Written by 
The Renton Airport Advisory Committee discusses the increase of nighttime jet traffic over Mercer Island at the Committee’s September 9 meeting.
The Renton Airport Advisory Committee discussed intensifying noise concerns at their third-quarter September 9 meeting, and the link to the zoom recording of the meeting was just made available. The video can be watched here.
The noise discussion starts at 43 minutes, first with some questions by Jeff Dineen (representing South Renton and RAAC vice-chair) regarding how pilots get trained on noise abatement procedures, followed by an intense discussion of overnight jet traffic over Mercer Island. Tom Imrich (representing Mercer Island and a highly-experienced commercial jet pilot) makes the case that too many of the takeoffs are occuring at just a few-hundred feet above Mercer Island’s tree-tops at all hours of the night, and that a higher take-off profile or an east-channel (over-water) departure route should be invoked to spare Mercer Island’s neighborhoods from the noise and safety risks of the low-flying jet traffic.
The RAAC discussion covers some of the concerns that precipitated a firm letter from Mercer Island’s Mayor to the Renton Airport Director in September.
The video and draft meeting minutes were made available in conjunction with the announcement for the fourth quarter RAAC meeting, to be held on November 18th at 5:00 PM. I’ve attached the agenda below. (Meetings of the RAAC are open to the public, although public comment is typically not taken at the meetings.)
In several previous blog entries I’ve expressed concern that a new focus by Renton Airport leadership on inviting jet centers into Renton Airport, diplacing historic small-parts manufacturers and piston-aircraft users, would lead to increasing conflicts of this type. All my earlier blog posts related to Renton Airport and the RAAC can be found here, or by clicking “Airport” in the Category sidebar.
I love how airport noise is only a big deal if Mercer Island people have to deal with it. Renton people apparently can go stuff it.
Mercer Island people are far more likely to be driving this jet traffic, so they can go pound sand.
It was predictable that Renton would hear from Mercer Island about this. Takeoffs are into the prevailing wind, which makes lakeoffs more likely over Mercer Island in the summer months (when the wind comes from the north), and over South Renton in the winter months (when the wind comes from the south). This RAAC meeting was in September, when we still had warm weather, and most of the takeoffs were over Mercer Island. I expect the numbers of complaints from South Renton to grow now that it is cooler, although it helps that windows are closed in cool weather and people are less likely to spend much time outside.
Renton’s Airport Sustainability Master Plan, co-sponsored by the FAA, was specifically created 13 years ago to help avoid this kind of conflict with neighborhoods around the airport, whether in Renton, Kent, Tukwila, Newcastle, Mercer Island or Seattle. But Renton’s current airport managers do not seem to even know this plan exists, and they are certainly not following the steps that the plan calls for.
So… when exactly do we upgrade from “nothing-burger” councilmembers to Renton reps who care about Renton the way Mercer Island reps obsess over Mercer Island?
Best we can do is a proclamation
Who cares about you poor people having to hear the airport. You’ll complain a bit, but that’s about it.
As a reminder, Mercer Island Council and Mayor were not just concerned about noise. They brought up safety concerns as well, pointing out that the jets are sometimes just a few hundred feet above their treetops. Tom Imrich, a retired Chief Research Pilot for the Boeing Company, emphasized this safety concerns in the video of the RAAC meeting I linked to.
These jets are moving at about 250-300 feet per second, so a small unintended change in take-off trajectory (such as a delayed response to an engine failure) could potentially endanger an island neighborhood.
Jets departing Renton Field to the north start out at 24 foot field elevation, and have 9,000 feet of lake before they reach Mercer Island. Mercer Island peak elevation is 394 feet, topped with trees reaching up another 150 feet.
Oh no! Wouldn’t want to risk Mercer Island people! Let’s risk the Renton people instead.
Renton’s Council should be pushing back on the jet center with greater intensity than Mercer Island’s Council. Any accidents (such as a Jet pilot misjudging by three seconds and overrunning the airfield) are far more likely to hurt Renton than Mercer Island.
Still, no one should fault Mercer Island’s Council for being concerned about Renton’s new jet focus. It was predictable that they would be.
Insula Mercerensis mutanda est. -Cato, citizen of Renton.
You’ve gone soft. IM delenda est.
As a reminder, we would probably have Seatac take-offs directly over Renton homes if it was not for our strong alliance with Mercer Island over aircraft noise issues. It’s important that we maintain this partnership. Here is the background on this issue.