Sedona Citizens Noise Abatement Committee (SNAC)
People from all over the world are drawn to the Sedona area to experience its natural beauty. Most visitors see Sedona on the ground on the trails or from a tour jeep or trolley, but more and more are now seeing it from the air. By mid-1999, the sounds of tour airplanes were so intrusive and had become so much of an issue that, in response to complaints from the community, the Sedona Airport Authority asked KSB to form a group to learn what might be done about the noise. That group, formed from members of the community at large as well as KSB members, became the Sedona (Citizens) Noise Abatement Committee (SNAC). At first, as many as 50 people would attend the very noisy meetings, including lots of local residents, all kinds of pilots (private, helicopter, retired, commercial), aviation experts and (almost immediately upon his arrival in Sedona), Mac McCall; Sedona’s (then) new airport manager.
Hosted by KSB, the committee met often, hearing from FAA officials, other airport managers, concerned citizens and many experts in aviation. Over time, the size of the meetings and the number of aircraft noise intrusions dwindled. The committee, with financial support from the SAA (Sedona Airport Administration), created and promulgated an area-wide “Aircraft Noise Survey.” The results of the survey were posted on a large map of the area, reflecting where aircraft sound was most prevalent and the nature of the sound (private operations or tour planes; fixed-wing or helicopter). The results clearly showed that tour operations were creating almost all of the noise. With the map and with the full cooperation of the SAA, tour operators were presented with the opportunity to cooperate and join the community and to modify their operations to reduce aircraft noise intrusion. Most of them did cooperate and the noise intrusions and complaints about them were reduced significantly. Some operators left Sedona and took their noise intrusions with them.
Again with the cooperation and full support of SAA, an Aircraft Noise Survey form was developed and distributed throughout the community. The form is available on the Airport website (http://sedonaairport.org/form/Sedona-Airport-Sound-Form). Instruction on the form directs reports to Mac McCall, Manager/CEO of the Sedona Airport. Mr. McCall reviews the reports and responds to each one personally, often visiting the location.
SNAC meetings are much smaller now. It meets for breakfast about eight times each year, hosted by SAA at the Sedona Airport Restaurant. The public is invited to these meetings. The meetings (and Sedona’s beautiful skies) are much quieter now. Call 928.282.4487 for information about the SNAC meeting schedule and/or to arrange a conversation with Mr. McCall. Call KSB at 928.282.4938 for information on KSB’s involvement with the issue of NOISE in the Sedona area.