First, what an AWESOME site! Since February, our neighborhood has been frustrated trying to identify an aircraft that consistently flew lower, faster, and louder than any other aircraft. We’ve tried grabbing the tail number, but, because it is almost always directly overhead, and moving so fast, we haven’t been able to.
Then, with this site’s speed and altitude logging, I was able to pinpoint exactly where there aircraft was, along with the altitude and speed.
Now, I don’t know who to contact to report the findings. Given that this is my first experience with behind-the-scenes aviation (I do fly60-80k miles annually commercially - only as a lowly passenger), I do not know how to proceed.
Hi and welcome to FlightAware. It really depends on a lot of things whether this is against the rules or not. Can you give us some more info like where do you live, what is the aircraft, things like that. I do see that there is a noise sensitive area: 5 miles North extending one mile East & West of localizer Southbound to shoreline and that turbojets landing RY17L & departing RY35R are to use published noise abatement procedures. Which is documented here. Check that and see if any of that applies. Let me know if you need anything else.
Gotcha. Well I have checked all the charts and nothing anywhere is saying that he can’t. The lowest he can go in your area is about 900 feet. So he is staying within the rules and the aircraft has to descend to land. Unfortunately you are just in the path of that flight. The Baron 58 can be a rather loud one sometimes with its 2 300hp engines. As for if he is breaking any rules I don’t see any. If this really becomes a problem maybe try contacting Vandenburg Airport at 813-870-8711 and asking politely if this pilot could maybe work out a different route. The one thing that will get you no where is trying to be aggressive about it. Hope this helps and let me know if you need anything else.
No, not trying to be aggressive by any means. Maybe a bit emotional over the thought we now know who is doing this - so we can ask.
While we are certainly in the landing pattern for TPA and VDF, this is the only aircraft that flies this low, this fast, this loud, and this late. I’ve lived here for 6 years, and this started in late February. I guess I just don’t understand the need to fly full throttle at >250MPH when no one else does.
fh - it’s definitely Quest, and their route is well defined - 8 stops per day between GA and FL.
I suggest putting up with the noise (especially considering the aircraft is carrying medical lab tests samples) or moving. I’m sorry if I sound harsh but anybody who lives close to an airport should expect to have airplanes flying over them. In most cases (probably over 90% because there are few new airports being built) it is the resident who was there second, not the airport.
We are talking about what? 2 or 3 minutes at the most for the noise? I used to live next to an airport (DAB) back in the days when aircraft were much louder. I quickly got use to and slept through the arrivals of 2 727s at o-dark-hundred each morning.
These planes area carrying vital cargo as I mentioned above. See questdiagnostics.com/
Yea I know where you are coming from. You can expect him to pass over in about 40 minutes. Maybe tomorrow give a call to the airport and just ask them about it. If they are no help try contacting the local government office and filling a noise complaint. Let me know how everything turns out.
Just ignore dami. Just try to call tomorrow and see what info you can get. Maybe you can just ask and the pilot will be more cautious. Send me an email if you need anything else. Will be glad to help.
I considered that Phantom - that’s why I didn’t originally post the details. I’m not out to ‘get him’ - just asking for some consideration. If that’s all it takes to get pilots frustrated, then you guys are on a shorter fuse than me.
Thanks for that info phantom. I know so little about this industry - other than how to board properly - that I don’t know the significance of that. Is there a reason why a commercial/business aircraft would do that consistently?
Until this posting, you had not mentioned the distance from the airport to you.
Let me ask you this: There’s probably an operational reason (e.g. safety of flight) reason for the aircraft to be this low. Isn’t it worth 2 or 3 minutes (probably less) of your valuable time for an aircraft flying medical samples to get to its destination safely?
I honestly don’t see how it could be so loud that it interferes with your lifestyle. I currently live 10 miles from a major airport (OAK) and there are jet aircraft - which are louder than piston aircraft - flying overhead daily, many late at night. I live in an older building that has no soundproofing at all. These aircraft are no more than 1,000 to 2,000 feet above me. Yet they don’t annoy me.
I’ve also lived just 150 yards from railroad tracks. The trains are louder at that distance then any aircraft I’ve heard at 2,000. Yet I never complained about them because they were here first.
Hmmm… now that I think of it, if he was in fact scooting under Class B he may have been busting the 200 KIAS restriction. You’de never be able to prove it unless you were in the cockpit with him watching the ASI though.
I don’t want to get anyone in trouble so I’ll let others discuss if they want…
Possibly he’s flying under Visual Flight Rules and doesn’t want to enter class B Airspace and come under ATC control with resultant aircraft separation requirements.
Quest is a publicly traded company (I’m a shareholder) and I’m sure they would be interested in hearing from you.
Well, he just went by… Very cool technology - though the mapping appears to be delayed by a few minutes (security). Maybe it was just the adrenaline and anticipation, but he seemed considerably higher and quieter tonight than last… If it was like this every night, I would never have gone to this trouble (though the tech side of it is neat).
