Monday evening’s Cairo City Council meeting featured concerned citizens and local pilots voicing opposing views about the noise and safety of aerobatic manuevers taking place at the Cairo Municipal Airport.

Chris Rudd, a Grady County pilot, competes in aerobatics competitions that are sanctioned by the International Aerobatics Club and has been practicing at the Cairo Municipal Airport, a public facility. He is currently preparing for a contest set this weekend.

The Cairo City Council decided in an April meeting to ground the pilot based on complaints from citizens living near the airport.

On Monday, the council listened to Rudd and the citizens as they presented their cases.

Mayor Bobby Burns opened the discussion and said, “This is not a debate. Everyone speaking must address the council only.”

Rudd was the first to address the council. He began by thanking it for hearing him.

He said, “I’m not a stunt pilot. I’m an aerobatics precision pilot. It’s my right to fly at the airport. I have done nothing wrong.”

Rudd also disclosed three possible locations that could be used for aerobatics if he is not allowed to keep practicing at the Cairo Municipal Airport. According to him, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would approve of one of those locations.

“I just want to practice aerobatics,” concluded Rudd.

Several citizens who live near the airport expressed their safety and noise concerns.

Olin Sampson of Cairo claimed he does not mind Rudd’s flying, but mechanical issues cannot be controlled when he is flying over areas with houses.

He said, “He needs to be flying over proper areas, not over a trailer park or edge of the city. He needs to keep it away from there.”

Tommy Faircloth has spent 34 years in his location in Cairo. He said Rudd’s plane exceeds the noise produced by other planes at the airport.

“The gentleman comes by on Sunday when I’m wanting to take a nap after church. You can hear noise easily when he’s doing stunts,” said Faircloth.

He also said that he used to be a pilot himself, but was never allowed to fly over heavily populated areas.

Faircloth said, “Go to areas where there are woods and fields, not houses. There are possible issues with the plane stalling out. This is not good for Cairo.”

Cairo citizen Homer Reid claimed to have been out to the airport before to talk to Rudd about the noise problem but was never able to make contact with him.

“We have a severe problem with the noise — and that’s the only problem I have is the noise. It’s all the time. Maybe if a time was allotted for him to fly, that would help,” said Reid.

Jimmy Carver of Cairo also has a problem with the noise.

He said, “He flies over our area on Old Thomasville Road the most. It not just 30 minutes a day. It is all day.”

Carver said he doesn’t want to hear an airplane all day after attending church on Sundays.

“People live here and want to enjoy their Sunday after working all week. I also drove out there, but I never made a connection with him,” said Carver. “The noise level is unbearable and it’s dangerous. There has even been talk of him flying over the ball field where children, the most precious things we have, are at.”

Rudd also had supporters.

Faith Drewry, a pilot, told the council that being an aerobatics pilot requires the highest level of training and makes for a better pilot.

“People need to understand it’s not stunts. This is about precision and skill. All pilots need this because it is the highest level of training,” she said.

Larry Prince and his son, Gerren Prince, are both pilots in Cairo and make their living with agricultural aircraft.

Larry Prince has been using the local airport since 1967.

“Never before have I been concerned, but now I’m concerned. What if they begin complaining about my ag aircraft,” asked Prince.

He also explained that he had experienced two engine failures in his plane before and never damaged anyone’s property.

He said, “I also used to do aerobatics when I was younger. We are probably more conscience that any other pilots around.”

Gerren Prince seconded his father’s remarks.

“I make a lot of noise with the ag aircraft. These are Chris Rudd’s days off and that’s what he wants to do. If the noise law pertains to him, they will also pertain to me,” said Gerren Prince.

Sidney Gainey, another local pilot, addressed the council and said, “Noise is not a new issue. I agree with Chris and I consider him to be a safer more proficient pilot than myself.”

Mary Beth Rudd spoke to the council about the realities of living next to an airport.

“I’ve lived next to international airports before and no one lives any closer to the airport than I do now. It is an airport and it’s public. Airports are noisy and that’s just the way it is,” she said.

No delegations were made by the council.

Reporter Susanne Reynolds can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1826.