Santa Rosa residents fed up with constant helicopter noise from nearby hangar
Residents in Santa Rosa say the constant buzzing noise from helicopters taking off and landing at the Sonoma County Airport is taking a toll on their mental health.
The owner of the helicopter company says he's trying to address their concerns, both sides are fighting to preserve what they believe is their right of way.
As a helicopter gets ready to lift-off near the HeliCo Sonoma hangar, Ann Fitzgerald tries to work from home. Only a street separates her from the Sonoma County Airport.
"They come out of nowhere," said Fitzgerald.
The Santa Rosa native has lived here for nearly 25 years. She understood take-offs and landings of planes would come with living near the airport, but it's helicopters that have become her nightmare.
"It's really the circling, the repetitiveness, that's so difficult," she said.
She and neighbors document every flyover, many only 12 to 15 minutes apart. They're trying to find a way to ground the flights. Fitzgerald says it's hard to step outside her home.
"You can't hear yourself think sometimes when this kind of noise is going on," she explained.
Some of her neighbors have been more vocal and vulgar.
Alec Sprick is the owner of HeliCo Sonoma. It continues to expand its flight school after COVID dwindled it to two employees.
"I mean, you can see from the voicemail, I feel like I'm being harassed. I've had people coming to my office, you know, and berate me," said Sprick.
Sprick grew up in the area, learned to fly at 21, and started his small business a few years later. As his company grew, Helico Sonoma secured contracts to execute water drops, assist the Sheriff's office, and more. Sprick is training future operators after performing water drops for the first time during the Caldor Fire in 2021.
"I'm one of our pilots who goes out and flies for the [U.S.] Forest Service for Calfire firefighting operations," he said. "It's important to have schools to be able to produce pilots that go for law enforcement, EMS, and firefighting."
Fitzgerald sees that value, but believes most of the recreational training can be done far away from the airport.
"They'll come over to just below that palm tree," she said.
To address complaints, Sprick has tried to alter flight patterns, though that presents new problems.
"What happens if we make a wide pattern and we try to avoid the neighborhood, then it just creates noise complaints farther out to the west," he explained.
Fitzgerald understands there may be no legal recourse, but is hoping for some kind of resolution.
"It's noise pollution. Over time, you start hearing whirring in your ears," she said.
KPIX contacted Sonoma County Airport General Manager Jon Stout, who issued a statement saying all aircraft operations fall under the jurisdiction of the FAA.
"It is the FAA's sole responsibility to develop air traffic rules, assign the use of airspace, and control air traffic," the statement read. " Additionally, under the FAA requirements, the Airport is not able to block or unreasonably restrict aeronautical operations at the Airport."