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The Podcast!
Subscribe to the only podcast devoted to helping people under the flight path everywhere. It’s definitely not just about noise!Most Recent: Ep #24 The 400,000lb tube going 200mph
The Issues
The Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) is the blueprint for increasing flight capacity by one third in the next ten years. It will have the same community impact as the Third Runway. In fact, it is happening now. How this is possible, and what it means for us.continue...
A two minute presentation on how the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) will increase flight operations at Sea-Tac Airport as much as a new runway. Without a new runway.continue...
Does your home have a Port Package of noise mitigation windows and insulation? Having problems with your windows? Mold? You're not alone. Help us help you.continue... -
The SAMP SEPA EIS Public Comment Period begins May 22, 2026. Learn what is coming and what you can do to help reduce the noise, the pollution, and obtain the compensation we’ve deserved for decades.Top Story
Ep #24 The 400,000lb tube going 200mph
May 4, 2026
In our last episode, Honk If Ya Love California, we talked about the history of modern environmental law in America: the EPA, NEPA, SEPA. We showed how many complex, interconnected pieces there are, like PSCAA. We took some time to mention how important WA electeds were in that process, and how they created carve outs for aviation.
Today we're talking about what everyone always wants to talk about: flight paths. Because deep down, people just want the airplanes to go somewhere else. We get it. That is why the subject is always subject to extremes: magical thinking, or 'Don't like it? Move!' Neither were ever true.
But the system constraints are also as split-personality as the environmental law in Episode #23. The legislators who helped create so many improvements to air pollution writ large were also key advocates for the aviation industry and very intentionally created the box we now find ourselves in.
That was the Greater Good Argument. Reducing negative impacts overall was the win. Creating economic benefits overall was the win.
The one-line rule of aviation law is this: No 'residential zoning'. The FAA gets stuck in the middle as the bad cop enforcing a system we all voted for,
The dirty little secret is how poorly the airline industry has fared. In spite of such a unique authority, they've never found a way to make enough money to fund a properly working ATC system--one of their many broken promises in lobbying for it. Passengers became addicted to cheap flights. And the entire system is now subsidized by credit cards, with the externalities borne by people living under the flight path.
The challenge for airport communities is to stop complaining to the people and agencies that cannot help and start complaining to those that can.
'Flight paths' is such a big topic, we had to split it into two episodes. Both are much longer than we would prefer. But you asked for it. Splitting such a tightly integrated system into pieces is just part of the Casino. One cannot see how rough it is to change anything without touching on everything from ancient aircraft to cutting-edge physics--and everything in between.
These two videos will save you a hundred hours of meetings and research. Really. Or read the sources below if you have that hundred hours to spare.
In Part I, we discuss those 400,000lb tubes going 200mph and how FAA-speak like NextGen, SIDs, STARs, RNAV, Glide Slopes and Wake Recat figure into your rights. Most of it is depressing. Even worse, there are also several terrible jokes referencing Lord of the Rings, Star Trek and Orcas.
In Part II, we'll use that to talk about why so many lawsuits fail, and some better options given the current playing field.
To learn how you can make a difference:
Recent Stories
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StART meeting April 29, 2026
SAMP/SEPA teaser offers no spoilers. Just confusion over a process completed six months ago The latest meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Roundtable provided a recap of the Sustainable Airport Master Plan federal approval process (NEPA SAMP FONSI/ROD) and a teaser of the upcoming state process (SEPA) which will begin on May 22, 2026. StART Meeting -
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We want to hear from you! The draft State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Port of Seattle’s Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) will be available for review starting May 22, 2026. You can visit the SAMP website to learn more, sign up for updates, and -
Sea-Tac’s second terminal still 15 years away, new director says
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s new managing director Wendy Reiter, pictured at her office in SeaTac on Thursday. (Ivy Ceballo / The Seattle Times) By Lauren Rosenblatt Seattle Times business reporter Seattle-Tacoma International Airport needs a second terminal to accommodate more planeloads of travelers coming practically every year. The new terminal is one of several projects the -
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Upcoming Events
King County International Airport-Boeing Field is at a pivotal moment, developing comprehensive plans that will determine its operations through 2045. The airport's Vision 2045 Airport Plan and Part 150 Study represent crucial strategic initiatives to balance safe, efficient operations with evolving aviation demands and community needs.
Join airport officials on Thursday, May 14 (5:30-7:30 p.m.) at the KCIA Flight Service Station to discover the preferred alternative for the airport's future development. This isn't just another planning meeting—it's your opportunity to understand how proposed projects and improvements will directly impact aviation services, local operations, and surrounding communities.
The Vision 2045 plan incorporates extensive stakeholder feedback and addresses critical infrastructure needs for future demand. Meanwhile, the Part 150 Study focuses on noise compatibility programs, ensuring community concerns remain central to planning decisions.
With environmental analysis nearing completion and submissions to King County Council and the FAA approaching, this open house offers essential insights into decisions that will shape regional aviation for decades.
Visit KCIAplanning.com for updates.
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From The Web
Ramp controllers Jamaal Surrell, center, and Daniel Pakulin monitor the movements of planes and vehicles from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s ramp control tower last month. Sea-Tac plans to add transponders and antennas that sync with the FAA’s system, giving air traffic controllers more visibility into vehicle movements. (Karen Ducey/ Seattle Times)Less By Lauren Rosenblatt Seattle Times [...]
From The Library
A report examining the barriers to implementing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Massachusetts, authored by Neil Rasmussen and Chuck Collins from the Institute for Policy Studies. The report analyzes challenges and obstacles facing SAF adoption in the state.continue...
Under The Flight Path
Under The Flight Path: A Community History of Sea-Tac Airport. Help us complete the first comprehensive documentary of any major US airport; the impacts on the cities and the people.continue...
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STNI
- Solve for Sea-Tac. Solve for every airport.
- Since 2016, working to obtain justice for everyone living under the flight path.
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