FAQs

Is the Cottonwood airport financially self-sufficient?

No. The Cottonwood City General Fund subsidizes airport operations. Here are some of the annual costs the city has invested in financially sustaining the airport:

• 2022 - $60,757 Actual Expenditures

• 2023 - $166,075 Actual Expenditures

• 2024 - $622,335 Adopted

Who uses the Cottonwood airport?

In 2023, there were approximately 70 planes permanently based out of the Cottonwood airport. However, these local planes make up a very small percentage of the actual flight activity. The overwhelming majority of the flight activity is from transient flights, specifically flight schools.

In 2023, there were a total of 50,030 flight activities (takeoffs or landings), the approximate equivalent of 25,015 Landings. Here's a breakdown of the landings:

• 13% for Base Flights (planes based in Cottonwood) 3,252 Landings

• 87% for transient flights (visitors, flight schools) 22,112 Landings (per Jeff Tripp - former airport manager, nearly all of the 87% was flight schools).

The airport was here first. Why don't you move?

In the Cottonwood Municipal Airport Homebuyers, Renters, and Real Estate Professionals Guide (Jan 2024 revision), "It is recommended becoming familiar with the level of aircraft activity occurring within two miles of any dwelling being considered for purchase or rental. One way to accomplish this is to spend time in the area and talk to people already living there. Visiting the area during noise-sensitive time periods (e.g., early mornings or evenings) is recommended. The airport is typically busiest between 7 AM and 5 PM."

Many of us followed these suggestions, even without needing to read this guide. However, the airport usage has changed drastically over the past few years, and these changes are the cause of the issues. The majority of these changes are not due to the increases in our area's population, but rather, an influx of training activity from flight schools outside of our area. The most significant increases come from the Prescott area, but there are many schools or commercial ventures that are flying up from the Phoenix area, as well as coming over from Sedona, to impact our once quiet communities.

Add to this the changes in the AGL made by Cottonwood City in 2022, which extended the regular traffic pattern beyond the indicated area on the published airport disclosure map, deep into the Town of Clarkdale.

Many, if not most of us, were here long before the airport activity and noise drastically increased, and before the traffic pattern was expanded.

It is also important to recognize that there are many individuals who are unable to move due to financial constraints and or fixed incomes. There are two senior communities with approximately 800 homes that are impacted by the airport's flight activity.

How much does it cost to land at the airport?

Nothing. The Cottonwood Airport does not charge any landing fees. Currently all planes can use the airport for free. There are daily charges for overnight parking for transient planes. Here's a link for Rates, Charges and Fees

Can the airport impose use limits or restrictions?

Since Cottonwood Airport is a municipal airport, and receives federal funding, federal regulations severely limit the city's authority over its usage. Federal law prohibits the city from restricting or limiting flight training operations at the airport.

The airport can regulate some aspects such as the calm wind runway direction, changes to the AGL, and they can charge landing fees.

Why can Sedona Airport ban touch and goes, but not Cottonwood?

They can't. Although they list “No touch-and go landings” on their website, this is a request only, and not enforceable.

What about the noise abatement practices posted on the airport website?

These posted practices are requested practices, and not enforceable. They include requests to avoid training activities before 8am and after 6pm M-F, and before 9am on weekends and holidays. Also included in the list of requested practices is to limit the number of planes in the pattern to 4 at a time, and for departing planes to take off to the north.

Ignoring these requested practices, training activity regularly begins at 7am or shortly thereafter. Recently, Yavapai college has been performing training activities prior to 7am. And an aviation training company out of Prescott was flying training laps after 6:30pm.

Even if these recommended noise abatement practices were followed, the amount of flight activity is extreme. 4 planes in the pattern equates to one takeoff approximately every 90 seconds. Sometimes the planes group closer together and the activity is grouped closer to once every 30 seconds, with a longer gap between the next group.

Why are the planes louder on some days than others?

There are days when the flight traffic at the airport is limited to mostly local planes, and since almost none of the training schools are based out of the Cottonwood airport, the flight activity is reduced by approximately 85%. There are also days when the weather is not conducive to training, such as rainy days or very windy days. On these days, there may only be a handful of takeoffs or landings at the airport.

Another variable could be due to the direction the planes are taking off in. The default direction for planes to take off, known as the calm wind runway, is to the north, towards Clarkdale. However, when the winds are strong enough and blowing in from the south, the planes then take off in the opposite direction.

At the Cottonwood Airport, takeoffs are significantly louder than landings due to the higher engine power required. During takeoff, aircraft engines are operating at full power, or close to full power, to gain altitude quickly, which produces significantly more noise for a prolonged period of time.

The noise level during a landing is dramatically reduced as the aircraft are operating at lower power settings as they descend. They are essentially gliding down with minimal engine thrust, often times with the engine idling.

Additionally, compared to the landing approach distances, planes taking off fly approximately one extra mile of distance before initiating their turning maneuver to complete a loop. Because of this, your home may not be affected by the flight activity on days when the planes are circling in the opposite direction.

Is there anything I can do?

Yes. There is strength in numbers. Please share this website with your neighbors and friends, and visit our File a Complaint and our Join Us pages. We CAN make a difference, and we need your help to do so.

Airport Disclosure Map

We need to train future pilots. Why can't they train at the Cottonwood Airport?

We understand that students need to engage in practice flights to develop the necessary skills to become competent pilots. Fortunately, there are several alternative options in the vicinity for the training schools to utilize to satisfy the required training for the student pilots.

The Cottonwood Airport is surrounded by homes, parks, schools, a national monument, churches, campgrounds, and a river. These features classify the areas surrounding the airport as noise-sensitive, per the FAA. Also per the FAA, "avoidance of noise-sensitive areas, if practical..." is encouraged (see Solutions page for more details).

There are three alternate airports that are not categorized as noise-sensitive in the vicinity, making avoidance very practical. Although these alternate airports are a further distance than the Cottonwood Airport from the Prescott Valley airport, they are viable training options that are commonly disused, while as many as 7 or more training planes circle around the Verde Valley either performing touch and goes, or waiting to jump into the pattern once another has finished (see image).

Cottonwood Airport Website Screenshot

Sedona Airport Website Screenshot