After the recent crash near the Quabbin Reservoir by a local hobby pilot who experienced engine trouble in his 1946 antique aircraft, the gap in how risk is managed at Masachusetts' largest public water resources has been revealed.  

Drones are banned outright at both Quabbin and the Wachusett Reservoir, yet small aircraft, which have a far greater potential impact as demonstrated by this recent crash, continue to transit the airspace above the reservoirs, and in the case of area flight schools, loiter over these resources as flight schools have taken the space for practicing concentrated and repetitive flight maneuvers.

The risk from recreational aircraft has been known for decades.  

In 2001, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority asked the Federal Aviation Administration to establish restricted airspace and a 3,500-foot minimum altitude over the reservoirs to reduce risk, but the FAA declined, citing its sole authority over U.S. airspace and stating it lacked a regulatory basis to impose restrictions without a specific, credible threat.

FAA should use its authority to designate special airspace restrictions at MA critical infrastructure like the state's reservoirs and supporting watersheds. Per the FAA on Special Use Airspace:

To see the MWRA meeting notes from 2001, click here. Of note: "MWRA is currently reviewing its emergency response plans. There are two potential threats to the system: physical destruction, which is of the most concern; and chemical or biological contamination of the water supply. The Authority is monitoring the water every day. It would take a great amount of chemicals to do harm to the water supply because of the dilution in the vast amounts of water. The larger threat is an infrastructure assault or interference with system connections...There was a concern after two small aircraft flew over the Quabbin Reservoir, which caused the Authority to shut the Quabbin down and run additional tests to verify that nothing had been dropped from the aircraft. MWRA is currently working with the FAA to limit flights over the Reservoir and asking airports to advise airplanes to avoid the Reservoir."

The former MWRA Water Policy states: "On October 22nd, the Federal Aeronautics Administration (FAA) issued a Notice to Airmen (see right) "strongly urged to not circle or loiter over" reservoirs and dams. MWRA and MDC have made a request to the FAA for a prohibition on air flights under 3,500 feet for airspace over the Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs."

Per a US Army Corps of Engineers news release, Prohibition on the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)
on Federal Lands under the Jurisdiction of the New England District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, "The use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), such as drones, are prohibited on or above federal lands and waters managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District. This prohibition applies regardless of the location of the operator...No areas within the New England District’s jurisdiction, including recreation sites, dams, reservoirs and the Cape Cod Canal, have been designated for drone use by the District Commander."

From Stop Private Jet Expansion. 

$30 million in tax credits for so-called “Sustainable” Aviation Fuel (SAFs) over three years (H.5280) are currently before the Conference Committee on the FY 2026 Supplemental Budget Bill. It’s unclear how fast the Conference Committee will meet or move on a final vote, so the time to urge your legislators to OPPOSE SAF tax credits is NOW!
 
Please take this action whether or not your state legislators sit on the Conference Committee. 

ACTION: Click here to write a letter to your legislators.
If you’ve already taken this action, thank you!
If not, please act now!

SAFs are deceptively appealing with their promise of clean and green flights that have less climate impact. If they lived up to their benefits as advertised, we’d be all for them! However, a large body of independent research shows that current forms of SAFs at scale would do more harm than good.
 
Here’s a snapshot of what that would look like for Massachusetts in the case of e-fuels: The report Barriers to Implementing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in Massachusetts found that displacing current fossil fuel use with e-fuel in Massachusetts would:

• require more than the annual electricity consumed in Massachusetts today 
• result in five times more CO2 emissions than if we directed new clean electricity to the grid to displace natural gas
• require annual subsidies of 2 to 12 times the entire annual Massachusetts Transportation budget  (annual subsidies of $2.9 billion to $16.5 billion)

 
In addition, an Alliance for Clean Energy Solutions (ACES) letter to Governor Healey, signed by the Acadia Center, Alliance for Climate Transition, Vote Solar, Green Energy Consumers Alliance, Mass Audubon, stated:

• “CO2 reductions would be 5 to 10 times larger per dollar invested by first displacing existing fossil fuel generation rather than by producing e-fuels.” 
• “Unfortunately, the production and adoption of SAF would actually significantly increase emissions while placing the burden of the dramatically higher fuel cost on the taxpayers of Massachusetts.” 

 
If Massachusetts is serious about meeting its 2050 net zero goals, it should NOT direct funds towards SAF tax credits. It should instead fund initiatives that fully decarbonize our electric grid, which would benefit all sectors and the public at large.

ACTION: Click here to write to your legislators.

To fight private jet expansion and protect the climate, we need to fight SAFs which the aviation sector uses to justify its expansions and ever-growing CO2 emissions.
 
If we prevail, it will provide major leverage for stopping proposed private jet expansion at Hanscom and other airports throughout Massachusetts.

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THIS ACTION as soon as possible!

