Let me clarify my prior post and take issue with some of the subsequent comments.

I’m a pilot. I fly for business purposes, though I am not a commercial carrier pilot. I am not based an Palomar, though I’ve flown in and out countless times. In good weather and under instrument conditions.

After looking at the data, it’s clear that there is an astoundingly high accident rate going into and out of Palomar. Reviewing the accidents show that most occurred under instrument conditions (coastal fog). One occurred in clear weather when two planes collided, causing 6 deaths. Maybe it’s just weird coincidence, but the incident, accident, and death rates are way out of proportion to similar airports.

As a pilot, this makes me think that arrival and departure procedures need to be reassessed at Palomar. Yet the accidents have NO BEARING on whether the tower is manned or unmanned. In fact, most of the accidents occurred when the tower was manned and operating.

So the accident statistics give no justification for “quiet hours.” There is no safety reason to close the airport when the tower personnel leave.

Nearby homeowners have an obvious vested interest in restricting flight operations whenever possible — especially at night. So let’s call it what it is: an attempt to increase home valuation after getting a discount for moving into a noisy neighborhood.

I don’t live under a noisy flight path. But I’d like to shut down my local street to the noisy pretentious Harley riders and the idiot car owners with the moronic bass-augmented music systems. However, the street belongs to licensed drivers. Just like the sky belongs to any certified pilot (under Federal Aviation Regulations).

Noise abatement programs have been instituted at some airports, but the Federal government usually takes a dim view of any restrictions since they see these rules as clear attempts to shut down airport operations.

So let’s base opinions on facts, not emotion or self-interest. Noise does not equate with danger. “Quiet hours” have no basis in accident protection. “Quiet hours” do serve the parochial interest of the local homeowners at the expense of the National aviation transportation system.