The Gull's Call - Oct/Nov/Dec 2026

by John Hamilton, CLASS President

T here are approximately 3,000 homes in the Community of Harbor Bay Isle, and about 20% of the City of Alameda's residents—approximately 15,000 people—live on Bay Farm Island. We have a voice, and this is a good opportunity to use it. From November of last year through July of this year, FedEx did not operate its noisiest cargo aircraft, the MD 11, following a fatal accident involving that aircraft type last November. During that time, many Bay Farm Island residents noticed that nighttime aircraft noise seemed noticeably quieter. Measurements of nighttime cargo aircraft noise show that the MD-11 is approximately 6 decibels louder than other large cargo jets used by FedEx and UPS at OAK. CLASS has sent two letters to FedEx requesting that the loud MD 11 aircraft not be returned to OAK for nighttime cargo operations in particular. Unfortunately, FedEx did not respond to either letter. Beginning in July, however, FedEx returned one MD-11 to service, and it is likely that more may follow. Many residents noticed quieter nights during the early part of 2026, most likely because the MD-11 aircraft had been grounded. With the return of the loudest cargo aircraft, CLASS is providing Harbor Bay Isle and Bay Farm Island residents with an opportunity to make their concerns heard. HAS NIGHTTIME CARGO NOISE BEEN WAKING YOU UP? If the approximately 20 cargo planes departing between 2:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m., six nights a week, have been waking you up or disrupting your sleep, please take a few minutes to send an email to info@classalameda.com. Please clearly state in your email: • That you live in Harbor Bay Isle (CHBIOA). • That nighttime aircraft noise has compromised or disrupted your ability to sleep. • How the nighttime cargo flights have affected you and your household. CLASS will collect and bundle residents' responses to help ensure that the concerns of our community receive proper attention.

Numbers Matter—We Need Your Help With nearly 3,000 homes in Harbor Bay Isle, our voices can make a difference. If just half of our homeowners speak up, FedEx will have to take notice. Tell your neighbors and fellow Bay Farm Island residents. The more people who speak up, the stronger our voice. A poor response may result in no response—make your voice heard! MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Be sure to mark your calendar for Monday, November 16 at 7:00 p.m. CLASS will hold its next annual meeting via Zoom. This is an opportunity to learn more about what is happening with aircraft noise and the ongoing efforts to reduce its impact on Bay Farm Island residents. The Zoom meeting link is: zoom.us/j/91079514978 Submit Your Noise Complaints Be sure to submit your aircraft noise complaints. Simply Google “Oakland Airport Noise Complaints” to find the complaint process. Currently, only about 30 people out of the approximately 15,000 people living on Bay Farm Island regularly submit noise complaints. Unfortunately, such a low number can send the message to the FAA that there is little or no aircraft noise problem in our community. The FAA needs to hear from the people who are actually being affected. Without significantly more residents submitting complaints, it will be much more difficult to demonstrate the extent of the problem and gain support for requested changes, including changes to flight operations and the time of day when aircraft fly over our community. If aircraft noise is affecting you—especially at night— please take a few minutes to submit a complaint. Every complaint matters.

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The Gull’s Call