ScottsdaleAZ.Gov

Updated 3/17/06

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 respond to callback requests during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays.

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. 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 in an electronic form via the web by clicking the link below for either inside or outside the Airport Influence area.

• 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.

For many years the City of Scottsdale has operated a 24-hour voicemail system to receive noise complaints regarding aircraft using the Scottsdale Airport, as part of our ongoing Scottsdale Airport Noise Compatibility Program. Historically, only complaints regarding Scottsdale Airport traffic were lodged with the City of Scottsdale and only via the noise hotline. However, with increasing concerns about commercial air traffic and the FAA's adjusted flight paths, residents have desired a method to submit complaints via computer. Therefore, the City has developed the web-based noise event logging system. Unfortunately our 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. And, unfortunately the FAA does not have a simple process for lodging low-flying aircraft complaints as they require 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 Arizona Flight Standards District Office - General Information. The Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards District Office (FAA-FSDO) may also be reached at (480) 419-0111.

Currently the Cities of Scottsdale and Phoenix are lobbying the FAA to designate much of the land north of the Central Arizona Project canal as a congested area. This effort is intended to raise the minimum legal altitude from 500 ft. to 1000 ft.

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. There are several books available for aircraft identification that may be helpful to the interested user and may be found through an internet search for "civil aircraft recognition guide". There are also many website with information on military aircraft recognition and one civil aircraft recognition site at Compass Light Aircraft Photos. Select the "View Via Images" option to see thumbnails of aircraft by type: bi-plane, high-wing, low-wing, helicopter.

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 - cane 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