Note: This is my views on the aircraft patterns at the Ormond Beach Airport after 28 years of living here.

Runway 27, runs east and west. Depending on the wind the aircraft prefer to take off from the west to the east, crossing over US 1 and turning to the left north and then turn again to go west for the return to the airport. They usually go past I-95 and come in on Runway 9. And then take off again on runway 27. This is how most of the noise abatement complaints come from when the turn is made early or after turning come back over the homes in Tomoka Estates. (black arrows below show the direction aircraft are moving and the RED X is residential areas the City of O.B. requests pilots to avoid in their “voluntary” noise abatement program)

Occasionally, the above pattern is reversed, below map. Aircraft take off on runway 9 towards the west, turn right and north past I-95 and then turn again to go east to loop back to the airport and land on runway 27. This pattern does not generate hardly any noise because the aircraft are at a steady altitude and their altitude is decreasing for their approach after crossing US 1.
My opinion, during this direction almost 3 / 4ths of the flights turn before the yellow line over the swamp and go over homes in Tomoka Estates (RED X). True, the flights are not noisy enough to complain about unless they are 400 foot or less (especially twin engine aircraft) and pilots get used to flying over the homes. Then, when the pattern reverses they tend to go over t
homes again because, why not, it’s ok to do it going west to east.

If you look at the diagram below, at times the airport switches to a north south pattern. The aircraft either take off on or land on runway17 and take off or land on runway 35. When this pattern is used, there is no noise for residents east of US 1 and the airport. This pattern goes over a much less densely populated area and less homes, but it doesn’t always meet the preferred wind pilots prefer for takeoff.
A few years ago, construction on runway 9 and 27 forced aircraft to use runways 17 and 35 - 24/7. Somehow this pattern lasted about a month or more but never caused any slow down on aircraft using the airport.
Below, first takeoffs to the north and second, then takeoffs to the south

Below: takes from south to north as above but showing aircraft using it at that time

Who decides which pattern will be used? I really have never found that out. As of July 28, 2025, the airport manager, Steven Lichliter, said in an email to me the tower is manned 7 am to 7 pm 7 days a week. Typically there are two people on duty with 9 assigned to the tower on the top floor cap when the tower is operational. I supposed it is up to the pilot when the tower is not manned how they want to take off and/or land.

If you use the flightradar24.com or ADSB-Gen app you will be able to see active flights and the direction the aircraft are flying. You will also be able to identify the aircraft, altitude and speed and if you click on it, the past path for that flight they signed on to their transponder. If it is real quiet in Tomoka Estates, I take a look and sometimes see they are using the north/south pattern. Or if I hear what sounds like a airplane gliding and motor barely running, they are using the west to east pattern. Or if it’s raining and I don’t see any aircraft I take a look on the app above at Daytona Beach Airport to see if any aircraft transponders are on. Usually not, they don’t train in rainstorms, they wait till they get their pilots license and learn while they fly.

UNDERSTANDING THE FLIGHT PATTERNS AT ORMOND BEACH AIRPORT