Night Landing Practice Banned at Montgomery

Montgomery Field officials have notified pilots with planes based at the airport that they can no longer perform “touch-and-go” operations from sunset to 6:30 a.m.

“The city manager’s office has instructed us to penalize violators by restricting the use of the airport or prohibiting the use of the airport” if pilots perform such maneuvers, Terry Price, the airport ‘s noise-abatement officer, said Thursday.

Last Friday, Montgomery Field officials mailed letters to more than 400 pilots who have planes stationed or who practice at the airport saying they must cease performing touch-and-go flights, which involve practicing landing, taxiing and then taking off again.

City officials indicated that an existing nighttime ban was not being enforced when a small plane crash-landed on Balboa Avenue last week.

“I think the accident was a triggering mechanism, although the touch-and-go maneuvers were not the cause of the accident,” Price said.

City Manager John Lockwood said, “I think that accident generated the conversation again.”

Based on the 1984 airport master plan, city officials called for a curfew from 11:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. after neighbors complained that the planes too noisy.

A nighttime noise limit was later imposed by the city.

After last week’s crash, City Councilman Ed Struiksma said that the Federal Aviation Administration office was not enforcing the curfew.

Price said the pilots were upset. “They said that it restricts the quality of training.”