RE: TPA "refuses" to post noise complaints.

Mr. Iler,

Firstly, I know nothing about the "AFTNS" tracking equipment the TPA uses to verify flight tracks etc.
Also, many of these complaints (no complaints listed for 1 year) and others (not listed) about engine maintenance runs overnight are reasonable and justified.

You have characterized the TPA responses to noise complaints as "mostly inadequate". I'm going to ask you to become a TPA employee now and please show us what an "adequate" response would look like. What more would you like to see?

If I am responding to a complaint that says someone flew through the noise sensitive areas and my tracking doesn't back that up, I am simply going to tell them what the aircraft was doing (training, medevac etc..) and that it DID NOT pass through the noise sensitive area.

Other complaints where people try to "GUESS" altitudes are also easily refuted (or confirmed) by available data that shows the "actual" altitude. IF a complaint is made on the basis that someone thought an aircraft was too low and the response from the TPA indicated that they were incorrect, I think most reasonable people would accept that and move on.

As a reminder, aircraft on approach to land at any airport do not have to adhere to minimum altitudes compared to someone overflying the area (eg. from Oshawa to Burlington) that would have to remain at least 1000ft above the ground.

On a related matter, when I worked at the Island Tower back in 2003, I received a noise complaint (YES- they were so upset they called the tower) from someone that lived near High Park and she called as the aircraft was going by to say that the noise was unacceptable. While on the phone, I looked over to the radar and the ONLY aircraft anywhere near High Park belonged to Pearson airport and was on approach to land there. Needless to say, she did not believe me. If I could have sent her a recording of the radar screen to allay her concerns I would have. It probably wouldn't have mattered - she was convinced that the air traffic she saw was related to the Island airport. This can only be a result of misinformation.

Another FYI for airport area residents:
When Pearson airport is landing in the Northwest direction (Runway 33 Left & 33 Right)), most of the traffic from the north & east will overfly the Island & BBTCA as they turn northwest to land. These are very large aircraft including the Airbus A380 and they are flying about 2800 feet above ground. I can tell you that these flights repeatedly led to noise complaints at the TPA but the complainants never considered that these planes had nothing to do with the Island airport. When the TPA adequately responded to these complaints ("flight to Pearson - not our plane"), the complainant simply did not believe them.

I hope this information helps reduce some of the unwarranted complaints that are lodged and allows a greater focus on those complaints that require corrective action.

Take Care
Joe