Aircraft flight patterns available?

[Bob Palin]

We are thinking of buying a house in Cedar City (not selling the Torrey house). We like one that is two miles from the end of the airport runway. There is only one commercial flight a day so that's not really an issue but Wikipedia tells me there are 82 total flights a day, mostly general aviation. Is there a place I can watch the routes of these flights to try to determine how often they fly over the house?

[Downs]

You can go to www.airnav.com and get an estimate on how much daily traffic the airport receives. This will also tell you which way the traffic pattern normally goes. You are going to have either right or left traffic around the Runway.

 

What's the name of the airport? I can look up the info and give you an idea of what to expect. The traffic pattern will change though depending on which way the winds are blowing, any construction or NOTAMs that are in effect and other factors.

 

 

[Bob Palin]

The airport is CDC, the house is 2 miles southwest of the airport directly in line with the runway. I've read all the facts about the airport but can't get a feel for how much of the traffic would come in this direction, is that even possible to ascertain?

 

Thanks

[upflying]

Here is the instrument approach plate.

http://155.178.201.160/d-tpp/1208/05139IL20.PDF

[Kathy R]

Location Location Location

[Bob Palin]

Here is the instrument approach plate.

http://155.178.201.160/d-tpp/1208/05139IL20.PDF

I don't know how to read that!

[George S.]

I know the FAA.gov website lists airports and runway patterns, I don't know if there is anything like frequency of landings and takeoffs and direction, but you could start there.

 

You could also look up the phone number for the control tower and talk to a controller directly.

 

Here in the NY/NJ area we have a website (Aviation Development Council) where we can actually watch in realtime or playback the traffic at the 4 main airports. I don't know about other parts of the country.

[Kathy R]

Here is the instrument approach plate.

http://155.178.201.160/d-tpp/1208/05139IL20.PDF

I don't know how to read that!

 

It says That House Is Too Dang Close to the Runway

[Bob Palin]

Here is the instrument approach plate.

http://155.178.201.160/d-tpp/1208/05139IL20.PDF

I don't know how to read that!

 

It says That House Is Too Dang Close to the Runway

That's probably true but I want a little more factual information.

[upflying]

Here is the VFR chart. Looks like the airport is west of the city and away from noise sensitive areas.

http://vfrmap.com/?type=vfrc&lat=37.701&lon=-113.099&zoom=10

[Bob Palin]

That's true, but the house I'm looking at is right in line with the runway.

[George S.]

It shows the instrument approach is roughly from the NE to SW. Instrument approaches usually are not along the most commercial areas due to light pollution problems for the pilots. As your possible house is at the southwest, more takeoffs will go right over you, and takeoffs are a lot noisier than landings (Full power) and probably account for 99% of noise complaints. And planes are noisier when the weather is bad, and the 'bad weather runway' is the one that is aimed right at your house.

 

As I live within a 1/4 mile of Teterboro Airport, (not at the end of a runway though) the busiest general aviation airport (now jets not props) in the country, I can tell you if your airport handles general aviation prop planes, you'll be OK. If it handles corporate jets, You will have noise issues. If the house seems like a great value, now you know why.

[upflying]

Here is the instrument approach plate.

http://155.178.201.160/d-tpp/1208/05139IL20.PDF

I don't know how to read that!

It says aircraft do not fly over the city unless they are using runway 8/26..

[upflying]

That's true, but the house I'm looking at is right in line with the runway.

There are two runways, which one?

[philbytx]

Bob,

 

If the prevailing winds are from the SW, then you will get the brunt of the take-offs. I checked here and HERE for further info and they gave all the activity there.

 

The bad news...you also have Flight Schools based at the airport

HERE

and

HERE

 

Given the above, you COULD be driven nuts with people training, practicing patterns and, worst of all, go arounds!

 

You will probably also get pattern traffic on the weekends from folks who tie-down/are based at the airport.

 

Sorry its not better news mate !

[Bob Palin]

Thanks, just one jet per day (at the moment) plus occasional military flights (<1%)

 

It doesn't seem likely that CDC will grow a lot, St George, which is not far away, has been aggressively developing its airport and taking the big traffic. So how loud is a single engine aircraft 2 miles after takeoff? Guess I have to go listen.

 

The house may well be a bad idea, it's been on the market for a while and dropped the price $15K last month (95). But it's a very nice house on 2.6 acres...

[Bob Palin]

That's true, but the house I'm looking at is right in line with the runway.

There are two runways, which one?

The main runway running roughly N-S.

[upflying]

Point to the house on the map.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Cedar+City+Airport,+Cedar+City,+Utah&hl=en&sll=37.981119,-121.796709&sspn=0.170756,0.41851&oq=cedar+city+airport+utah&hq=Cedar+City+Airport,+Cedar+City,+Utah&t=m&z=14

[Bob Palin]

If the prevailing winds are from the SW, then you will get the brunt of the take-offs. The other thing to check on, is there an FBO with a flight school at the airport?

 

If so, then you COULD be driven nuts with people training, practicing patterns and, worst of all, go arounds!

 

I'll check on a school, there was a large military plane doing touch and goes yesterday but that seems to fairly rare. (I wasn't there so I don't know what it was)

[upflying]

That's true, but the house I'm looking at is right in line with the runway.

There are two runways, which one?

The main runway running roughly N-S.

Ok, that's runway 2/20 depending on which direction you are landing.

I would guess most traffic lands and takes off on 20. That means if you are north of the airport, airplanes are slowing for a landing towards the south.

