Ed Rast, president-elect for the association, said he believes airplanes are cutting over Willow Glen possibly to save time and fuel, which Jaime Loquiao, noise abatement manager for Mineta San Jose International Airport, said is a fair assessment.

Airport officials recommend that airplanes come into the airport using the Santa Clara County fairgrounds visual approach route which was designed specifically to avoid the areas of Saratoga, Los Gatos and the close, high-density neighborhoods, Loquiao said. That route, however, is a recommendation and not a rule.

By identifying these airlines, residents can more effectively apply pressure on the operators to encourage their pilots to use the recommended approach, Rast said. "We can send emails to their CEOs or chief pilots and request they spend a few more minutes going down through the Santa Teresa Hills."

The identification can also lead residents to lodge complaints with the airport about specific airlines. This way, the airport can build a stronger case when approaching the airline operator, Rast said. "Then the airport, FAA, airlines and residents can work together to try and get the behavior changed."

Identifying the airlines still isn't enough. Residents have to step up to file complaints with the appropriate authority, Rast said at a May 10 association meeting. While there was a uproar in the community about the introduction of an America West flight landing at 1:40 a.m., the airport has only received eight complaints from Willow Glen homeowners.

Loquiao, who was also at the meeting, encouraged residents to contact the airport if airplane noise affects them. "If I have 500 people saying this is a problem, they are willing to listen," he said. "If I have only one, most likely not."

The problem boils down in part to education, Rast said. One person at the meeting requested that airport officials provide better publicity about the number to call for noise and email contact information.

Referring to a recent incident where planes from Moffett Field accidentally flew over Willow Glen in the middle of the night, the man pointed out that only one person from the association's mass email list knew the number to dial. Loquiao said besides posting the number on the airport's website, airport officials are also proactively reaching out to communities.

Rast said he does not believe identifying the airlines and encouraging residents to log their complaints will eliminate the problem, but it will definitely help reduce the number of airplanes flying over the area.

He also said he doesn't expect the airlines to stop flying over Willow Glen completely. A possible compromise could be getting the airline operators to avoid flying over Willow Glen from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., when most people are at home.

However, Loquiao added, local airports' ability to place restrictions is limited by a 1990 federal law. As a result, San Jose airport can ask the airlines to follow certain guidelines, but cannot require them to do so.

Residents with airplane complaints should call the Mineta San José International Airport's Noise Report Recorder at 408.452.0707 or email noisecenter@sjc.org.