Flight schools the problem at Oshawa Airport

Dear Editor,

This is in response to the letter to the editor in the Nov. 18 edition of The Oshawa Express: “Airport isn’t the problem.”

I am a long time resident of the City of Oshawa and neighbour to the Oshawa Airport. I grew up in north Oshawa near Durham College and have lived in the Thornton and Rossland area now for 27 years. We knew we bought near an airport and there were few, if any, issues until 2017/2018.

Since that time the noise from the increasing flight school aircraft overhead has become unbearable. I compare it to a lawn mower running continuously above our home. The constant rumble of the small aircraft can even be heard in our home with the doors and windows shut. It has made it impossible to sit outside and enjoy our outdoor living space.

I have attended the Airport Town Hall meetings, ACLC meetings and more recently the virtual Town Hall meeting and have met many concerned citizens. What has become abundantly clear is that this is not just an Oshawa airport neighbour issue. This has become a community issue, affecting both Oshawa and Whitby residents.

There is no stopping moving this great City forward and I applaud the development of new subdivisions and new businesses. This is called progress. What is not progress is being held back by the loud, noisy small aircraft stressing the community out with their continuous circuit flights.

Mr. Cason was right, the Airport isn’t the problem, the flight schools are.

Anne LeBlanc