Citizens for a Friendly Airport

06/07/2026

Hello C4FA Supporters,
PAAN Releases First GETNoisy Noise Report for Palomar Airport

The Palomar Airport Action Network (PAAN) has released its first GETNoisy noise report covering May 2026, and it's a big deal. The overall Summary Chart is posted at the end of this email.

Unlike the official metric used by the County (called CNEL - Community Noise Equivalent Level), which averages noise over time and distance, GETNoisy focuses on what residents actually experience: individual aircraft events, maximum noise levels, nighttime and early-morning disturbances, repeated overflights, and concentrated bursts of activity.

CNEL was adopted in the early 1970s and has its uses for long-term planning, but it simply doesn't capture the jolt of a single plane flying over your house. That's what SENEL (Single Event Noise Exposure Level) measures, and that's what GETNoisy reports.

Another key difference: GETNoisy pulls from objective data automatically, so residents don't have to file cumbersome noise complaints themselves. As a result, it captures far more noise incidents than the County's system... we're talking orders of magnitude more. (We'd love to compare it directly to the County's May data, but they typically take a month or two to publish theirs.)

C4FA and PAAN have been asking for exactly this kind of reporting for years. The County said it couldn't be done. Turns out it could — and residents did it themselves.

Key Findings for May 2026

278 flights during quiet hours - more than 9 every single night

8,331 flights registering over 65dB - more than 277 every day

4,075 flights registering over 75dB (twice as loud as 65dB) - more than 135 every day

Busiest day: May 19, 2026 with 491 noise events in a single day

Worst night: May 18, 2026 with 19 flights during quiet hours.

If you'd like more information on GetNoisy, or if you or your HOA would like to join the PAAN system, please reach out to PAAN directly at
[email protected]

C4FA is continuing its legal battle against the County, AA, and UA to stop the operational expansion at Palomar Airport without permission from the City of Carlsbad.

If you believe local control should mean something, if you want to protect residents' health and safety, please help us continue this fight.

Please Click here to donate.
Every dollar strengthens our ability to hold the County accountable.

We are a 100% volunteer organization. No salaries. No overhead. Just neighbors committed to protecting our community. But litigation is expensive and the County is counting on us running out of resources.

This effort depends on community engagement. Please forward this message to friends, neighbors, and anyone who cares about the future of Carlsbad.

Hello C4FA Supporters, PAAN Releases First GETNoisy Noise Report for Palomar Airport The Palomar Airport Action Network (PAAN) has released its first GETNoisy noise report covering May 2026, and it's a big deal. The overall Summary Chart is posted at the end of this email. Unlike the official metric...

06/02/2026

Looks like it is time for the County to update the FAA CRF Part-150 Noise Compatibility Study for best land use practices near Palomar Airport.

The 397-unit project is proposed for a 9.8-acres site along Salk Avenue between College Boulevard and El Camino Real, which sits just north of McClellan Palomar Airport.

05/24/2026

The Numbers Don't Lie (But Apparently the County Does)

First, yes, C4FA will be litigating the new AA contract. The County signed another illegal contract, so here we are. We have no choice. It's the only route we have.

Moving on....after 10 months of community requests, the County finally blessed us with their Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Report, which ended June 30, 2025.

The Greatest Hits from the May 21st Airport Director's Report:
The County insists the airport is financially self-sufficient. Revenues: $5.4M. Expenses: $7.8M. Net loss: $2.4M. Stunning self-sufficiency.

That revenue figure? It's padded with rent from the Lowe's shopping center. You know - the airport.

Also missing from revenue: the 2025 Airport use fees the County chose to waive for American and United, two multibillion-dollar corporations, during a year the County had to dip into PUBLIC reserves to meet its obligations. Generous!

The County swears no taxpayer dollars subsidize Palomar. They're technically using public rental revenues instead. Still public money, still our money.

That $2.4M loss? Covered by the "Airport Enterprise Fund", a legal slush fund shared by all County Airports, fed largely by commercial property leases on County land off the airport.

Public monies, earned OFF the airports for NON-AIRPORT purposes, are used to subsidize corporate jet owners and multi-billion dollar companies like American and United instead of helping residents neglected by growing County deficits. Public money, earmarked for... the airport. Not housing assistance, not public health, the airports. For example, in Carlsbad, Lowe's is not an "airport use", yet those commercial lease payments fund County airports.

We're assembling volunteer financial professionals to dig deeper. Stay tuned.
County gaslighting - the gift that keeps on giving.

And finally, yes, more litigation. We need your help to keep the County honest.
Join the approximately 75% of North County who oppose Palomar's expansion.

PLEASE DONATE - Litigation is expensive.
Every donation matters, whether it's $5, $50, $500 or $5000.

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has already donated. We are a 100% volunteer organization and we truly couldn't do this without you.

Your support helps us to keep Palomar Airport small and friendly, as it was intended to be, and helps ensure the County to follows laws and Court orders.

Dear C4FA Friends, The Numbers Don't Lie (But Apparently the County Does) First, yes, C4FA will be litigating the new AA contract. The County signed another illegal contract, so here we are. We have no choice. It's the only route we have. Moving on....after 10 months of community requests, the Count...

