Beginning May 1, 2022, pilots won’t be able to fuel their aircraft at the Naples Municipal Airport (KAPF) between 9:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.
The fueling ban is in response to a 40% increase in traffic at the airport, especially between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., airport officials said.
“Many of the noise comments received by the airport have been related to these nighttime flights,” officials said in announcing the curfew. “Limiting fueling to these timeframes is intended to discourage flights during voluntary curfew hours.”
“Although the airport must remain open 24 hours per day, we hope that more aircraft operators will help us to be good neighbors by observing the voluntary quiet hours,” said Chris Rozansky, Naples Airport Authority executive director.
The only exceptions to the curfew will be for public services, such as Collier Mosquito Control District, Collier County Sheriff’s Office, or Collier County Med Flight, according to officials with the Naples Airport Authority.
The airport authority has implemented several other initiatives to address noise
concerns, officials said, such as:
- Providing pilots and passengers with curfew and noise information,
- Adding curfew language to leases and contracts, and
- The recent addition of live flight tracking to its website, FlyNaples.com.
If all that doesn’t work, the airport authority has another weapon in its arsenal: It has started publishing the top 10 curfew violators for the year-to-date and current month on the website’s homepage.
Naples Airport reported 113,137 operations in the last fiscal year. It is home to flight schools, air charter operators, car rental agencies, and corporate aviation and non-aviation businesses, as well as public services, including fire/rescue
services, mosquito control, the Collier County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit and other community services.
All funds used for the airport’s operation, maintenance, and improvements are generated from activities at the airport or federal and state grants from aviation-related user fees. The airport receives no local tax dollars, officials noted. The Florida Department of Transportation values the airport’s annual economic impact to the community at more than $440 million.
Move along, folks. There’s nothing new here. Airport + residences + noise = complaints.
What a piggish thing to do. Board members that OK’s the publication of business addresses are betraying their obligation to the airport community and should resign. And their home addresses could be published at “preferred departure routes” for all hours, not just curfew times.
The FAA would probably grant the airport several million dollars to soundproof the homes nearest the airport, or even purchase the houses and attach a non complaint section to the deed and resell the property. Years ago PHX Sky Harbor purchased the homes in the departure path and removed them or sold them with restrictions on complaints. It is usually the FAA tower operators who get the first call followed by a call to the airport. Result was that many FAA numbers are not available to the public.
I would love for someone to pair the complainer’s names and addresses with the purchase date of that residence. If you buy property near an airport, expect noise.
“Define curfew. curfew synonyms, curfew pronunciation, curfew translation, English dictionary definition of curfew. n. 1. A regulation or rule requiring certain or all people to leave the streets or be at home at a prescribed hour.”
A curfew is not, by definition, voluntary, is it? If it’s not voluntary the. that would certainly run afoul of the contingencies involved in accepting Federal Airport Grants.
Being a city or county airport, the municipality is entitled to regulate hours since it owns the airport, But publishing the names of operators can lead to recrimination by the public toward the operator. I can see a lawsuit developing for damages if an operator is damaged as a result of the airport owner publishing the operators’ names.
Agreed. Unless publication is legally required, shaming risks DIY “vigilante justice.” My airport career began in noise abatement at a large, commercial hub. Noise complainers, particularly the regulars, can get quite emotional. Unfortunately, too many airports defer, for political reasons, to the complainers, as with the repeated no-local-tax-dollars statements. In the current environment, with much discussion of both the rule of law and civility, let’s follow the law and, if it appears to need change, work for change. (And speaking of law, there have been cases challenging curfews imposed for this and similar reasons.)
I flew out of KOSU, Ohio state university airport back in the late 70s and 80s. When you would launch from 27right or 27 left, all you had was farm fields. As it progressed, housing was pretty much close to the end of the runway. Now they have restrictions because of all the bitching from homeowners about aircraft flights. Now you have a standard departure and noise abatement now to not bother the people that live there. That is a bunch of bunk, they knew what they were buying when they bought. Enough said . Thanks for the rant.
I flew out of KOSU, Ohio state university airport back in the late 70s and 80s. When you would launch from to seven right or to seven left, all you had was farm fields. As it progressed, housing was pretty much close to the end of the runway. Now they have restrictions because of all the bitching from homeowners about aircraft flights. Do you have a standard departure now to not bother the people that live there. That is a bunch of bunk, they knew what they were buying when they bought. Enough said . Thanks for the rant.
Having some time ago read the history of Naples, it was conceived and developed as a get away for the wealth. It wasn’t all about the airport, which didn’t exist at the time. While it came to be as a convenience it appears to be exceeding it’s compatibility. And that $440million impact is peanuts, the local Rolls Royce dealer has more than that in inventory…lol
Flew a Regional years ago and we serviced Naples for a short time. Our CRJs were quieter than corporate jets but we still had to pull thrust back I think out of a 1000’ climbing out. They liked the airline service but complained about the noise.
There are always works rounds.
No matter what you do there will always be complainers. It human nature!
Stupid! All a pilot has to do is refuel before 21:30. He’ll then have enough fuel to leave at 21:31.
I hope the pilots know where the snowflakes live who moved next to an airport and rev the engines over them. (Of course, it would be a safety issue to rev the engines!)
I think posting the top curfew violator’s list is a silly tactic. By and large, these are charter operators. If you really want to get to the “source” of the noise, post the names of the folks chartering the jets to fly down to their second homes for the weekend. The callers are complaining about their own neighbors.
That sure looks like a lot of money to turn your back on. But that might be part of the plan.
Less money, can’t pay the bills, close the airport.
Just saying.
If the airport took federal money from the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program, this policy may run afoul of the Grant Assurances that come attached to that money. Specifically, grant assurance #18, “Operations and Maintenance,” states that the airport and ALL FACILITIES necessary to serve aeronautical users shall be operated AT ALL TIMES in a safe and serviceable condition. Not sure this restriction to fueling will stand a court test. Would like to see AOPA get involved, if indeed there are grant assurances in place.
Typical politics around an airport. The airport property has probably been in existence for longer than the complainers who chose to live in the vicinity of the airport. A restriction such as this should cause a withdrawal of federal funding.
The airport has been there since WWII
Exactly
Why did the offended buy/build near the airport? Sounds like they got an incomplete on their homework.