November 9, 2022 – San Carlos, CA – The County of San Mateo Airports, which owns and operates the San Carlos Airport (SQL) and the Half Moon Bay Airport (HAF), has launched the Friendly Approach Program, a new way to inform the community about aircraft noise management efforts and to engage with pilots about how they can minimize their aircraft noise footprint. FlySMCFriendly.com, the program website, is a primary resource to highlight the important contributions of SQL and HAF in the Bay Area and the airports’ efforts to minimize impacts on neighboring communities, while also providing a forum for public feedback.
The Friendly Approach website includes informational videos for pilots and the public, noise comment statistics and reports, frequently asked questions, a portal to an online noise comment form, and the airport’s noise comment hotline. The site also shares stories, via a community newsletter, of those who benefit from the airports’ operations—including through flight training and other aviation careers, public safety response, and the on-airport events and activities open to the community.
“We are proud of the San Carlos and Half Moon Bay airports’ contributions to our Bay Area communities and economy, but we also recognize that people perceive aircraft movement and noise in a variety of ways,” said Interim Deputy Director of Public Works Gretchen Kelly. “The Friendly Approach Program is a warm and welcoming community resource which, via the FlySMCFriendly.com website, explains the airports’ operations, developments, activities, and reasons for specific aircraft flights, while also providing a forum for our bayside and coastal residents to share their feedback, both positive and constructive.”
SQL and HAF, both general aviation reliever airports, serve the bayside and coastal communities, respectively. They allow commercial-service airports, including San Francisco International, to prioritize airline service. The FlySMCFriendly.com website explains the important role the airports play in the Bay Area and the essential business functions and services the airports and their partners deliver to residents and businesses. The overall program goal is for the County of San Mateo Airports to be a good regional partner.
SQL contributes several million dollars annually to the local economy and local school districts, creates 300 jobs, and welcomes 100,000 visitors each year to the on-site Hiller Aviation Museum. HAF provides first-responder access to the coast, and is a welcoming destination for both recreational pilots and other visitors to the coastline and many other nearby attractions.
Both airports support a variety of emergency, public safety, and public-utility aircraft and helicopters, either as a home base, or for fueling, maintenance, and other essential needs. They are also home to flight training centers that support the Bay Area’s thriving aviation industry.
For more information about the County of San Mateo Airports’ Friendly Approach Program please visit FlySMCFriendly.com.
About the County of San Mateo Airports
The County of San Mateo Airports—San Carlos Airport (SQL) and Half Moon Bay Airport (HAF)— are two general aviation airports located on the Bay Area coastline. The airports are collectively home to nearly 600 planes and dozens of aviation-related businesses. SQL and HAF operate as enterprise funds and do not utilize local taxes. Both airports support emergency services, including the United States Coast Guard, Disaster Airlift Response Team, CalFire, Medivac, and the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, as well as numerous flight schools, aviation businesses, and a museum. The many agencies, organizations, and businesses that operate at the airports provide important economic and civic benefits for the region. With SQL’s close proximity to other Bay Area airports, including Palo Alto and San Francisco International, airports’ staff prioritize public outreach programs to ensure the best possible relationship between airports’ users and the surrounding communities. Learn more at FlySMCFriendly.com.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Davi Howard
Airport Communications Specialist
San Carlos/Half Moon Bay Airports
650-207-2651
[email protected]
