FAA Temporarily Rerouted Flights for Bohemian Grove Elites, Triggering Local Outrage

Local residents in Sonoma County, California, erupted after the FAA temporarily rerouted flights during the Bohemian Grove retreat for powerful visitors. During the exclusive gathering, the Federal Aviation Administration moved many departures away from a disputed route onto an older, less noisy path, before restoring the original routing after the event ended. The change has renewed claims that the FAA can reduce aircraft noise but only does so for the wealthy. Rep. Jared Huffman accused the agency of granting special treatment to Bohemian Grove while declining similar relief for year-round residents. The dispute follows the FAA’s “Redhead” departure route introduced in January 2024, which residents say quadrupled noise complaints. During July’s event, about 24 daily departures from Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport largely used the older “Charlie Eight” route instead, with only about three flights per day remaining on Redhead.