press Democrat (Santa Rosa), January 18, 2025
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/sonoma-county-airport-noise-faa-residents
PDF file with photos is at: https://www.healthyworld.org/GRAPHICS/CAANSC/CAANSC-PDArticle011925-GRAPHIC.pdf
Text is also at: https://www.healthyworld.org/CAANSC-PDArticle011925-TEXT.html

4) And now our concerns have been reported by CBS News in San Francisco! It shows as video online, though I don't know if it was shown on-air. (Feb. 7, 2025)

My thoughts: I'm glad that this report got our issue out there more, and I think they did a decent job. It was good to hear Supervisor Hopkins giving information. And I love the chart they used! Which I've enclosed below. 

On the other hand, contrary to their title, we don't live near the airport, intentionally. And I wish they'd talked with at least one other concerned person. And I think it was false balance to have one person in an unnamed area saying they didn't mind the airplane noise. That isn't the point. We moved here for quiet. People who don't mind can live near the airport. They also had another person saying they're glad to have more flights as a traveler.

Let's be sure people know that this change was not to accommodate more local flights, and is not needed for it.

Residents near Sonoma County airport angry over increased flight noise 
Kenny Choi reports on larger, louder jets landing at the Charles Schulz Sonoma County Airport have raised noise complaints 600%. 
CBS News, Feb. 7, 2025 
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/video/residents-near-sonoma-county-airport-angry-over-increased-flight-noise

Chart shows dramatic increase in noise complaints

Chart shows dramatic increase in noise complaints

(5) Supervisor Lynda Hopkins' letter to the FAA (March 27, 2025)

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Letter to FAA, Aircraft Noise Ombudsman, March 27, 2025
"RE: Urgent Request for Relief from RREHD Departure and Arrival Procedure Changes Impacting Sonoma County"
View Letter
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My thoughts:
* I appreciate her action on this. AND it includes statistics and information that we can use in our communications.

* IMPORTANT: The correct name of the prior route is Charlie8, not Charlie&.

(6) Supervisor Lynda Hopkins' mention of this issue in her newsletter (April 8, 2025)

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When Airplane Noise Interrupts Daily Life:

How to Make Your Voice Heard

For many neighbors, the sound of overhead planes can intrude on an otherwise quiet moment—whether it’s a morning walk, a phone call in the yard, or simply enjoying time with family. If you’ve been noticing it more often, and are wondering how to speak up in a meaningful way, there’s a clear path forward.

The most effective way to share your experience is by submitting a noise complaint directly to the airport. You can do this online at stsgoodneighbor.com/noise-complaints or by calling 707-565-7243. While it’s easy to assume a single report won’t make a difference, in this case, it truly does. Each complaint is documented and folded into reports reviewed by airport staff and the FAA. These records help identify patterns and guide potential changes.

If you're able to include details like the time, direction, or type of aircraft, it makes a big difference. The FlightRadar24 app is a helpful tool for identifying planes overhead. But even if you’re just sharing general impressions, a phone call goes a long way.

This process may not lead to instant results, but every report helps build a clearer understanding of what our community is experiencing. Your input adds to a growing record of lived experience—one that can help shape smarter, more responsive flight paths in the future.

SOURCE: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/News-from-the-5th-District---April-8.html
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IMPORTANT: For more about how to log complaints with the airport, PLUS added actions we suggest, see https://www.healthyworld.org/CAANSC-SuggestedKeyActions

Also - go to our main page to signup for our low-volume alert email list, as well as suggested actions and helpful tips.

Best - Patricia