Loudoun Weighs Effects of People Living Near Planes

Besides, the Federal Aviation Administration already has said Crosstrail's houses are far enough from the airport that noise shouldn't be much of a problem, said Supervisor Mick Staton Jr. (R-Sugarland Run), who says he supports having homes in that area but has yet to decide whether he will vote for Crosstrail.

"They're meeting the guidelines that have been laid out by FAA," Staton said. "You have to believe the FAA would create minimum guidelines that are reasonable."

But that doesn't take into account that the airport is expected to grow in the coming years, critics of the project say. Nor does it allow for the whims of residents who might complain anyway. One need only to look to the problems at Ocean City's municipal airport, which is seeking to expand but is facing strong opposition from nearby residents, they say.

"There's nothing wrong with putting compatible businesses near an airport, but residential near an airport is just setting in motion the wheels of conflict," Dancy said. "Eventually, homeowners are going to complain about the noise coming from the airport. It doesn't matter that the airport was there 40 years before the houses."

The Leesburg Executive Airport was founded in 1963 by Arthur Godfrey, a broadcasting legend who would often refer to his airfield as "the cow pasture." Today, it has a modern terminal with the ability to accept planes coming in from overseas. About 50,000 small airplanes touch down there each year.

Although hundreds of houses have cropped up in the vicinity, the airport remains hemmed in by little more than trees. Deer are often spotted on the runway. On Friday morning, a few minutes after a Beechcraft Bonanza slid onto the runway, a fox trotted out of the trees to have a look.

Brad Ackmann said he learned to fly in 2002 at this airport. He plans to get a job as a pilot for one of the major airlines.

"Airline pilots have to go somewhere to learn what they're doing," Ackmann said. "It would be a shame if this place had to close down."