05/22/2026

Today’s flight paths are more direct, which cuts fuel use and reduces emissions, but they may concentrate noise in some neighborhoods.
Changes in flight paths and traffic patterns led to increases in airplane noise in some areas and decreases in others.
Noise exposure of residential properties affects property prices. Future airport design and urban planning decisions should take those effects into account.

Through intellectual rigor and experiential learning, this full-time, two-year MBA program prepares leaders to make a difference in the world.

05/21/2026

San Diego County is the owner/operator of Palomar Airport. By entering into these Commercial Service contracts they ignore their own Volunteer Noise Abatement Program.
The McClellan-Palomar Airport has never had a curfew in Carlsbad and now there are more daily flights than ever before. Residents say the new noise levels are unacceptable.

Palomar-McClellan Airport neighbors have long complained of noise. Concerns escalated when San Diego County approved new commercial flights.

05/18/2026

Two very important announcements:

The Board of Supervisors will vote on an expanded American Airlines (AA) contract, this Wednesday, May 20th at 9am. Agenda Item #7

The PAAC will be meeting on Thursday, May 21st at 6pm. Airport Financials will be discussed. Meeting details and PAAC Agenda may be found on our Announcements Page

New AA Contract:
This Wednesday, May 20th, the Board of Supervisors will vote to authorize a new lease for American to add 4 flights per day. The new contract will bring the total number of large commercial flights in and out of Palomar to 16 per day - 8 from United and 8 from American.

In addition, we've been told, the County will also approve AA adding 10 additional seasonal flights over the course of a year, at one flight per day. As of this writing, the AA contract has not been made public for review.

C4FA is opposed to this action. We are in the middle of litigation against the original AA and UA contracts for violating the Court's 2021 order to obtain permission from the City of Carlsbad before changing the USE of Palomar Airport. The City of Carlsbad was granted LOCAL CONTROL of Palomar Airport use. The County is yet again violating the Court Order.

C4FA will continue to litigate to stop this unauthorized expansion and protect our community.

What you can do:
Show up and tell the BOS NOT to support the proposal - Wed, 5/20/2026 at 9am at the County Admin Building downtown. Details about the meeting may be found here: Announcements

At a minimum, please submit an e-Comment OPPOSING Agenda Item #7. The County doesn't make it easy, but here are the steps to submit your eComment:

Go to the County website for eComments-

Scroll down to Agenda Item #7.
Click the COMMENT button on the RIGHT side at the bottom of Item #7. (The Comment button on the left shows the comments that have been submitted.)

Select OPPOSE - This is the field the County tallies to report public opinion. Please DO NOT LEAVE BLANK.

You do NOT have to fill out your personal information. First name, last initial, and a zip code will suffice.

Write a short comment if you choose. You have 1000 characters.
Press Submit
Comments and Emails other than the eComments do NOT get tallied or reported .....

The eComment takes only a minute or so to do, and is so important.
PLEASE SHARE!

As always - Questions? Please email us at [email protected]

Thank you for your continued support.
Your Friends and Neighbors at C4FA

05/15/2026

The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday it was sharply reducing its target for air traffic control staffing as ​it vowed to modernize scheduling and increase the time employees spend managing ‌traffic.
The FAA said its new target is 12,563 certified controllers, down from 14,633. A National Academies of Sciences report last year said overtime costs for air traffic controllers, have jumped by more than ​300% since 2013 to over $200 million, citing a misallocated workforce and inefficient ​scheduling.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday it was sharply reducing its target for air traffic control staffing as ​it vowed to modernize scheduling and increase the time employees spend managing ‌traffic.

05/05/2026

Announcements from Community Organization
Palomar Airport Action Network (PAAN)

GET NOISY Network Update:
We are getting some interesting, and disturbing, data from our Get Noisy network.
Specially, the terrible impacts of the
Palomar Airport operational expansion:

A) Over 77%/5867 Flights exceed 65 decibels(State noise impact threshold event)

Over 36%/2752 Flights exceed 75 decibels (2x the noise level at 65 decibels)

Over 15%/1107 Flights exceed 80 decibels (3x the noise level at 65 decibels)

B) Over 400 flights per day fly all over our neighborhoods.

2. Upcoming Important Meetings

May 20- (Wednesday 9AM) Board of Supervisors Meeting- Agenda Item- Approve additional American Airlines flights.

May 21- (Thursday 6PM)- PAAC Meeting- Please make your presence known.

3. SDAAA- San Diego Airports Action Advocates:
A few PAAN participants formed this 501c3 Non Profit Organization over a year ago. The purposes of the organization are:

The primary mission and purpose of this corporation shall be to promote safe skies and healthy environments for communities
impacted by airport operations in San Diego County, and any and all lawful activities incidental thereto or in furtherance thereof.

SDAAA was instrumental in raising the funds to implement the Get Noisy Network.

In order to continue and expand the Get Noisy Network we could use additional contributions.
Please consider supporting SDAAA with a tax deductible contribution. These donations cover the cost of aviation noise monitors placed in and around the airport impacted Community.
Any amount is appreciated. You can do so by forwarding donations to:
San Diego Airports Action Advocates - 7040 Avenida Encinas Ste104-30, Carlsbad CA 92011