Highline political leaders have joined residents under the new third runway's flight path in expressing outrage at its apparent heavy use.

Des Moines Mayor and former Airport Communities Coalition chairman Bob Sheckler said during his ten years with the ACC, "we were assured over and over and over again it would only be used in adverse weather and never as the primary runway.

"I feel the ACC membership has been duped," Sheckler added. "We are not going to sit idly by and allow this to happen."

A special meeting of the Highline Forum will be held Dec. 18 at airport headquarters at 9 a.m. Forum meetings are open to the public.

The Port, operators of the airport, formed the forum with the cities of Burien, Normandy Park, Des Moines, Federal Way, Tukwila and SeaTac along with the Highline School District to discuss subjects of mutual interest.

All the cities and the school district, with the exception of SeaTac, were members of the ACC. The coalition filed numerous lawsuits against the Port seeking to halt construction of the new runway at Sea-Tac International Airport.

Though the ACC disbanded after it became apparent the runway would be built, Sheckler said he has recently received suggestions that the organization be resurrected because of the heavy flights.

Sheckler noted he has also heard demands that the Port be required to obtain a new environmental impact statement.

The Times/News has been flooded with letters from residents under the new flight path.

One of the letter writers, Miriam Bearse, is among a group that has called a neighbors' meeting for 6 p.m. on Dec. 19 to discuss potential legal action. For location and more information, contact Bearce at miriambearse@yahoo.com.

In her letter, Bearce wrote, "They (the Port) provided unspecific and often inaccurate information as to where the flight path would be, and assured us that it would be used 'responsibly.'"

Bearce wrote that with extra insulation in her house before the runway was operational, she could not hear planes when inside.

"Now the house shakes as planes fly over our roof and the deafening roar of jet engines can be heard everywhere," Bearse wrote.

Another letter writer, Kathleen Anderson, said she tracked flights on Dec. 1. Thirty-one came in on the third runway to 14 between the two other runways, she wrote.

Some of the letter writers live in condominiums around the Glen Acres Golf Course, near 8th Avenue South and South 112th Street.

In a Dec. 11 Seattle Times story, air traffic controllers were quoted as saying they were trained to land the majority of planes on the third runway.

Port spokesman Perry Cooper told the Seattle Times that while the runway was primarily designed to prevent flight delays during poor weather, it will also be used during high-traffic times.

Stan Shepard, airport noise program manager, was quoted by the Seattle Times as saying the new runway has handled 41 percent of arriving flights. Earlier estimates were that the runway would handle 27.7 percent of the flights.

Originally, Port officials had said the new runway would be used only for landings. However, as construction began, the officials began saying the runway would also occasionally be used for takeoffs. The first commercial jet to use the new runway on dedication day, Nov. 20, took off.

Even if Highline officials and residents are successful in lowering the number of third-runway flights, the amount will increase again in April.

That is when the Port plans to shut down the first runway for six months for repaving.

Cooper told the Times/News on Nov. 20 that the first runway has not been completely repaved since the airport opened in the 1940s.

Cooper estimated the repaving will cost $83 million.