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Wings & Blades Over Dove Mountain

  • Writer: Mark L. Johnson
    Mark L. Johnson
  • 1 day ago
  • 5 min read

Updated: 4 hours ago



Periodically, Tortolita Alliance (TA) is contacted by concerned Dove Mountain residents regarding aircraft (planes & helicopters) activity over Dove Mountain. We are in a region where aircraft can originate from many locations including the following sites in the immediate area:



*county-state-federal-medical aircraft examples:

Pima County Sheriff, Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS)/Highway Patrol, Arizona Forestry & Fire Management (AFFM), US Customs & Border Patrol, LifeNet Medical (AirMethods) & more



Emergency Operation Flights


Utilizing aircraft for emergency operations is critical for public safety. Over the last five years we've had some Dove Mountain emergency operations utilizing aircraft; (1) 2020-AFFM-Tortolita Mountain wildfire monitoring and management, (2) 2021-Border Patrol-capture of vehicle passengers that escaped into the desert and (3) 2021-DPS-escaped male from domestic violence incident. These types of flights are essential and inevitable.


Non-Emergency Flights


Aircraft must meet the following FAA minimum safe altitude regulations:


91.119 Minimum safe altitudes; general

Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes:

(a) Anywhere – An altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without

undue hazard to persons or property on the surface.

(b) Over congested areas – Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open-air assembly of persons, an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft.

(c) Over other than congested areas – An altitude of 500 feet above the surface except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In that case, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.

(d) Helicopters – Helicopters may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed in paragraph (b) or (c) of this section if the operation is conducted without hazard to persons or property on the surface. In addition, each person operating a helicopter shall comply with routes or altitudes specifically prescribed for helicopters by the Administrator.


Therefore, non-emergency flights should be abiding by this regulation.


For example, TA reported in TA Alert!-Aerial Recon For Minerals (7/3/24) about repeated plane flights over Dove Mountain by Sander Geophysics/Viridien gathering geophysical information for potential mineral mining operations in Southeast Arizona. These flights are concerning but they did meet the minimum safe altitude requirements. FYI-TA has heard nothing more regarding the data collected from these flights.



Marana Regional Airport (MRA)


MRA is owned by Marana and has a business arrangement with Pima Aviation Services, Inc. which operates the Flight Based Operator (FBO) entity called the Tucson Aeroservice Center (hanger leasing, fuel, ground transportation, catering, etc.).


The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has jurisdiction over MRA airspace but it is "uncontrolled", i.e. there is no air traffic control. Therefore, planes that originate from MRA or other airports are not controlled in this airspace and can take off and land at MRA on their own.


Low-flying Aircraft & Noise Complaints


Because MRA has no jurisdiction of its airspace, any low-flying aircraft and/or noise complaints must be made with the FAA. Marana has provided a convenient way to file an FAA complaint. Click on the button below and it will take you to the Marana/Airport Noise Abatement webpage. Just click on the FAA Noise Portal and fill out the form.


Note that TA has experienced mixed success with getting any cooperation from FAA when filing these forms but at least incidents are documented.



You can also download a flight tracking app (Flightradar24, FlightAware, etc.) on your smartphone to gather and provide more details about the low-flying aircraft when filing an FAA complaint.


MRA staff held a meeting on March 1, 2025 with the airport tenant, pilots, flight schools and businesses and one of the topics was the noise abatement program. MRA has also been working closely with Marana Skydive and the group that jumps out of Pinal Airpark to try and mitigate the noise from the jump planes asking them to claim to latitude out to the west of the airport.


TA can report that early morning and night parachute/sky diving plane noise over Dove Mountain has dissipated over the last few years.


New Control Tower


Marana is currently planning to build a control tower and recently published a Notice of Availability of an Airport Control Tower Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for public comment. You can make comment on this draft EA up to 5/21/25.


If all goes well, the design will begin in 2026 and construction will begin in 2027. However, will the recently proposed renovation of the nation's air traffic control system impact this schedule?


When the control tower is built and placed in service, MRA airspace will be controlled and all aircraft will have to be directed by air traffic control. It was stated that the new tower would be manned 18 hours per day. Hopefully, this will solve the low-flying aircraft issues but until then our only option is to keep filing FAA complaint forms and making military base inquiries/noise complaints as described below.



Western Army Aviation Training Site (WAATS)


WAATS is located at the Silverbell Heliport at Pinal Airpark. Click on the following link to learn more about WATTS:



TA contacted WAATS and Lieutenant Colonel Syder indicated that all helicopter pilots and crew are instructed to stay away from residential areas including Dove Mountain. He indicated that he would remind them of that policy.


If you have any questions or concerns about US Army helicopter flights, please call WATTS directly at 520-750-5506.


Davis Monthan Air Force Base (DMA)


DMA is located northeast of Tucson Airport on the other side of I-10. To learn more about DMA please click on the button below which is a link to the DMA website:



TA contacted DMA Public Affairs (520-228-3406) about military flights over Dove Mountain and they requested that the on-line Noise Concern form be filled out to allow them to document the case and research any military flights related to the incident. If you are concerned about about US Air Force aircraft flights, please call DMA Public Affairs (520-228-3406) and/or fill out the Noise Concern Form by clicking on the button below:




TA will continue to keep Dove Mountain residents aware of any critical aircraft incidents but TA members now have the contacts and tools to file complaints and inquiries directly with the appropiate agencies.

© 2024 by the Tortolita Alliance

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