Sonoma County Airport Community Workshop

The Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport (STS) will be hosting this community outreach workshop.

In 2023 The Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport (STS) hosted two community outreach workshops to provide a comprehensive overview of an Approach Feasibility Study authored by consulting firm Cignus, a transportation management and engineering company.  Cignus was hired to perform an Approach Feasibility Study to understand the current airspace and procedures serving STS, so that they can further study the viability and practicality of developing new procedure(s) or modifying existing ones. The study aims to ensure that the proposed new procedures (if any) meet safety, regulatory, operational, and technical requirements.

Having evaluated all flight procedures serving STS, and reviewed all existing obstructions, existing flight track data, noise and operational complaints and limitations (if any) of the current procedures, the next step will be the development of new or revised procedures while evaluating impact on Airport traffic, airspace, regulatory requirements, and to the extent possible any associated environmental and noise impacts.

The meeting will consist of two parts.

• The first is a presentation by Cignus, a consulting firm the Airport has hired to assist with the feasibility study. This presentation will be both live and streamed via Zoom webinar, and will cover what they have learned and potential alternative flight paths.

• The second portion of the event will be a workshop where information and experts will be available at multiple stations to share knowledge and discuss the study with individuals who attend in person.

• During the entirety of the event, a court reporter will be available onsite to formally record comments from the public. This is to ensure all remarks are documented accurately and that everyone has an opportunity to share.

There will also be a digital avenue to submit comments which will be available during the event and through the end of the day on October 18th. All of the feedback from the meetings will be consolidated and added to the study data. Responses to the consolidated comments and questions will be posted and sent to interested parties at a later date.

It is important to note that these events are not hearings, and formal, documented questions will only be taken through the two aforementioned channels: The court reporter and the digital form. While there will be opportunities to ask questions during the workshop, if you would like to have your comments or questions documented for response, you will need to use one of the two channels. The Airport’s goal for these events is to embrace transparency and provide educational opportunities for citizens while simultaneously opening channels for public feedback. This feedback is important information for Cignus as it continues the feasibility study.

2024 documentation, as well as the digital comment form will be available beginning September 28th.

All community members are welcome to attend.

For resources related to the Approach Feasibility study, please visit this site:

https://stsgoodneighbor.com/study/

How to Document Noise Complaints at STS Airport

If you're experiencing noise disturbances from flights at STS Airport, it's important to document your experience by filing a complaint. You can do this online here or by calling 707-565-7243.

While it might feel like complaints go unnoticed, in this case, filing them is essential. Though we can't guarantee an immediate change in flight patterns, complaints submitted through the official channels are the most effective way to raise concerns that the FAA will acknowledge. STS Airport regularly reviews and utilizes the information from these complaints, and reports have shown trends based on community feedback.

If you're able to provide specific details—such as the time, type of aircraft, or flight path—this will help the airport better identify problematic flights. If you're unsure about the specifics, the “FlightRadar24” app can be a helpful tool for identifying aircraft types when they're overhead. However, if you're looking to submit more general feedback, simply call 707-565-7243 to share your experience. Every report matters in helping the airport address community concerns.