Airport information for residents

Learn more about Gnoss Field

Airport users welcome nearby residents to become more familiar with the benefits and policies that ensure the continued operation of a valuable county transportation asset. Good relations with neighbors have become important priorities for airport users, the County, Caltrans Division of Aeronautics and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

To visit the airport, or to learn more, please contact the Airport Manager or the Gnoss Field Community Association (GFCA)

Flight regulations for operating over populated areas

Pilots and aircraft operators must follow regulations established by the FAA for safe flight practices and compatible operations, which govern aircraft certification, pilot certification, airport certification, and flight procedures. For instance, new jet aircraft since 2006 must meet stringent noise emission standards, called Stage 4 requirements, that impose lower noise levels than earlier Stage 3 standards, and noisier Stage 2 jets will be prohibited from flying in the US after December 2015.

Flight procedures impose restrictions on how low aircraft may fly. Normally over congested or populated areas, aircraft must fly higher than 1000 feet over the highest obstacle within 2000 feet. Exceptions are provided for aircraft landing or taking off from a runway, and for aircraft, especially helicopters, flying with a waiver for specific low-altitude purposes, such as pipeline and powerline patrols. Exceptions are also provided for law enforcement, military and fire fighting operations.

Grants from the FAA to improve airports require the County provide assurances on how they operate and protect the airport. One important area concerns compatible land use planning around the airport. In California, an Airport Land Use Commissionaddresses four major planning factors that involve safety, protecting airspace from hazards, noise impacts and overflight issues.

In California, the Department of Real Estate requires the disclosure to buyers of real property within two miles of an airport that the property may be subject to aircraft noise and overflight impacts.

Finding information about flight activity at Gnoss Field

People interested in tracking flight activity at Gnoss Field may use several web-based services. Aircraft flying on flight plans landing or departing from Gnoss Field can be located using FlightAware, including activity for the previous several days. Aircraft tracked by radar may be located using FlightRadar24, including a playback option for the past seven days. Radio communication by planes using the Gnoss Field CTAF frequency may be heard on the Internet using LiveATC , including an audio archive of past communications for 30 days.