The John Wayne Airport Fly Friendly Program helps reduce general aviation jet noise at John Wayne Airport (SNA) through voluntary actions, smart flying, and annual awards.
Flying in and out of SNA has always come with extra responsibility. The airport sits right in the middle of densely populated neighborhoods in Orange County, California, which means aircraft noise is not just an aviation issue. It is a community one.
That is where the John Wayne Airport Fly Friendly Program comes in. Launched in August 2022, Fly Friendly is a voluntary education and recognition program designed for general aviation (GA) jet operators. Its goal is simple. Reduce noise, encourage smarter and cleaner flying, and recognize operators who make the effort to be good neighbors.
Rather than adding new rules, the program focuses on awareness, measurable performance, and positive reinforcement.
What Fly Friendly Is Trying to Do
The John Wayne Airport Fly Friendly program is all about education and accountability. The program helps GA jet operators better understand how their aircraft and operating choices affect people on the ground.
Using data from SNA’s extensive Noise Monitoring Station network, operators can see exactly how loud their departures are and how often they fly during the most sensitive hours. From there, the airport encourages operators to make voluntary adjustments that reduce noise and minimize environmental impact.
That can mean flying newer, quieter aircraft. It can also mean adjusting how a flight is flown by following the National Business Aviation Association’s (NBAA) Standard Noise Abatement Departure Procedure, which emphasizes steep climbs, controlled airspeeds, and power reductions once safely airborne.
Operators are also encouraged to avoid non-emergency flights late at night and early in the morning when noise is most noticeable in nearby communities.
How Operators Are Scored
The John Wayne Airport Fly Friendly Program uses a clear, data-driven scoring system that looks at a full calendar year of operations. Operators are grouped into four tiers based on the frequency of their flights at the airport, with charter operators separated from private aircraft owners to ensure fair comparisons.
Most of the score comes from two measurable categories:
Quietest Departures account for the majority of points. This looks at average noise levels recorded at seven monitoring stations along the departure path, how often unusually loud events occur, and whether an operator is flying the quietest aircraft available today based on FAA Stage 5 noise certification.
Nighttime Noise Reduction rewards operators who voluntarily cut back on non-emergency arrivals and departures during late-night and early-morning hours compared to the year before.
Additionally, operators can earn bonus points for taking an extra step.
Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability points are awarded for financial contributions to local habitat restoration projects through the Irvine Ranch Conservancy or Newport Bay Conservancy.
Most Engaging points recognize operators who actively participate in outreach, such as educating pilots on noise abatement, sharing Fly Friendly materials, or attending Orange County community meetings focused on aviation impacts.
All of these elements are combined into a final score for each operator.
Recognition That Actually Means Something
Each year, the top three scoring operators in each tier receive Fly Friendly recognition. That adds up to twelve awards annually, with past winners including a mix of well-known charter companies and individual aircraft owners.
What makes Fly Friendly stand out is that it fills a real gap. Commercial airlines at SNA already operate under strict legal agreements that limit the number of flights and noise. GA does not. Fly Friendly creates a way to measure performance, highlight best practices, and encourage improvement without adding another layer of regulation.
The result is quieter departures, fewer late-night flights, and a program that shows cooperation can work when aviation and community interests align.
Let’s be honest. Those of us who live and breathe aviation often roll our eyes at noise abatement programs. Airports do not magically appear overnight, and airplane noise has always been part of the deal when you live nearby. That said, you are never going to make everyone happy.
In a place as noise-sensitive as SNA, the Fly Friendly approach shows that airports can still be good neighbors in ways that are measurable, achievable, and genuinely worth recognizing.
