Narrative:

This situation is strictly due to airport neighbors who hate aircraft but live next to airport. Local tower is training facility for students enrolled in community college ATC program. My aircraft is a high performance single engine type used by foreign military units as a trainer. Due to its performance and low gear speed and sustaining good engine life, an overhead 360 degree (500 ft above runway to a mid-field climbing turn to pattern altitude 800-1000 ft) is used to slow down to gear extend speed and complete approach to a landing. Specific neighbors on south side of airport wreak havoc by calling FAA every chance they get when any aircraft flies directly over their house, regardless of safe altitudes used and recommended by tower chief. Investigations in past (none involving myself) have had FAA drag pilot all the way to a final hearing -- 2 yrs time and lots of lawyer expense only to drop charges because pilot was doing what he should be doing -- maneuvering his aircraft to land in a safe manner. FAA believes local complainants who have no aeronautical knowledge whatsoever, and mistrust any pilot and assume/pronounce him guilty on such information. The kindlier, friendlier FAA does not exist. Everything you do is a cover your ass scenario today. I and my passenger/pilot who was flying the aircraft, performed our approach as directed by tower with appropriate altitudes and airspace maneuvering to a safe landing. Hopefully no one is screaming to the FAA about maneuvering an aircraft right over his house, when we weren't even there. GA is dying slowly, and lawyers and the FAA are doing little to save it, only to kill it quicker.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT EXECUTING 360 DEG OVERHEAD DSNDING APCH CONCERNED DUE TO COMPLAINING ARPT NEIGHBORS.

Narrative: THIS SIT IS STRICTLY DUE TO ARPT NEIGHBORS WHO HATE ACFT BUT LIVE NEXT TO ARPT. LCL TWR IS TRAINING FACILITY FOR STUDENTS ENROLLED IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE ATC PROGRAM. MY ACFT IS A HIGH PERFORMANCE SINGLE ENG TYPE USED BY FOREIGN MIL UNITS AS A TRAINER. DUE TO ITS PERFORMANCE AND LOW GEAR SPD AND SUSTAINING GOOD ENG LIFE, AN OVERHEAD 360 DEG (500 FT ABOVE RWY TO A MID-FIELD CLBING TURN TO PATTERN ALT 800-1000 FT) IS USED TO SLOW DOWN TO GEAR EXTEND SPD AND COMPLETE APCH TO A LNDG. SPECIFIC NEIGHBORS ON S SIDE OF ARPT WREAK HAVOC BY CALLING FAA EVERY CHANCE THEY GET WHEN ANY ACFT FLIES DIRECTLY OVER THEIR HOUSE, REGARDLESS OF SAFE ALTS USED AND RECOMMENDED BY TWR CHIEF. INVESTIGATIONS IN PAST (NONE INVOLVING MYSELF) HAVE HAD FAA DRAG PLT ALL THE WAY TO A FINAL HEARING -- 2 YRS TIME AND LOTS OF LAWYER EXPENSE ONLY TO DROP CHARGES BECAUSE PLT WAS DOING WHAT HE SHOULD BE DOING -- MANEUVERING HIS ACFT TO LAND IN A SAFE MANNER. FAA BELIEVES LCL COMPLAINANTS WHO HAVE NO AERONAUTICAL KNOWLEDGE WHATSOEVER, AND MISTRUST ANY PLT AND ASSUME/PRONOUNCE HIM GUILTY ON SUCH INFO. THE KINDLIER, FRIENDLIER FAA DOES NOT EXIST. EVERYTHING YOU DO IS A COVER YOUR ASS SCENARIO TODAY. I AND MY PAX/PLT WHO WAS FLYING THE ACFT, PERFORMED OUR APCH AS DIRECTED BY TWR WITH APPROPRIATE ALTS AND AIRSPACE MANEUVERING TO A SAFE LNDG. HOPEFULLY NO ONE IS SCREAMING TO THE FAA ABOUT MANEUVERING AN ACFT RIGHT OVER HIS HOUSE, WHEN WE WEREN'T EVEN THERE. GA IS DYING SLOWLY, AND LAWYERS AND THE FAA ARE DOING LITTLE TO SAVE IT, ONLY TO KILL IT QUICKER.

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.