The Airport and City of Keene Elected Officials often get calls regarding the operation of aircraft in the Monadnock region. Often these calls involve safety concerns or noise complaints. We are appreciative of these concerns and hope to share some insight regarding aircraft operations in our area.
Although Airport personnel may have knowledge of some of the flight activity in and around airport, that is not necessarily the case. Aircraft flying in and out of the airport do not have any obligation to communicate with us when doing so and there are also many aeronautical activities occurring that could result in aircraft flying in our neighborhoods that are not even using our airport.
The City of Keene owns and operates the Keene Dillant - Hopkins Airport and therefore has some authority regarding how aircrews operate on the airport. Once they are in the air however, we no longer have any jurisdiction.
Pilots are responsible for operating their aircraft in a safe manor and for following applicable Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations regardless of where they are flying. If a citizen were concerned that someone is operating an aircraft in an unsafe manner, there are processes that can be used to report this activity to the FAA. Below are some resources pertaining to low flying aircraft. These same procedures can be used for other safety of flight concerns as well.
- The Portland FAA FSDO (Flight Standards District Office) has an informational document available to provide guidance on low flying aircraft:https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/pwm/local_more/media/LowFly.pdf
- Additional information regarding reporting low flying aircraft is available here:https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/fai/local_more/media/lowFlyingAircraftComplaints.pdf
- If you would like to speak to the FAA about concerns that you have regarding the safe operation of aircraft, you can contact the Portland, Maine FAA FSDO, Contact information can be found on their website: https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/pwm/
Occasionally Air National Guard aircrews will use our airport for practice approaches. These are typically C-130 aircraft from the Rhode Island National Guard or from the Connecticut Air National Guard. It is our wish to be welcoming to these men and woman serving our country and to support their proficiency missions as much as possible. We do however have an expectation that these operations not impose excessive disturbances to our residents. If you have concerns regarding military operations, contacts for Air National Guard units likely to be using our airport for proficiency training are provided below.
Contacts for Military C-130 Aircraft operations:
Rhode Island National Guard
143D Airlift Wing
Quonset Air National Guard Base, North Kingstown, Rhode Island
Public Affairs webpage: https://www.143aw.ang.af.mil/Units/Public-Affairs/
Connecticut Air National Guard
103rd Airlift Wing
Bradley Air National Guard Base, Windsor Locks, Connecticut.
Contact webpage: https://www.103aw.ang.af.mil/Contact-Us/
New York Air National Guard
109th Airlift Wing
Stratton Air National Guard Base, Schenectady, New York
Contact webpage: https://www.109aw.ang.af.mil/Contact/
New York Air National Guard
102d Rescue Squadron
Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, Westhampton Beach, New York
Contact webpage: https://www.106rqw.ang.af.mil/Contact-Us/
