Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor | Is Tacoma Narrows Airport a good neighbor? (Part 3)

Posted on August 10th, 2026 By: Craig McLaughlin

Editor’s note: This is Mr. McLaughlin’s third in a series of letters about Tacoma Narrows Airport. Read part 1 here and part 2 here.

I had 3 minutes before the TNAAC (Tacoma Narrows Airport Advisory Committee) in March and this letter is a brief summary.

Selected Opening Comments

I’m not here to attack or confront anyone. I’m here to present what I hope are a few reasonable requests.
FAA flight data shows local civil air traffic at Tacoma Narrows Airport has increased just about 50% since 2018
I am hopeful that you can use the information I am about to provide when acting in your advisory capacity with the County.
I am providing you with a list of suggestions to jump start what is an absolutely necessary conversation.

Suggestions

I think it’s reasonable that the airport:

Operate in accordance with its own advisory rules adopted by Pierce County regarding departure procedures:

Runway 17 uses a standard left traffic pattern while a non-standard right traffic pattern is used for Runway 35…noise impacts require noise abatement procedures…or other issues need to be mitigated with traffic pattern adjustments.

Operate in accordance with the County’s own advisory noise abatement procedures:
- Touch and go procedures are discouraged between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. daily and before 8 a.m. on Sunday.
- VFR departures or operations, remaining in pattern – climb on runway heading to 1,000 MSL…Turn crosswind and climb to 1,300 MSL, reduce power and FLY DOWNWIND OVER WOLLOCHET BAY AT 1,300 MSL (all caps in the original document)…
- Runway 17 is the preferred runway…FLY RUNWAY HEADING UNTIL REACHING 1,000 MSL NORTH OR CROSSING THE SHORELINE SOUTH (all caps in the original document)
- Do not make short turnouts after takeoff. Avoid flight over or near neighboring dwellings.
- PLEASE be considerate of the people below you. Conduct your flight professionally.
Follow FAA guidelines regarding safe altitudes

91.119 Minimum safe altitudes; general

Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes:

(a) Anywhere – An altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface.

(b) Over congested areas – Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open-air assembly of persons, an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft.

Comply with the airplane manufacturer’s recommendations regarding noise avoidance to the extent it’s safe to do so. For example, from Cessna (appears to be the most frequently used school planes):

1. Pilots operating aircraft under VFR over outdoor assemblies of persons, recreational and park areas, and other noise-sensitive areas should make every effort to fly not less than 2000 feet above the surface, weather permitting, even though flight at a lower level may be consistent with the provisions of government regulations.
2. During departure from or approach to an airport, climb after takeoff and descent for landing should be made so as to avoid prolonged flight at low altitude near noise-sensitive areas. (My comment: The FAA says 65 decibels is indicative of noise sensitivity and we have recordings in excess of that minimum)

Advise the County that it should review existing local rules for addressing noise reduction similar to what Renton has in place.

Recommendations

Departing flights should go 50% to the left and 50% to the right (willing to share the burden with our fellow neighbors)
Departing flights turning right should either fly over Hale’s Passage or fly far enough south to fly over Carr Inlet to avoid going over residences
No training flights should occur between 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to allow airport neighbors to eat dinner in peace
No training flights should occur before noon on Saturday and Sunday to give those enjoying time off from work the opportunity to have breakfast or brunch and to sit outside to enjoy the view and the quiet
Planes approaching the airport from the north should be allowed to enter the pattern directly onto the base leg rather than fly over residential areas only to turn around and fly back over them again on the downwind leg.

Closing Comment To TNAAC

I remain willing to work with your Commission and the County to find resolutions to the noise problems, but I need to see actions taken by the Tower and the County to reduce the tremendous increase in noise many are experiencing.

Response

None of my comments nor my handout made it into the minutes of the meeting. Even though I provided TNAAC with handouts of my comments, support, and sources, neither my oral comments nor my handout were made a part of the minutes of the meeting. So …

Once again: Totally ignored!

This is what absolute power exercised with arrogance looks like. There have been multiple attempts by multiple people to engage on the noise and safety issues — all to no avail.

Craig McLaughlin

Fox Island