Aircraft noise at Charles M. Schulz Airport
Summary
Residents in Windsor, Forestville, Sebastopol and west county have filed more than 46,000 noise complaints this year — up 329% — since the FAA implemented the Redhead departure route in 2024. The county can't force changes because the FAA controls airspace, so it's pursuing voluntary measures and new procedure designs. The 3-2 vote shows even the board is split on whether this spending will actually help.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 9
- Last 30 days
- 9
Discussed at 1 meeting in the last 60 days; most recently Nov 3, 2026.
Impact analysis
Up to $360,000 from the Airport Enterprise Fund, plus about $25,000 a year for virtual noise monitoring — not general fund tax dollars.
Residents west and north of the airport, especially in Windsor, Forestville, Sebastopol and lower Dry Creek Valley, who could see flights spread out or flown higher and quieter.
Complainants say the fixes are too modest and slow, and some neighborhoods could still bear the noise burden if new routes aren't spread fairly.
Mentions & discussions (1)
We'll email you when it's on an upcoming agenda and when it's voted on, at most once a day.
The weekly brief for Sonoma County
What the council decided, in plain English — one email a week.
Free. Unsubscribe with one click any time. We never sell your email.