In response to a complaint by the Quogue Association about airplane noise over their community, Anthony Ceglio, airport manager at Gabreski Airport in Westhampton said wind patterns this summer are forcing air traffic controllers to send more planes over Quogue Village.
The wind on the East End has mainly been blowing from the southeast and northwest, said Ceglio. Usually the wind comes from the southwest – off the ocean – but this summer historical patterns have been reversed, he said.
Air traffic controllers use wind patterns to direct pilots down the airport’s runways, Ceglio said. When the wind comes in from the southwest, controllers tell pilots to use the airport’s longer runway, allowing planes to come in at a higher altitude, reducing noise at ground level, Ceglio said.
With the change in wind, pilots have been instructed to use the shorter runway, bringing them into closer contact with Quogue, he said.
“This summer is favoring one runway and it puts planes over their area,” Ceglio said noting that when the wind is less than five miles per hour from any direction, air traffic controllers send pilots down the longest runway away from Quogue, Ceglio said.
For 14 of 30 days in June, 18 of 31 days in July and six of eight days so far in August, the wind has blown atypical to historical patterns, said Ceglio citing a national weather service.
Quogue residents have been considering putting together a petition to quiet airplane noise from the nearby airport; Ceglio reminded that the airport has a noise complaint hotline.
He said the airport sends out letters to jet, helicopter and propeller aircraft pilots after resident complaints are lodged. The airport also acknowledged complaints with follow-up letters to complaints, he said.
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