By reporter Steven Smalley
The noise, pollution, and constant stream of airplanes over Magnolia and Seattle environs are planned to come to a practical end if the Federal Aviation Administration has its way implementing a program called ‘Greener Skies’. Unfortunately, the government process of Environmental Impact Studies and subsequent public involvement has added more to confuse the issue and anger communities than to bring clarity, according to Robert Bismuth, pilot and Magnolia Community Club trustee.
After attending a public meeting and hearing the FAA’s consultant offer his analysis of the program, and then refusing to answer any questions until the end, Bismuth wrote the FAA, complaining the speaker “…Did an absolutely terrible job of presenting his findings.” A strong statement from one who dwells in the land of bureaucrats not accustomed to such blunt assessments.
Bismuth maintains the Greener Skies proposal is, “…Actually a good thing….” when he discussed the matter at-length with Magnolia Voice.
“The controversy surrounds the public meeting the FAA held on the environmental impact statement. The FAA’s consultant did a very poor job of explaining the advantages,” Bismuth explained. “The FAA meeting angered and confused those present.”
In a nutshell, the positive aspects of Greener Skies leads aircraft to the airport on a path based on GPS coordinates and not signals coming from the ground. It will be a radical departure from what was previously a straight shot toward a landing. With the new system in place, jets will swing around Magnolia over Elliott Bay and then turn toward SeaTac on a curve around land. So the approach changes from a straight line to one encircling the likes of North Seattle, Ballard, and Magnolia. But it gets better than that.
“The idea is to come up with approaches that can be flown by airliners with their power settings to idle,” explains Bismuth.
Instead of the current “stair-step” descent into the airport that pilots must keep power on during certain portions of level flight, Greener Skies allows aircraft a gradual slope with engines on idle generating almost no noise. This produces less pollution overall, and huge fuel savings for airlines.
“The airlines are crying out for these approaches because it will save them several hundred gallons of fuel per flight which is a major economic advantage,” Bismuth said. “Lower airline operating costs equate to lower ticket prices and more jobs.”
“The approaches into Boeing Field can also be modified as part of this process,” he continued. “Those approaches will curve over Elliott Bay too. When that happens, those 4:30A.M. flights that people get disturbed by will no longer disturb them. Because the aircraft will be over the water.”
When asked what he wished for, Bismuth said, “You need the FAA to say what I’m saying so people will understand…the buck stops with the FAA. I believe that when the people of Magnolia fully understand the benefits of the Greener Skies Program, they will all support it.”
Sounds good. Thanks for taking the time to discuss more nuance in the subject. Be great if the article include more than one person’s point of view on the mater.
Now if only we can do something about all the low-flying seaplanes!
All good news, but as SeaTac planes pass high over Magnolia the greatest impact for many of us is Boeing Field. It would be fantastic if the Boeing Field approach was shifted over Elliott Bay and planes idled in. Many or perhaps most aircraft flying into Boeing aren’t airliners, but cargo and private aircraft. How many of them are likely to be equipped for Greener Skies, and how many will have to continue the straight shot over Magnolia with engines straining?
Agree with MagTony, the Boeing Field flights are the real problem. They bomb overhead at 11:30pm through 12am, then again at 4:20 am through 6 am. Up here near the water tower, it’s next to impossible to get a good night of sleep – even with a white noise machine inches from my head. Will the Greener Skies initiative do anything to mitigate these cargo flights?
Robert Bismuth doesn’t speak for all pilots. I find it interesting how he wants to be the centerpiece of this conversation. It would be nice if he reached out to his fellow pilots in the area (and he should know the forums to do so) and engage them or at least permit them to speak. But his attention-whoring attitude and wanting to be the “liason” between the FAA and Magnolia I find somewhat offensive.
These days, my biggest issue as it relates to noise is:
1: Seattle HeliTours – who fly ~500 feet above southeast Magnolia and Interbay daily. They’re the yellow, small helos.
2: High-RPM prop flights, specifically Kenmore Air C208s blasting in/out of BFI over Magnolia/Interbay.
Thanks Robert for tirelessly fighting this fight for so long.
Never really understood why the planes needed to fly over Magnolia, when they had an entire body of ocean to fly over!