Hurricane City, Utah, has always been a place of beauty and calmness. It is a town away from the big city of St. George. Slowly but surely, the small town of Hurricane is growing substantially, inviting more people into the community. An airport at the city’s south end has become a popular place for aviators to land and take off. The city of Hurricane would like to keep their beautiful little town quiet and peaceful as much as possible. So the city decided to discuss a noise abatement policy that will advise pilots to be aware of their surroundings.
The abatement discussion was centered around the fact that most pilots know how noisy their aircraft are and do their best to limit noise on takeoff and landing. The debate was to create a policy to remind the aviators that they should try to keep things down. The noise reduction would be to limit the noise created by aircraft to maintain the peace and tranquility of the nearby neighborhoods without crippling the airport that serves a much-needed necessity to the community through aviation.
A suggestion to help remind pilots to obey the regulation was to write an insert into the aviator’s guide charts. A guide chart informs the pilot about the airport where they are landing or taking off. Inserting a note into the chart about following the noise reduction would at least make the pilot aware of the noise and remind them to try and limit it. The Hurricane City Council also discussed publishing materials to inform everyone coming into the airport that the noise reduction would be in full effect. Placing large signs along the runways was also discussed. All Hurricane based pilots, active flight instructors, and active students are to be trained on the noise abetment. The airport will monitor, address, and report all related airport noise complaints. A study was taken from the airport; on average, 23 planes take off from the establishment daily.
The City Council made it clear that the new policy was a strong suggestion. They did not want pilots to fly or not fly for fear of being punished for not following the noise reduction. The policy would not be a federal law and would leave the pilot to discern how loud they are. The Abatement allows for certain exceptions, such as aircraft engaged in actual search and rescue missions, aircraft declared as an inflight emergency, aircraft operations as air ambulances for medical purposes, and aircraft engaged in takeoffs or landings while conducting tests under the direction of the Airport Director. Hurricane City wants to maintain its beauty and serenity within Southern Utah. The noise reduction will give them their peace. It is up to the aviators the follow and obey the noise regulations to aid in keeping Hurricane City a place for people to reside.
Written by Noah Nielson
noah.nielson2@gmail.com
Noah Nielson grew up in Delta Utah with his parents and 2 brothers. Growing up with 2 brothers, and in a small farm town, he quickly learned the definition of hard work. Noah encountered plenty of opportunities to get his hands dirty and serve others in his community. His hometown sparked a passion inside of him for patriotism and a love for this wonderful country. Noah’s parents taught him extremely valuable lessons throughout his youth that have served him well into adulthood. He loves to play baseball and be in the mountains. Some of his hobbies include hunting, fishing, and anything to do with cars. Noah attended Delta High School and participated in many sports throughout his time there. Upon graduation he served a full-time mission for his church “The church of Jesus Christ.” When he returned home, Noah attended Snow College and later transferred to Dixie State University. He loves telling stories and making other people laugh. Noah found a passion for writing and has enjoyed learning and growing. Some of his biggest goals in life are to provide for a family and to make his parents proud.