FAA Regulation Regarding Minimum Altitude Over Residential Neighborhoods

Question: What is the FAA guideline/regulation regarding the minimum altitude that pilots should maintain when flying over residential neighborhoods near an airport? Is the minimum altitude a suggestion, or a requirement?

Answer: Although Livermore Airport asks pilots to voluntarily avoid residential overflight whenever safe and practical to do so, aircraft are legally allowed to fly over residential areas per FAR (Federal Aviation Regulation) 91.119

FAR 91.119 essentially states that aircraft are allowed to fly over populated areas while maintaining a minimum altitude of 1,000 feet above the ground. The one notable exception to this minimum altitude, per FAR 91.119, is for the express purposes of takeoff and landing. 

View the full text of FAR 91.119. 

Where to report non-compliance with minimum altitude requirement

Question: With the FAA requirement for pilots flying over populated areas to maintain a minimum altitude of 1,000 feet above the ground, and residents see pilots not complying, to whom should they report the non-compliance?

Answer: Non-compliance of minimum altitude should be reported directly to the FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) - Oakland

Non-Livermore Based Aircraft 

Question: Why would pilots based at other airports in the Bay Area practice their flying over residential neighborhoods near Livermore Airport?

Why wouldn’t they practice flying at their home airport (Hayward, Palo Alto or San Carlos)?

Answer: Aircraft from other Bay Area airports may circle over the surrounding area of Livermore Airport for several reasons, which include airspace congestion, cross country flight requirements for training, certificate signoff, or weather.

Other Bay Area airports are severely congested by Part 139 (Commercial Service) aircraft. Livermore Airport is classified as a regional reliever airport, and it is safer for general aviation aircraft to practice and train within our airspace.

Other airports/towers sometimes have factors that restrict their ability to accommodate as many aircraft as LVK is able to handle. Factors may include tower staffing, weather (HWD (Hayward) has low clouds, but LVK is clear), or in PAO’s (Palo Alto) case, they have one runway as opposed to LVK's two runways.

"Touch-and-Go"

Question: When pilots perform the maneuver "touch and go" shouldn't they maintain the minimum 1,000 feet above ground for residential neighborhoods? How are these operational maneuvers tracked?

Answer: “Touch and go” is a landing and a takeoff and are counted as such by the FAA in their operational counts. The “touch” refers to the aircraft wheels “touching” the runway as it lands and the “go” refers to the immediate take-off following the “touch.” All aircraft are required to follow the same flying standards. 

Per FAR 91.119, aircraft are allowed to fly over populated areas while maintaining a minimum altitude of 1,000 feet above the ground except for the express purposes of takeoff and landing. 

Livermore Airport is committed to addressing airport noise in the community to the extent practicable.  We understand, and in many cases, share the frustration exhibited by many of our neighbors with respect to noise. To that effect, Livermore Airport is constantly looking for meaningful ways to help reduce noise where possible. Actions taken by the Livermore Airport to reduce noise include:

• Issuing letters to those who do not abide by the voluntary restriction from flying at night.
• Identifying preferred approach and departure procedures for pilots to avoid flying over populated / noise-sensitive areas.
• Sending notices on invoices to all tenants.
• Working with the FAA Air Traffic Control Tower to remind pilots of abatement procedures.
• Additional signage around the Airport property reminding all pilots to please fly quiet.

Recently, LVK simplified noise reporting for community members through the new Casper Noise Reporting Portal.

Further, LVK has begun working with the LVK FAA Air Traffic Control Tower to publish the noise abatement procedures on the Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) for Livermore Airport.

FAA Civic Aviation Noise Policy

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a request for comments on its review of the Civil Aviation Noise Policy [Docket no: FAA-2023-0855].

Comments are due by September 29, 2023.

“The FAA invites public comments from interested individuals, entities, and other parties to review four key considerations of its civil aviation noise policy, in the context of noise metrics and noise thresholds. The civil aviation noise policy sets forth how the FAA analyzes, explains, and publicly presents changes in noise exposure from aviation activity: recreational and commercial fixed wing airplanes, helicopters, commercial space transportation vehicles, unmanned aircraft systems, as well as emerging technology vehicles (newer types of vehicles that will operate in U.S. airspace). The FAA will consider how changes to the civil aviation noise policy may better inform agency decision-making, the types of impacts it considers in making decisions (e.g., community annoyance, certain types of adverse health impacts highly correlated with aviation noise exposure), and potential improvements to how the FAA analyzes, explains, and presents changes in exposure to civil aviation noise.”

Provide individual comment to the Federal Aviation Administration or learn in more detail about the request for comments.

Please visit our dedicated webpage regarding fuel types at LVK - Unleaded Fuel Transition at LVK

What are PFAS?

PFAS stands for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances.  These substances are long lasting chemicals, components of which break down very slowly over time.  Otherwise known as the “forever chemical.” 

PFAS and Airports

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations continue to legally mandate that airports use a firefighting agent containing PFAS known as Aqueous-Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) for real-life emergencies.  The FAA believes AFFF is the most effective chemical available to quickly extinguish aircraft fires and save lives. However, due to the finding by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that certain PFAS can cause serious health concerns, in-conjunction with the Department of Defense (DOD), the FAA has engaged in a significant research project to test fluorine-free foams (F3).  “In January 2023, the DOD published an F3 military specification (MILSPEC), and foam manufacturers can now submit MILSPEC F3 agents for qualification by DOD.  Once DOD certifies that a foam meets the new specification, it will be added to the Qualified Product List.  FAA considers foams on the Qualified Product List as acceptable to use to satisfy the regulatory requirements…” https://www.faa.gov/airports/airport_safety/aircraft_rescue_fire_fighting/f3_transition

Are PFAS being stored at LVK Airport?

PFAS are a very large class of chemicals. Items containing PFAS are certainly stored on LVK property, but most of these items would not enter the ground.  One example is the structural firefighting gear Livermore Pleasanton Fire Department (LPFD) personnel wear.  Specific to firefighting, PFAS were found to be in Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF). The LPFD carried this foam until the early 2000’s but ceased doing so (around 2002) for unrelated reasons. No AFFF is stored at LVK. LPFD briefly had AFFF on site in 2016 when significant jet traffic related to Superbowl 50 was anticipated, but it never left the plastic container it arrived in.

Have AFFF ever been used at LVK for training purposes or in response to an aircraft incident?