On one of the final days of March, Bob Arundell sat next to the public pool at Woodlake Villas, a residential community on the northern end of Hilton Head Island.
In his left hand, he held a piece of paper, detailing the flight schedule of the neighboring Hilton Head Island Airport. In the other, he held a map of Woodlake, the 224-unit complex where he has lived for more than 40 years. He traced a line on the map over the pool and a section of condos with his finger. This was the path the planes would take before landing, he said.
“Here it comes,” he said when the sound of birds chirping was overtaken by a distant whistle, which quickly turned to an overhead rumble.
Ten planes of varying sizes flew overhead throughout the hour spent by the pool. Two of the planes were larger than the others, both with the capability of carrying up to 78 passengers, according to flight data. Seconds after the planes were out of site, the tree tops surrounding the pool deck swayed…