Loudoun Weighs Effects of People Living Near Planes

The runway at Leesburg Executive Airport was getting steady traffic on a recent morning from amateur pilots practicing their landing skills. A tiny Cessna 172 droned across the asphalt, its engine revving as it climbed into the sky. The sound petered off into a low hum as it circled and landed, ready for another try.

Brad Ackmann, a flight instructor, watched and listened. Neighbors in housing developments to the north occasionally complain about the noise, he said, and pilots try to keep out of their way.

But there will be no way to keep out of the way of a development proposed on the western edge of the airport, he said. Called Crosstrail, it is expected to bring 1,000 houses within earshot of the runway.

"The strange thing is, you know the people are going to complain even if they move in knowing the airport is there," said Ackmann, 21, of Leesburg.

And if they complain, it could eventually force the town of Leesburg to shut down the airport, according to aviation experts who say the advance of housing developments is one of the leading threats to small airports across the country.

"Nationwide, we are losing nearly two airports a month, and one of the overriding issues is encroachment," said Chris Dancy, a spokesman for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which has been lobbying against Crosstrail.

Later this month, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors will decide whether to give the developer the go-ahead to build the 500-acre complex of houses, shops and offices just south of Leesburg. The board already has adjusted zoning in the area to make way for the Peterson Co.'s project, but it is divided on whether Peterson has made the project palatable enough for its neighbors.

Among the supervisors' concerns is the airport. Although airport officials stress that accidents are rare, there have been six crashes at or near the airport since 2000.

But a larger issue is noise. If residents complain about air traffic, the town could limit any plans to expand the airport. Eventually, critics of the project say, protests could grow so loud that the town would be forced to close the airport.

And that would harm more than just a few amateur pilots. The airport, one of about a dozen small airports in the region, contributes an estimated $45 million to the local economy each year. In addition, it has received millions of dollars in federal money for its role in keeping small aircraft off the busy runways at Dulles International Airport.

Three flight schools operate out of the Leesburg airport, as well as emergency helicopters. It does a brisk business among corporate executives who come to the region for meetings.

Advocates of Crosstrail say predictions that the airport could close are exaggerated. David D'Onofrio, a spokesman for Peterson, said the project includes 2 million square feet of office space that would increase business at the airport. And the homeowners -- who would join others homeowners already living in that area -- would be informed of the airport's presence before they sign their deeds.