A lot of people don’t realize this, but Falcon Field has virtually no regulations in place for flight schools. That’s the core of the entire problem.

Falcon Field doesn’t cap how many flight schools can operate here. It doesn’t limit how many training aircraft they can bring in. It doesn’t restrict how long they can run touch-and-gos. And it doesn’t have any rules on how many planes can pack the pattern at once. Schools like CAE (Canada) and Leopard Aviation (Scottsdale) can run unlimited repetitive training all day, every day, directly over neighborhoods, and nothing in the current rules stops them.

Unlike Phoenix-run airports like Deer Valley and Goodyear, Falcon Field does not require flight schools to sign SASOs (Specialized Aviation Service Operator agreements). That means no per-student fees, no commercial standards, no reporting, no operational oversight, and no accountability. This is a major reason flight schools flock to Falcon… it’s one of the cheapest and least regulated airports in the Valley!

The only thing Falcon Field has is a voluntary Fly Friendly program, and “voluntary” means no enforcement, no monitoring, and no real consequences for ignoring it.

Even the Arizona Pilots Association, in their own message about the upcoming City Council meeting, openly talked about SASOs and acknowledged them as a workable system. They even suggested Mesa consider the same model Phoenix uses. When the pilot lobby itself is referencing SASOs as a legitimate tool, it shows just how lacking Falcon Field’s current structure really is.

On top of that, the control tower and FAA can only manage safety. They cannot limit touch-and-gos or redirect training traffic. Their job is to keep planes separated, not protect neighborhoods.

So when people ask why the training volume is so out of control, this is why. Falcon Field is operating with a complete policy vacuum, and flight schools are taking full advantage of it abusing our airspace! This is exactly why we’re pushing for real solutions like SASOs. Falcon Field desperately needs structure, oversight, and balance, because right now, there is none.

Thank you for continuing to stand together, speak up, and demand balance. Your voices are being heard, and momentum is building. More updates soon.