SANTA MONICA—For residents in Santa Monica Airport’s flight path, the noise of nearby propeller planes is becoming unavoidable, leaving residents voicing their concerns. According to city data, 116 aircraft related reports were filed in April 2026, compared to just 9 reports in April 2025. The surge in complaints comes as propeller plane traffic climbed 40 percent that same month, a rise residents attribute in part to expanded flight school activity at the airport.
That increase in air traffic means more noise on the ground. A propeller works by rapidly slicing through the air, and each pass of the blades sends out a burst of compressed air. Stack these bursts together at high speed and the result is the deep, buzzing drone.
Many of the planes fly low to the ground, subjecting anyone living near their flight path to constant buzzing. Venice residents say the planes fly by every few minutes.
Brigid McBride, a Venice resident launched a petition on Change.org that has collected more than 1,400 signatures. Despite the petition drawing a large number of signatures, nothing has changed.
“The increase seems to be in large part due to new and increased flight school activity operating out of SMO since early 2025. These planes circle above East Venice every few minutes performing “touch and go” maneuvers for hours at a time, depending on the time of day (or evening!) with just a few minutes between flights. They have not been following the rules of the Santa Monica Airport’s “Fly Neighborly Program” which states the following: Aircraft departures to the west are requested to overfly the length of the Penmar Golf Course and initiate northerly turns at the shoreline, or southerly turns at Lincoln Boulevard,” states the Change.org petition.
The airport is legally required to operate until December 31, 2028, when the city of Santa Monica has the right to shut it down for good. Community members are enduring what may be the most intense years of activity as the airport approaches its final days of service.
The city of Santa Monica states on its website:
“Santa Monica Airport has a long history of working to address the noise concerns of residents living near the airport. The goal of the airport’s Noise Management Program is to minimize aircraft noise exposure, as much as possible, by educating pilots on the Fly Neighborly Program.
This section of our website explains basic noise concepts and noise programs at the airport. It also allows residents to research flight operations that may have disturbed them and provides the opportunity to contact the Noise Operations Office with inquiries or complaints.”
Written By Milan Manesh and Donald Roberts
