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Noise Complaints
Scottsdale Airport tracks aircraft noise complaints to assist in land use planning, as well as to help identify emerging concerns and facilitate communication between pilots and community members. Aircraft noise complaints received do not directly influence aircraft flight paths and do not result in "warnings" or "violations" against specific pilots or aircraft in most cases.
Aircraft noise complaints logged via the Scottsdale Airport 24-hour noise complaint hotline [(480) 312-3597or ("312-FLYS")] will be limited to callers within the Scottsdale Airport influence area (pdf/148kb/4pp). The Scottsdale Airport influence area encompasses approximately 100 square miles, which extends beyond the Scottsdale Airport "Class D" airspace boundaries. The influence area boundaries of this influence area are approximately 40th street to the west, 112th street to the east, Jomax Road to the north and Mockingbird Lane to the south.
Aircraft noise complaints from areas outside of the Scottsdale Airport influence area called in to the noise hotline will not become part of the official record of the City. These noise complaints can, however, still become part of our official record if logged via the Scottsdale Airport web-server complaint reporting system. Furthermore, to effectively utilize staff resources, callers located within the airport influence area can expect a callback regarding their complaint only if they specifically request one. Airport staff will make every attempt to respond to callback requests within three business days.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Airport operators have no legal authority over aircraft in flight. Scottsdale Airport has established noise abatement procedures, however, low flying aircraft complaints should be directed to the Federal Aviation Administration - Scottsdale Flight Standards District Office
. The limits establishing how much noise an aircraft can emit are set by Federal Law. Aircraft that operate at Scottsdale Airport comply with existing Federal noise standards.
Aircraft noise complaints can be submitted by clicking the link below. Initially you will be directed to a Login screen and given the option to Login or Register. Once you have registered and created a user profile, you will immediately receive a Login password via email to use when submitting future Aircraft Noise Events. In order to accurately understand noise concerns, it is essential we know where complaints are coming from. Therefore, a valid street address is required information. Whenever aircraft noise event forms are submitted, a confirmation E-mail is sent to the E-mail address specified.
All Aircraft Noise Events online complaints and telephone calls to the Noise Hotline are published in the Quarterly Noise Report. Unfortunately the current data collection system cannot accommodate complaints submitted via E-mail.
Low-flying Aircraft Complaints
Aircraft can legally fly at altitudes that some residents find annoying or believe to be unsafe, however, only the FAA has regulatory authority over aircraft in flight. The FAA requires a written complaint to take formal enforcement action.
While some aircraft in flight can be bothersome to some residents, most complaints of low-flying aircraft, are regarding operations that area completely within the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) for aircraft altitude. Further information on the minimum legal altitudes contained in FAR Part 91 and how to log a low-flying aircraft complaint can be found at Scottsdale Flight Standards District Office - General Information. The Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards District Office (FAA-FSDO) may also be reached at (480) 419-0111.
Aircraft Identification/Recognition
When submitting aircraft noise complaints to the airport or low-flying aircraft complaints to the FAA, it is important to identify the offending aircraft as accurately as possible. When identifying aircraft, the observer should try to identify several items:
- Aircraft Type - Jet or Propeller engines
- Number of engines - Single engine or multiple engines
- Engine locations - On the wings or body of the plane (fuselage), at the tail or at the front.
- Type of wing - Straight wing or swept back
- Wing mounting - High Wing (on top of the fuselage) or Low Wing (on the bottom of the fuselage)
- Landing Gear - Retractable Gear (typically only visible during takeoff or landing) or Fixed Gear (visible at all times)
- Color and Paint Scheme
- Registration Number - can sometimes be visible on the tail
Aircraft Registration Number Research
Most aircraft display the aircraft registration or "N number" ("N" for North America) in one-foot height on the aircraft tail. However, some aircraft still retain the smaller numbers that were permitted in the past.
The FAA maintains an Aircraft Inquiry Website to research the aircraft owners by aircraft registration number to assist aircraft observers. Additionally, aircraft registered in foreign countries have different numbering schemes and start with letters other than "N". International aircraft registration databases may be found for some countries at Landings.com , and click on "Databases" at the top of the page.
15000 N. Airport Drive, 2nd Floor, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
(480) 312-2321 (480) 312-8480 Fax
(Located at Butherus Drive and North Airport Drive) see map
