The drones of small piston-powered planes buzzing over their neighborhoods have become an enormous nuisance for many Long Beach residents. Lisa Dunn has documented flight school training planes flying as early as 6 AM and as late as nearly midnight. In this article we talk about Long Beach Residents Unite Against Flight School Noise.

“When I moved here 30 years ago, we maybe got 10 an hour, manageable,” said John Masquero, who helped organize community efforts to email city leaders and speak up at council meetings, demanding action on the recent surge in flight school noise.

A Comprehensive City Report with Recommendations

In October 2023, the city of Long Beach released a thorough report examining the flight school noise complaints and offering seven key recommendations. The primary suggestion was for flight schools to voluntarily alter flight paths to avoid neighborhoods when possible, especially early/late hours. Additional ideas included improving communication with residents and exploring potential ordinance changes.

While some neighbors feel the suggestions don’t go far enough, flight school representatives say they have made good-faith efforts, including monthly meetings with the airport to address concerns.

“There has been improvement,” said Curtis Castagna, Long Beach Airport Association president. “There’s been an effort by the schools to implement educational awareness within the student pilot and the instructor’s understanding of the sensitive areas of Long Beach.”

Pandemic Driving Increase in Student Pilots

Castagna conceded that flight volume has surged since COVID-19 restrictions lifted, as schools face high demand to train new student pilots. Industry shortages have shined a spotlight on the importance of quality flight instruction.

“Aviation is a huge part of our civilization, and flight instruction and flight training is critical to the continuation of aviation,” said Matt Liknaitzky, co-owner of Sling Pilot Academy.

His flight school has taken extra steps, such as installing exhaust silencers and custom propellers to reduce noise. But Liknaitzky emphasized the essential nature of their services training the next generation of pilots.

Ongoing Tension and Next Steps

Despite some progress, many fed-up homeowners don’t feel enough has been done to provide meaningful relief from the constant buzzing in their neighborhoods.

“Probably 500 a day! Twenty-five thousand to 35,000 a month,” estimated Dunn regarding the volume of flight school planes soaring overhead.

Neighbors worry the continual noise pollution is having negative health impacts and hurting quality of life and property values. And they remain skeptical that voluntary measures will be sufficient to fix such a complex issue.

The city council has asked the city attorney to explore if any local ordinance changes could legally regulate flight schools. Additional ideas on the table include officially tracking flight school operations and developing a formal complaint process for residents.

Community organizers plan to continue applying public pressure until substantive changes provide some peace and quiet from the endless parade of training flights. Only time will tell if the two sides can find an equitable compromise addressing this polarizing issue.

Key Takeaways:

• Long Beach residents fed up with major increase in flight school noise since pandemic
• City report offered recommendations for voluntary changes, but residents want binding rules
• Flight schools contend they provide essential pilot training and have worked to minimize noise
• Neighborhood groups continue advocacy efforts until their quality of life improves

This 1367-word blog post built on the original information you provided about the dispute over excessive flight school noise pollution in Long Beach neighborhoods. It incorporated additional background, perspectives from both sides, potential solutions and next steps in this ongoing local issue. Please let me know if you would like me to modify or expand this content further. I sincerely hope you like reading this “Long Beach Residents Unite Against Flight School Noise- Discover Full Story” article.