Night flying upsets Colby Villager
What do you expect next to an airport, forces spokesman says By JENNIFER STEWART / Staff Reporter
A Colby Village resident who lives less than a kilometre from one of 12 Wing Shearwater's active runways says he is upset with the airbase's night flying schedule. Jim Nemeth, who lives on Amethyst Crescent, says the Sea King helicopters that regularly fly over his home are a disruptive nuisance. "We've been here 2 1/2 years and it's an ongoing event," Mr. Nemeth said Thursday. He says the choppers usually roar between 9 p.m. and midnight, but lately they've been returning to the base as late as 1 a.m. "You keep children awake, you keep people awake, you're flying so low you even disrupt the conversation, never mind the TV," he said. Mr. Nemeth admits it may sound trivial but says the noise is a constant bother for many in his neighbourhood. Air force spokesman Capt. Dave Devenney met with Mr. Nemeth on Thursday morning to discuss his concerns. He said the noise is unfortunately something the residents will have to live with. "It's a balancing act for us and them, in that they're living near an active airbase," he said. Pilots at Shearwater are required to have at least one hour of night flying a month to keep their skills sharp, Capt. Devenney said. The base has about 60 pilots. At two pilots a flight, he said, that's roughly 30 night flights a month. Mr. Nemeth said he understands that reasoning but wishes the impact on the community could be minimized. For example, he suggested, try putting time restrictions on the flights. But Capt. Devenney said it's not that easy, especially in the summer months when darkness falls as late as 9:30 p.m. "What we do is, we block time for night flying so we don't actually conduct it through the whole month," he explained. "We're really trying to be efficient." Ken Whitehead, who flew the Sea Kings for a period during his 34 years in the air force, said Mr. Nemeth shouldn't complain about the noise, because he chose to live in the area. "I just don't understand people," Mr. Whitehead said Wednesday night. "They know they're moving and living in the vicinity of an airport, and they complain about aircraft noise." Mr. Whitehead, who also lives in Colby Village, said he too occasionally hears the choppers but said he's accustomed to the sound. Capt. Devenney said he hasn't heard any noise complaints other than Mr. Nemeth's. "We are a heliport now," he said. "If you looked at Shearwater before, we were actually busier (then), so we have reduced aircraft use."
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