If you are south of the airport, aircraft are using full power to take off towards the south.

[George S.]

Even if a general aviation flight school is there, 2 miles may be on the outside fringe of their pattern and you're maybe OK. Not completly quiet, but OK. But they do fly all day on the weekends when you may be out on your deck. Like I said, jets are the causes of noise complaints.

 

You do need to go to your prospective neighborhood and get out of your car and sit and listen on a sunny weekend.

[Bob Palin]

Point to the house on the map.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Cedar+City+Airport,+Cedar+City,+Utah&hl=en&sll=37.981119,-121.796709&sspn=0.170756,0.41851&oq=cedar+city+airport+utah&hq=Cedar+City+Airport,+Cedar+City,+Utah&t=m&z=14

 

I can't seem to figure out how to save the URL, here's the address

 

721 South Westview Drive, Cedar City, UT 84720

[philbytx]

See my updated post mate. Two flight schools....so during pattern work, they will make right traffic just south of the runway so you will get some noise as they turn (most prop sounds are heard parallel to the prop tips first and then aft of them).

As someone else suggested, go there on a weekend morning, park up and listen.

 

 

[Bob Palin]

You do need to go to your prospective neighborhood and get out of your car and sit and listen on a sunny weekend.

Definitely, of course I don't intend to be there much on the weekends (Torrey), but you never know what will happen.

[Bob Palin]

See my updated post mate!

Thanks Phil, I had all the flight volume information, trying to determine where they go. Would flights not heading SW have turned by 2 miles off the runway? Hadn't thought of flight schools.

[upflying]

Training aircraft staying in the pattern for Rwy 20 use right traffic. That means they are flying parallel to 20 (actually flying north) and west of the runway. This is probably done to keep noise away from the city which is east of the airport.

Didn't you live under an approach path at Buchanan field?

[philbytx]

Bob,

Flights schools/folks practicing, would most likely use HWY 56 as a turning point to enter crosswind leg, so they will be away from you by over a mile I would reckon. Other departures, that depends on where they are headed.......but the IFR plates show a 200 heading and a right turn for missed approach.

[SPX]

You could also look up the phone number for the control tower and talk to a controller directly.

 

There is no control tower at Cedar City.

[Kathy R]

 

721 South Westview Drive, Cedar City, UT 84720

 

Talk to the town to find out what the plans are for this airport........

 

Our local airport is doing the unthinkable, growing. The town decided to take over a road, cutting off a prime artery for a bunch of residents. Their ride to the East is increased by 3 miles and they have to go West to go East.

 

One thing is for sure, things will change and in the case of that house those changes are likely to be for the worse. OK, I'll stop.

 

You don't make money when you sell a house.

You make money when you buy it.

[upflying]

Yep, traffic should be making a right turn when departing 20 before reaching that house.

http://goo.gl/maps/q2ttG

[Bob Palin]

Thanks everybody.

 

Kathy, thanks for your view, certainly will take that into account.

 

I didn't actually live under the approach to Buchanan but not far away, the freeway and BART were louder!

 

 

[bobbybob]

Rwy 02/20 is 8,653 ft long. That is a long runway. The typical general aviation 2 or 4 seater planes (like flight schools use) will lift off in the first 1000 ft or so of the runway and by the time they cross the far end of the runway will probably be close to pattern altitude, which is 800 ft above ground level. If they are practicing touch & go landings they will probably never even leave the airport environment as the pattern is very close in to the runway. I wouldn't worry about it. Bet you won't hear more than a couple flights a day.

[Bob Palin]

SWMBO agrees that the airport is too much of a threat after talking to some people she works with and hearing all this information. It's a nice house in a good location but not a good investment, we eventually intend to move back to Torrey full time to retire (but who knows?)

[SageRider]

Bob,

I live 2 miles off the end of the Minden airport.

Predominate traffic past us is departures heading out.

I happen to like the sound of light aircraft, which was one of the reasons for picking my home site.

Other factors went into the decision. For instance, aircraft in trouble have to have a cleared path in case of trouble, or the aircraft will likely come down in houses. No problem with this path in our area.

Amount of jet traffic and future plans: When we moved in, there was an aircraft weight limit in place that pretty much kept out all commercial jets and even the larger executive jets. Political action by developers in our area has managed to get the weight limit thrown out, and our jet traffic has increased. Still primarily older executive jets, which tend to be the nosiest. We have had a 737 fly in though....

The jet pilots are also the ones that seem to most flagrantly violate flying the intended departure route, and instead tend to come directly over the houses.

In all cases, 2 miles off the end of the runway is actually quite a distance and aircraft in good shape have already gained a good amount of altitude.

As newer jets replace the older types, in general, noise levels will come down. Some of the newest jets are extremely quiet even at takeoff power.

 

[SageRider]

Also,

Flights doing pattern work typically only go out about a mile past the end of the runway at Minden. We rarely hear them.

[Bob Palin]

Cedar City is proving 'interesting' from a real estate POV, the airport is one factor, a new truck bypass with attendant business parks planned (seems to be on hold). Property prices are reasonable but rents are high due to the student population presumably, 8000 students, 27,000 residents.

[upflying]

I'm with Sagerider, I'd much rather have aircraft flying overhead than cars flying past my house.

[Bob Palin]

I'm with Sagerider, I'd much rather have aircraft flying overhead than cars flying past my house.

Me too, the road past the house is apparently becoming quite busy which was another factor in rejecting it. Now we're looking at 20 acres out west of town, nice house, huge shop! Too expensive... (Motocross track?)