Narrative:

Participation in locally sponsored air derby resulted in numerous complaints from public about noise and low flying aircraft. Departure from falcon was made at takeoff power, a climb rate of 500 FPM, and IAS of plus/minus 150 mph. This resulted in aircraft being 2 mi south of falcon at an altitude of 500' AGL with the propeller in high RPM. I'm sure this looked lower, and sounded louder, than anything the public had seen before. The route was changed by the organizers due to WX, and was based on minimum time over populated areas. Numerous aircraft on the same flight path, using high power, flat climbs, and high RPM resulted in the complaints rather than actual low flying. The route included a low pass at stellar airpark at chandler, for the purpose of verifying route was being flown. As a participant I was under the impression this descent below 1000' AGL had been waivered by the FAA but I am unable to confirm this. Fly-bys at 200' AGL were performed at eloy, buckeye, gila bend and 500' AGL on return to falcon. The organizers cancelled the race on saturday in order to have time to prepare NOTAMS, notify airports, and presumable to obtain altitude waivers. These events should be more carefully planned in order to remain over sparsely populated areas and should be coordination with the FAA to ensure that any required waivers are issued.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING NOISE AND LOW FLYING ACFT GENERATED BY AN AIR RACE THAT MADE HIGH SPEED LOW LEVEL CLIMBS DEPARING SITE OF RACE AND LOW 200' AGL PASSES AT ARPTS ON THE RACE ROUTE.

Narrative: PARTICIPATION IN LOCALLY SPONSORED AIR DERBY RESULTED IN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM PUBLIC ABOUT NOISE AND LOW FLYING ACFT. DEP FROM FALCON WAS MADE AT TKOF PWR, A CLB RATE OF 500 FPM, AND IAS OF PLUS/MINUS 150 MPH. THIS RESULTED IN ACFT BEING 2 MI S OF FALCON AT AN ALT OF 500' AGL WITH THE PROP IN HIGH RPM. I'M SURE THIS LOOKED LOWER, AND SOUNDED LOUDER, THAN ANYTHING THE PUBLIC HAD SEEN BEFORE. THE RTE WAS CHANGED BY THE ORGANIZERS DUE TO WX, AND WAS BASED ON MINIMUM TIME OVER POPULATED AREAS. NUMEROUS ACFT ON THE SAME FLT PATH, USING HIGH PWR, FLAT CLBS, AND HIGH RPM RESULTED IN THE COMPLAINTS RATHER THAN ACTUAL LOW FLYING. THE RTE INCLUDED A LOW PASS AT STELLAR AIRPARK AT CHANDLER, FOR THE PURPOSE OF VERIFYING RTE WAS BEING FLOWN. AS A PARTICIPANT I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THIS DSNT BELOW 1000' AGL HAD BEEN WAIVERED BY THE FAA BUT I AM UNABLE TO CONFIRM THIS. FLY-BYS AT 200' AGL WERE PERFORMED AT ELOY, BUCKEYE, GILA BEND AND 500' AGL ON RETURN TO FALCON. THE ORGANIZERS CANCELLED THE RACE ON SATURDAY IN ORDER TO HAVE TIME TO PREPARE NOTAMS, NOTIFY ARPTS, AND PRESUMABLE TO OBTAIN ALT WAIVERS. THESE EVENTS SHOULD BE MORE CAREFULLY PLANNED IN ORDER TO REMAIN OVER SPARSELY POPULATED AREAS AND SHOULD BE COORD WITH THE FAA TO ENSURE THAT ANY REQUIRED WAIVERS ARE ISSUED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.