The Oregon Air National Guard (ORANG), based out of Portland International Airport (PDX), has vastly increased the quantity of fighter jets flying over Portland residential areas and practicing their Continuous Descent Approaches (CDAs). WHO, the World Health Organization, rates CDAs and other high intensity airplane noise as a serious physical and mental health hazard. The fighter jets, mostly F-15s and F-16s, drastically affect the quality of life for thousands of Portlanders. They shake houses, rattle bones, ruin the peace and sanctuary of backyards, and wake up the sleeping.  These jets regularly deviate from their accepted flight paths by up to 1/2 mile, fly at low altitudes, increase noise pollution to unacceptable levels, and physically endanger those underneath the flight paths.  It's the responsibility of citizens to prevent ORANG from unnecessarily flying ever deeper and more frequently over Portland residential areas on a permanent basis.

    The people of Portland, Oregon demand that ORANG discontinue the massive increase of CDAs over residential areas and fighter jets flying over residential areas in general. Furthermore, we request that Portland's Citizen Noise Advisory Committee (CNAC) and the Port of Portland officially reject the proposed increase in practice flights and residential area flyovers.

    The stakes are high. The sound of war planes roaring overhead will become the new reality of living in Portland if we don't act now. The increased fighter jet activity over residential areas will become the new normal. 5 years from now, when some neighborhoods are used to it, they could attempt to increase flight activity and fly even further over Portland. This issue strikes at the heart of what it means to be a Portlander. We must say "no" to the military-industrial complex parking itself in our living rooms and flying over our schools. Now is the time to draw a line in the sand.