"I will take calls at any time of the night, 24/7," said Jonnie Banks, the manager of community outreach.

Banks and the airport's new aviation director Bill Sherry introduced themselves at a community meeting that took place at the Willows Senior Center on Nov. 2. Many of the residents attending were from Willow Glen and the Vendome neighborhood near Taylor and First streets in downtown San Jose.

Sherry, who has been on the job in for six months, has spent 15 years directing aviation operations in Florida, including Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, where he oversaw a $4.2 billion airport expansion project. Prior to that, he was the director of aviation for the state of Florida, where he shaped aviation policy and procedures with other regulatory and legislative bodies.

He said that when he was hired in San Jose, the city council gave him a three-pronged mandate, likening his job responsibilities to a three-legged stool. His goals are to see that the airport is modernized, contributes to the local economy and is a good neighbor.

"If any one of those legs is weak, the stool collapses," Sherry said.

Banks has been in charge of community outreach in San Jose since June 20 and is a former TWA flight attendant. She later went into television broadcasting in Phoenix, where she was the city's first female anchor. At the meeting, she promised to work with local residents who had concerns about airport noise.

"One thing I offer to you all is that I like to listen," she said.

Many residents asked questions about how to deal with noisy airplanes. One woman asked what recourse she had when she was awoken by the planes.

"Could I spread my insomnia?" said she, prompting Banks to say she had no problems receiving calls at all hours of the night.

"I'll take you up on it," the resident replied. "I hope we'll still be on friendly terms."

Others residents said they were frustrated with planes cutting through the Willow Glen neighborhood instead of going further north over the county fairgrounds before turning into the airport, which is what they are supposed to do.

Though pilots are allowed to request a shorter approach, and fly over Willow Glen, Sherry said he had written a letter in May to the 18 airlines and cargo operators about this issue. According to Banks, the operators responded and said they will speak to their chief pilots.

"If airlines want to be good community partners, we need to convince them to adhere to the fairgrounds approach," Sherry said.

Sherry encouraged residents to call the airport about noisy aircraft that go over their homes. Noise reports are generated quarterly and are forwarded to the city council and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Sherry and Banks said residents could play a part in deciding what the city does with funds collected from the fines incurred when loud airplanes violate San Jose's 11:30 p.m. curfew.

The curfew bans planes that surpass a specific FAA-certified noise level from landing between 11:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m., said Jaime Locquiao, noise abatement manager, after the meeting. The curfew applies to airlines, corporate jets and cargo jets.

For each violation, the operator is fined $2,500, and the fines, generated over the past two years, now total $200,000. The use of these dollars, Sherry and Banks said, is intended for community needs that aren't already budgeted.

"We would like to give something back," Banks said.

Residents also brought up to date on how the construction work on Coleman Avenue has made it difficult getting in and out of the airport.

Sherry concurred and said, "At this airport, the wayfaring needs significant improvement."

Although some residents were visibly frustrated with current flight paths and noise levels, others were pleased with what they heard from the airport's newest officials.

"Both were very sincere," said Esther Rechenmacher of Willow Glen.

Cris and Robert Tuite of the Vendome neighborhood said they liked that they could now put a face to the airport staff. They appreciated the information and knowing who to contact when an issue arose.

The Tuites' biggest frustration is noisy planes taking off. They said this has gotten worse in the last two years.

"It's at 6 a.m. and on weekends. It's hard to go back (to sleep)," Robert Tuite said.

District 6 Councilman Ken Yeager, who organized the meeting, commended residents for their depth of knowledge on airport issues. He is impressed with what Sherry has accomplished to date and said, "Things aren't going to change right away, but we're on the right path."

To complain about aircraft noise, call the Noise Report Recorder at 408.452.0707. The service is available 24 hours a day.