SPJE’s Partners & Friends Upcoming Events and Actions

• Sat, April 25th, 1:30pm Make Polluters Pay Campaign Huddle, Zoom or in person in JP RSVP here
• Sun, April 26th, 2:00pm Earth day Celebration - Walk in the Footsteps of Thoreau starts at 2pm at both First Parish in Concord and St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Lincoln RSVP here
• Mon, April 27th, 6:30pm: Iliana Benson from Concord-Carlisle High School's Sunrise Club will present Article 42 Citizen Petition: Proposed Composting Rate Payer Plan at Concord's Town Meeting. For more information about Town Meeting and the article, click here.
• Sunday May 3rd, 2pm: Thoreau's Forests Confront Climate Change with Dr. William Moomaw In person at First Parish in Concord (a recording of the event will be available post-event): Q&A and refreshments. Sponsored by the First Parish in Concord Environmental Team. RSVP here
• Tues, May 5th, 12pm Mothers Out Front Climate Action Call on 2026 Climate Bill via Zoom RSVP here

Onward!
The SPJE Team

At their April meeting, the Fitchburg Municipal Airport Commission voted to allow Mitiguy Aviation to submit a RFP for hangar and office space when it comes available in the coming month. 

The ban on Mitiguy CFIs was lifted despite opposition by airport manager, Russ Cornelia, who stated that there is a lack of safety culture at Mitiguy Aviation.  See video for full details:

Airport Commission - 4.15.2026 

The Fitchburg Municipal Airport held a hearing regarding incidents involving Mitiguy Aviation, a new flight school operating out of Minuteman Airfield (6B6).  (https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1YgZVZKqX2/).  Mitiguy Aviation was present at the hearing with legal counsel, Kevin Cain, of Cain & Associates who also serves as a panel attorney for AOPA panel attorney (Kevin Cain also serves as defendant counsel in McCoy v. East Coast Aero Club et al.

Mitiguy Aviation applied to lease hangar and office space for a second location at KFIT in October 2025.

At the hearing, Russ Corneila, KFIT airport manager, gave an account of incidents that led up to the Mitiguy Aviation "ban."

    - In December 2025, 2 Mitiguy CFIs plowed an active runway using a city of Fitchburg plow vehicle without authorization.  Images of the Mitiguy CFIs were captured on airport security cameras.

    - Mitiguy Aviation CFI and students were involved in two KFIT safety incidents following the December plow truck use:  one runway, one taxiway.  Both FAA and MA DOT Aeronautics were notified.

     - Mitiguy CFIs stepped on radio communications for the non-towered airport as they socialized on the airport radio channel, and  planned to coordinate a formation flight over the city as a form of protest against the airport ban, according to Russ Cornelia.  This radio incident was also considered a safety incident.  

Watch the Feb. hearing for full details: Airport Commission - 2.18.2026

From the Canton Citizen:

Dear Editor:

As a resident of Canton, I am deeply concerned about the growing impact of Norwood Memorial Airport operations on our community. Repetitive low-altitude flights — many under 1,000 feet — are being routed directly, under Norwood Airport control, over our neighborhoods, schools, and playgrounds. This is not just disruptive, health-impacting noise; it is also exposing our children and families to harmful lead emissions from aviation gasoline.

Kennedy and Hansen elementary schools as well as our residential neighborhoods are directly under these flight paths. Our children are being exposed daily and have been for years! The FAA and EPA have confirmed that people living within 1,500 feet of piston-engine aircraft are at serious risk of lead exposure. Lead is a toxic substance with no safe level of exposure, and its effects on children’s neurological development are permanent.

The last noise study for Norwood Memorial Airport was completed in 1997; there is no known environmental study that includes Canton. Studies have only included Norwood. Since then, operations have increased, flight schools have come in, and expansion plans are underway that would bring larger, louder, and more intrusive aircraft into our area without any community approval or input. This expansion threatens to make an already dangerous situation far worse. Note: The airport has designed its flight paths to mitigate noise and lead pollution over Norwood by directing the aircraft (purposely) over Canton and other surrounding towns!

Canton families deserve better.

• We need updated, independent noise and environmental impact studies that include our town.
  
• We need our Select Board and Board of Health to demand protections for our residents.
• We need Canton representation on the airport operational commission for all operations and future plans.
• We need the elimination of all leaded aviation fuel pollution being dumped upon our children.
• We need state and federal officials to halt airport expansion until these impacts are fully understood and addressed.

I urge my fellow residents to get involved, speak up at town meetings, contact your state and federal representatives, and join your fellow residents to protect the health and safety of our community. Please engage and act together to eliminate this destruction of our quality of life in Canton and the impact on our children’s health.

Please see more information on the situation and what you can do at nomassairnoise.org.

Sincerely,

Scott Haigh

SPJE SAF Frankenfuel rally at the state house: Airfield expansion opponents dismiss ‘greenwashing campaign’.

Institute for Policy Studies' response to MA SAF working group report released in the summer of 2025. 

MA working group report on SAF: see report here.

HATS (Hanscom area towns) presentation - SAF report begins 10 minutes in - see slides here.