SOUTH PORTLAND – Some South Portland residents feel like they’re getting “crop dusted” by commercial jets taking off from and landing at the Portland International Jetport.

Jetport officials say relief is on the way. They just don’t know when the Federal Aviation Administration will approve a proposed flight approach that will divert those jets over Peaks Island and Casco Bay.

About 20 people turned out for a meeting at City Hall on Wednesday night to express their concerns about the noise the jets make when they fly directly over South Portland neighborhoods.

One man said his house shakes. Another said he worries that jet fumes are polluting the air. Others said the jetport and its Noise Advisory Committee — with representatives from Portland, South Portland, Westbrook and Cape Elizabeth — must be more aggressive in finding a solution.

“We’re getting crop dusted on a daily basis,” Bill Duffy said after the meeting.

Duffy said he was encouraged by the turnout and the show of concern by his neighbors.

Duffy has attended Noise Advisory Committee meetings, but there seemed to a lack of public interest in them.

That wasn’t the case at Wednesday night’s meeting, which was organized by City Councilor Alan Livingston and included jetport officials and members of the Noise Advisory Committee.

“These flights are really just a tailpipe of jet exhaust into South Portland,” said Pete Frankwicz, an engineer at National Semiconductor, which is next to the airport.

“It’s not only a noise issue, it’s a health issue,” Duffy said. “A lot of people over the years have put up with it, but we are concerned.”

Under the current air traffic control system, jets fly directly over South Portland when commercial pilots must use Runway 11 instead of Runway 29, which lines up in the direction of Westbrook.

Runway 11 is most often used at night, during bad weather or when traffic is heavy enough to require the use of both runways.

During the day, pilots are encouraged to use what jetport Director Paul Bradbury describes as the harbor visual approach — a scenic route that goes over the Casco Bay islands and skirts South Portland neighborhoods.

Bradbury said the jetport has been trying for nearly two years to get the FAA to approve that route for nighttime flights.

Bradbury said the change, which would involve radio navigation, would also need approval from commercial carriers and pilots.

Portland City Councilor Ed Suslovic, who is the chairman of the Noise Advisory Committee, said, “I absolutely agree that the biggest noise impact is on South Portland, but once we have approval for the radio navigation approach you’re going to see a dramatic improvement in the noise levels.”

Suslovic said the radio navigation approach will put more air traffic over Peaks Island.

He said the issue will be discussed at the next meeting of the Noise Advisory Committee, at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 18 at the jetport.

Staff Writer Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:

dhoey@pressherald.com