Sedona’s air noise challenges are rooted in complex jurisdictional issues. The airport is owned by Yavapai County, surrounded by City of Sedona land, and regulated by the FAA for in-flight operations. While Sedona has legal precedent for ground noise regulation, efforts to influence airport expansion or operations have been met with resistance from Yavapai County, which has no noise restrictions.
Tourist helicopter flights became a significant nuisance as Sedona grew in popularity. In response, local officials, KSB, the Chamber of Commerce, and helicopter operators developed the voluntary Fly Friendly agreement, aiming to reduce air noise disruptions. This agreement, though limited to helicopter tours, has made a meaningful impact by encouraging operators to adopt quieter practices.
Despite its success, the Fly Friendly program does not address noise from fixed-wing aircraft, leaving a gap in noise control efforts. Continued collaboration among stakeholders is essential to manage these broader challenges and preserve Sedona’s tranquil environment. Learn more about the history of the Fly Friendly initiative with helicopter operators.
If you want to do something meaningful to reduce air traffic noise and improve our quality, consider signing The National Quiet Skies Petition. It seeks to reform the FAA bureaucracy to make it more responsive. The language used in the petition was drawn from the congressional Quiet Skies Caucus, engaged citizens, and community organizations from across the US. If you don’t want to do it for yourself, do it for your children. Air noise is likely to get worse if nothing is done.
If you are intrigued about who the congressional Quiet Skies Caucus members are, this link will take you to the members. If your congressperson isn’t on the list, you might want to send an email to them asking “Why not?” As of May 2022, there were 52 members of Congress who have signed on.
This is KSB’s list of elected officials: https://www.keepsedonabeautiful.org/contact-your-elected-officials/
How to Register Noise Complaints
If you have an air noise complaint regarding Sedona-based tourist helicopters, register your displeasure with the Sedona Oak Creek Airport Authority (SOCAA). If this link is broken, please contact us.
If you have already registered a complaint on the SOCAA website, consider escallating to the FAA’s own complaint reporting website.
This link will take you to the appropriate FAA website to register complaints about illegal activity in the Verde Valley
For general information regarding FAA rules and regulations, or questions about what constitutes illegal aircraft flight activity, contact the FAA Flight Standards District Office(FSDO) in Scottsdale. They are responsible for the Verde Valley airspace.
The National Quiet Skies Coalition
This link will take you to the National Quiet Skies Coalition (NQSC). It contains a wealth of information regarding the problem of air noise pollution.
Contact Your Elected Officials
To contact local elected officials, refer to the information on this KSB webpage.