When I was a little girl, we lived pretty close to JFK and frequently had planes flying overhead. I grew up with it. It was a way of life and when we moved somewhere else when I was about 10, I couldn’t sleep for the first few nights because it was so quiet. 😉
When some people buy houses that are directly underneath a flight path, they may or may not initially know it. But eventually they find out. Some people don’t mind, while others do. Those that do sometimes complain. That may or may not lead to changes in the flight path, but in this case, it did make a story.
The UBS Airport “Altitude” Drama
Columbus-Lowndes County Airport (UBS) is a tiny airport, co-owned by the city of Columbus (MS) and Lowndes County. In operation since 1952, they mainly support small, single-engine aircraft; no more than a couple of dozen take-offs and landings per day.
Rabren Aviation is a fixed-based operator at UBS. They’re responsible for day-to-day operations and upkeep at the facility, including maintaining the grass and ensuring that aviation fuel and other services are available to pilots.
Anyway, Rabren Aviation recently posted the following at the airport:
PC: Reddit, Facebook
ATTENTION PILOTS
PLEASE BE MINDFUL OF ALTITUDE WHEN MAKING FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 36
Due to recent complaints to the FAA from homeowners in the highlighted areas, we ask that you please be mindful of altitude when approaching Runway 36. They can’t help they bought a house…next to an airport…directly at the end of the runway…and felt it necessary to report to the FAA that there were, shockingly, airplanes landing at the airport.
BWAAAHAHAHAHA!
Here’s a Google map of the area, that clearly shows the airport and the houses of those who have made the complaints:
Social Media Reacts (Hilariously)
We don’t know what the pilots at UBS said about the notice, but the people of Reddit and Facebook, where the note was posted, certainly had things to say:
- “How dare they? There wasn’t an airplane above my house when I bought it! I bet they hid them all just to trick me into buying!”
- “‘Be mindful of altitude.’ What’s that, they want me to go lower so they get a better view? Sure thing.”
- “Go ahead and dump fuel on the approach. It will take some stress off the landing gear, helps with altitude and its great for the grass.”
- “Have any pilots that need to meet hours in the area? Give them discounts on runway fees if they do touch and goes for a few hours every morning at 3am or the evening at 7pm.”
- “Damn, I guess I’ll have to put away my Concorde.”
- “Im surprised someone as stupid as this knows to report to the FAA. Its almost like…. they were expecting planes to fly over or something.”
- “Maybe unbolt the exhaust, will be louder (carbon monoxide is communist propaganda)”
- “I live in a brand new house less than half a mile from the departure end of our airport. My neighbors actually think they are going to get a curfew set for the airport…I can’t imagine buying a house there, and legitimately acting surprised when there are planes flying over. These people are some of the dumbest I’ve ever met.”
- “Where I’m at there is a neighborhood commission to stop the helicopters from landing at a children’s hospital. So they actually can get more stupid”
- “Happened near me, we live on the state line, in a municipality. A guy built on the incorporated side in a village with an HOA. Found his neighbor has roosters that go nuts in the morning. He keeps calling the village to do something about a noise issue in another state, where the noise isn’t breaking the law since it’s a farm, zoned ag. Its not his fault someone built their house next to a working farm. They also blow off obnoxious fireworks (which are illegal here but not over the line) all night from July 2 through the 5th. It’s glorious that the county sheriff from over the border tells Ken and Karen to pound sand when they complain.”
- “Sooooo… flour bombing?”
- “Man, people should have to sign a disclosure that they won’t complain when they live within a certain distance of an airport or railroad track. Come on”
- “In other words, ensure approach is at the lowest legal and safe altitude possible, even if higher approaches are possible.”
- “Wait till they find out about the Chem trails!!!”
- “$1000 to anyone who can take out a chimney on approach”
- “The sad thing about this is there are so many houses in the area that are not near an airport and yet they bought a house in the final approach path.”
What would you have said?
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