JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — From takeoff to practice rounds in the air, you name it, it’s going on at Cecil Airport.
“Unfortunately, our house is right under the flight path, so that makes it pretty annoying,” homeowner Michael Hardy said.
According to some in the Forest Hammock neighborhood, so does the late night flying. We’re told one jet was heard passing at 10:30 p.m. Monday. Way too late for most, but Ashley Williams said she’s OK.
“It doesn’t bother me. Hey, it’s the cost of our freedom, so I’m fine with it,” she explained.
Some of the added air traffic is from Naval Air Station Jacksonville. The third-largest Navy base in America started doing repairs to its 75-year-old runway last summer. As a result, approximately 1,800 military personnel, 9 fixed wing squadrons and 37 aircraft have been temporarily relocated to Cecil.
A spokesperson for NAS Jacksonville said they only have P-3s and P-8s at the airport and that some of the noise is being confused with Boeing’s planes and visiting jets from bases around the country.
“It’s not the Navy. It’s somebody else, I think. They got a big four-engine jet and it’s really loud,” Hardy said.
Williams said this is a military town, and knowing that, folks should be patient.
“They’ll be done soon, so pump your breaks a little bit longer.”
The completion date for NAS Jacksonville’s runway is set for June 27.
As for the noise, officials at Cecil Airport say they monitor noise complaints, and as of now, they are in the single digits.
We saw this P8 practicing right over the Forest Hammock neighborhood! It's in the flight path of the large runway. pic.twitter.com/2Fq0po1s9O
— Erica Simon (@EricaOnABC13) March 29, 2016
NAS Jax tells me it only has P-3's and P-8's at Cecil. The rest of aircraft come from Boeing and fighter jets from other bases.
— Erica Simon (@EricaOnABC13) March 29, 2016
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