Eden Prairie resident raises concerns over Flying Cloud Airport noise

I have lived in Eden Prairie for 15 years. If one were to extend a vector west from the end of runway 10R, it would cross directly over our property. 

In the time we’ve lived here, the noise from aircraft landing at Flying Cloud Airport (FCM) has gotten worse. If I’m outside with friends, it’s impossible to have a conversation when an aircraft is landing. The early morning droning from touch-and-go flights overhead has chased me out of bed. 

Further aggravating this issue is the fact that there seems to be no accountability. In the past, I’ve reported a helicopter going over our place at an altitude of 100 feet (as tracked on the Metropolitan Airports Commission website) late at night. The pictures on our walls vibrated; it was actually terrifying. When I reported it to MAC, their response was, “Sorry, we have insufficient evidence.” 

At the March 4 open house, where the proposed 2040 long-term plan for FCM was presented, almost all of the public comments related to noise. Yet, at each of the public meetings about this plan, the MAC has claimed their hands are tied by the FAA. To those of us dealing with the noise, it appears there’s little interest on the part of the MAC to identify and discipline FCM users who abuse EP residents by disregarding regulations and/or best practices that accommodate the needs of ALL stakeholders.

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The 2040 long-term plan shows the noise contours increasing, and the commission seemed to argue that the increase was minimal. Whether or not that’s true is irrelevant given that the MAC is failing to deal with the current noise problems. Any increase in the contour – even a small one – will exacerbate an existing problem that is not being addressed. 

Denise Beusen, Eden Prairie

Editor’s note: Denise Beusen is a volunteer grant writer for Eden Prairie Local News.