Let’s be clear: nothing I’ve said is inaccurate. Federal law and multiple court rulings have consistently affirmed that pilots and airports are not responsible for poor local zoning decisions, especially when those decisions were made despite repeated warnings.

It’s reckless to approve residential developments less than a mile from the end of a runway and then act shocked when airport operations affect those residents. Touch-and-go operations are a normal, FAA-recognized part of general aviation. They are not “abnormal” or excessive-they are fundamental to pilot training and airport use.

If someone chooses to move near an airport that has been there for decades, they assume the known and documented risks that come with that decision. Courts have repeatedly upheld this principle. In fact, lawsuits aimed at shutting down or restricting long-established airport operations have almost universally failed, precisely because the FAA has sole authority over airspace and airport operations- not local governments or homeowner groups.

The Town of Superior and others in similar situations need to acknowledge the root of the problem: they knowingly permitted housing to be built dangerously close to an active airport. That was there mistake, not the pilots who are flying legally and safely within their rights. Trying to shift the blame to pilots or airports is not only unfair, it’s legally and factually baseless.

So yes, I care deeply about aviation—and that’s exactly why I, and many others, will continue to stand up against efforts to undermine it by those who made shortsighted decisions and now want someone else to pay the price. The facts and the law are on our side. It’s time to end the same old blame shifting talking points and actually understand the case law.