Airport critics are spewing a lot of noise themselves
Published June 27, 2003
Re: Airport noise level reaching new highs, by Ron Matus, June 13.
I was a resident of Beach Park for more than 11 years and, as a result, went through a number of instances when repairs or weather necessitated the diversion of aircraft traffic over the neighborhood.
Although these situations were somewhat noisy, I think the few residents that were interviewed do not represent the majority of the neighborhood.
For example, Jane Anne Hershock appears to have a problem with depth perception because aircraft approaching the runways are between 300 and 500 off the ground when they pass over her neighborhood. If a plane were to "practically land on your roof," she would definitely know it.
Even more interesting is Walter Hunter's suggestion that planes use the shorter runway. Although the runway is used when the wind direction permits, I doubt that Hunter ever landed that way in a Delta 747 because Delta does not have any aircraft of that type in its fleet. The 747 is used primarily for long-haul flights from hub cities and is rarely seen at Tampa International Airport.
The runway renovations are a fact of life, and because almost every house in the neighborhood has central air conditioning, windows always are closed and the noise is rarely an issue.
-- Peter Dilts, Historic Hyde Park
[Last modified June 26, 2003, 10:22:15]
