Regarding the Dec. 23 editorial about noisy airplanes and the “Fly Quiet” program at O’Hare International Airport:
In it the writer stated that the Fly Quiet manual is “generally ignored both in the tower and in the cockpits.” That is false. Air traffic controllers at O’Hare Tower have always been and still are required to apply noise-abatement procedures between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. The program has improved on those procedures and, more important, has formed a relationship between the airlines, the communities and the controllers. This means better understanding and better communication of concerns and, most important, better adherence to the program itself.
The Fly Quiet program is working and will continue to improve as time passes and technology improves. The participants in the program, including Aviation Commissioner Mary Rose Loney and Mayor Richard Daley, are the reason for its success.
