Dear Rio Vista Residents and Neighbors,

This information has just recently come to the RVH HOA Board’s attention.  The Board believes this is a concerning issue requiring your immediate attention as you will read below:

The local Air Force (Gladden Military Operations Area) is proposing to increase training flights to 24 hours a day and lower the flight floor from 5000 ft. to 500 ft. This includes supersonic jets that would be flying over our neighborhood.

You have until March 4^th to submit your comments on this proposal. This is an urgent issue for the quality of life in our community so please ASAP go to the web page: www.ArizonaRegionalAirspaceEIS.com and complete the comment form:

1.     Click on the word “COMMENTS” in the upper right corner and the EIS form will upload immediately

2.     Fill in your name, address 

3.     Fill in the COMMENT section or upload a File of your comments (We have provided a separate file that you can use to upload or modify and upload. File name: MOA Expansion-File.docx. It is available in the Residents Only Section.)

4.     Check the box “ I am providing specific information, research, or analysis(es) relevant to the Proposed Action.”

5.     Click “SUBMIT”

Feel free to use any of the following comments:

1.     The proposed flight floor of 500 ft is not in agreement with the established Air Force floor of 1000 feet over neighborhoods (AICUZ program).

2.     The lower flight floor raises the danger level for the many dirt landing strips throughout the Gladden MOA, including the Rio Vista Hills airport.

3.     The lower flight floor also raises the risk for collisions with the Medevac Helicopters that transport critical medical patients, including their flight patterns over the Rio Vista Hills community.

4.     The increase in jet noise, including sonic booms, over neighborhoods has a number of potential serious health and environmental consequences:

a)     “In November 2019, Massachusetts General Hospital published a study finding a plausible mechanism linking excess aviation noise to cardiovascular effects”, including stroke and heart attacks (Current and Prospective Research of Noise Impacts on Health HMMH Noise News | Volume #2 | March 2020 ; https://www.lawa.org/-/media/lawa-web/environment/lax-community-noise-roundtable/noise_ management_presentations/2020/noisert_200311-aviation-noise-news.ashx/).

These findings support an earlier European study. (Aircraft Noise and the Risk of Stroke.  Dtsch Arztebl Int.  2019. 116:237-244. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31092311/)

b)     “Aircraft noise is one, if not the most detrimental environmental effect of aviation. It can cause community annoyance, disrupt sleep, adversely affect academic performance of children, and could increase the risk for cardiovascular disease of people” (Aviation Noise Impacts: State of the Science. Noise Health. 2017. 19: 41–50. Aviation Noise Impacts: State of the Science).

Aviation Noise Impacts: State of the ScienceNoise is defined as “unwanted sound.” Aircraft noise is one, if not the most detrimental environmental effect of…

c)     Aircraft noise has also been linked to depression, particularly in the elderly. (Aircraft noise control policy and mental health: a natural experiment based on the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA). J Epidemiol Community Health.  2021. 75:458-463. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33148682/).

d)     Therefore, as reviewed in a), b), and c), increased aircraft noise has negative impact on the quality of life of neighborhood residents. This includes increased utilization of medications for sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular issues. (The role of aircraft noise annoyance and noise sensitivity in the association between aircraft noise levels and medication use: results of a pooled-analysis from seven European countries. BMC Public Health. 2021. 21:300. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33546655/).

e)     The proposal to increase flights to 24 hours also has significant negative impact. “Data suggest that night-time aircraft noise can trigger acute cardiovascular mortality. The association was similar to that previously observed for long-term aircraft noise exposure.” (Does night-time aircraft noise trigger mortality? A case-crossover study on 24,886 cardiovascular deaths. Eur Heart J.  2021. 42:835-843. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33245107/).

f)      The increased noise will lower property values, for which the Air Force offers no compensation.

g)     The impact of significantly augmented Air Force activities also requires an analysis of the potential impact on environmentally sensitive regions and species, as well as companion animals and livestock. This is an area of research that needs to be considered for potential negative impacts:

                             I.         A review of the effects of aircraft noise on wildlife and humans, current control mechanisms, and the need for further study. (Environ Manage. 2003. 32:418-32.A review of the effects of aircraft noise on wildlife and humans, current control mechanisms, and the need for further study – PubMed).

A review of the effects of aircraft noise on wildlife and humans, curren…Military and civilian aircraft overflights are an issue that may impact the quality of life for millions of Unit…

                            II.         Military Flights Threaten the Wilderness Soundscapes of the Olympic Peninsula, Washington. (Northwest Science, 94:188-202. 2020. https://complete.bioone.org/journals/northwest-science/volume-94/issue-2/046.094.0208/Military-Flights-Threaten-the-Wilderness-Soundscapes-of-the-Olympic-Peninsula/10.3955/046.094.0208.short).

Rio Vista Hills HOA Board