By Gary Nelson and Maria Polletta, The Republic | azcentral.com
Falcon Field is as much a part of Mesa’s DNA as the old city cemetery that cradles 24 Allied airmen who died at the field in training for World War II.
But as the airport approaches its 75th anniversary, heavy crosswinds threaten its status as one of the busiest general-aviation fields in the country.
For months, the airport has been the target of noise complaints from neighbors particularly irate over the operations of a recently expanded flight school.
With that as a backdrop, the City Council is skittish about growing pressure to make vacant commercial land near the airport eligible for construction of more homes.