An Oshawa flight school is defending itself from what it says are unjustified characterizations of its impact on noise complaints from neighbouring residents. “Not every small aircraft that the community sees is a flight school aircraft, even though flight schools seem to be wearing the blame from the community from all of it,” John Davis, president of Toronto Airways/Canadian Flight Academy, one of two flight schools at the airport. He said the airport is actually less busy than it was 20 years ago although traffic has grown by about 50 percent in the last five years. In the meantime, the city has allowed numerous residential developments near the airport.
At a meeting in September, about 175 airport neighbours showed up to vent their feelings about airport noise and the main complaint seemed to be about touch and goes. “It is the continuous circuits the community members have claimed are the source of their complaints however the data clearly shows that the local movements which represent the continuous circuits are down 22 per cent from the peak year in Oshawa,” Davis said. Noise complaints have increased at the airport in recent years and community outreach programs have been launched by the local flying club and COPA flight along with airport management.