We should compromise on banner planes...
We should compromise on banner planes
We’ve had it up to our ears and then some, with those blasted
noisy, moaning and groaning banner towing airplanes.
Their normal flying pattern is from northwest to southeast along
the beach. The are out over the ocean and their noise is disgusting
but tolerable. But when the banner towing airplanes turn back to the
northwest, they go inland and right over our house.
On a beautiful warm summer day with the living room and dining
room sliding doors open and a beautiful light breeze is flowing
through the house, you can not carry on a normal conversation or hear
the radio or television when one of those blasted old-time moaning
and groaning banner towing planes goes overhead. They are a pain in
the keister.
Besides noise, safety is another concern in our area. There are
138 homes in Newport West. Many have young children, including my son
and his wife. Having retired with more than 42 years in aviation, my
heart skips a few beats every time one of those banner towing
airplane’s engines sputter overhead. And it does happen quite
frequently. What will happen when one of those banner towing planes
has engine trouble? Sure, the pilot will most likely find an open
area to land, but what about the banner, where will it go? There is a
better-than-average chance the banner will land on a house, causing
damage and possibly taking a life. We pray it is not one of our
grandchildren.
How about a compromise? Let the banner towing planes continue, but
make a few changes. Limit them to 1,000-feet altitude over land and
water. Restrict turns to over the ocean, only. Inland turns can only
be made after they are out of Huntington Beach City limits.
Every one of you who love the banner towing airplanes, love their
“quiet moaning and groaning” and their advertisements are invited to
have a picnic in my front yard on any summer Sunday afternoon. You’ll
soon realize how noisy and dangerous these banner towing planes
really are.
Lastly, many of my neighbors and I will not patronize any
establishment hiring banner tow planes, even if What-A-Lot-A-Pizza
has one of the better and cheapest pizzas in town.
DICK SWANSON
Huntington Beach
Lets keep up fight to save the entire mesa
Please help save the entire Bolsa Chica Mesa, both upper and
lower. It is a valuable historical and natural area and should be
preserved. The existing homes recently built on the upper mesa,
covered over archeological sites, very quickly, before anyone had
time to protest. Please don’t let that happen on the rest of the
mesa.
TEDDY TAPSCOTT
Huntington Beach
Let’s lose those noisy police helicopters
I would agree with the other letter writers who are fatigued by
Huntington Beach’s annoying practice of running helicopters at 11
p.m. every night. This costly and pointless practice serves no
purpose but to remind Huntington Beach that its Police Department is
out of touch with its citizenry.
Why doesn’t the Huntington Beach Police Department intuitively
know that their low-flying helicopters would be considered intrusive?
With most home prices hovering at $400,000 or above, wouldn’t the
Huntington Beach Police Department surmise that many residents have
day jobs to support these mortgages? Huntington Beach is no longer
filled with just unemployed surfers with eight kids to a room. The
police need to adjust to a different cliental. They should either
invest in noise-abatement equipment or modify the hours of helicopter
operation.
GARRET GRAJEK
Huntington Beach
Hats off to the police and its helicopters
I have pondered whether or not to respond to the negative letters
about the Huntington Beach Police helicopters, and after reading
another helicopter bashing article, I could not remain silent. In
response to Mary Fairfield’s letter (“Helicopters are a noisy
nuisance,” July 4), and to all those bearing the same opinion, I feel
the need to educate those members of the community who live in glass
houses. I am not a Huntington Beach police officer but have been a
member of the law enforcement community for the past 17 years. I live in Huntington Beach because it is one of the safest communities in
the country. How fortunate we are to live in such a wonderful and
safe place. My question to all the opponents of the police
helicopters is: Why do you think that Huntington Beach is such a safe
community? Do you think that we are surrounded by a space-aged
protective bubble that keeps all the criminals out? Only an
uninformed and naive fool would think that Huntington Beach is off
limits to the “seedy” population that plagues all our communities.
The men and women of the Huntington Beach Police Department, in
conjunction with their patrol vehicles, motorcycles, ATVs, bicycles
and police helicopters do an outstanding job of protecting residents,
including Mary. We are very fortunate in this city that the police
are able to patrol our community so proactively from the criminal
element that lurks in your neighborhood, waiting for the opportunity
to victimize you while you and your family are fast asleep.
This proactive approach of patrolling our residential
neighborhoods at 10:30 p.m., 11:30 p.m. and all through the night is
the very reason that the citizens in Huntington Beach can go to sleep
without worrying about their families safety in their own homes. A
little bit of noise from a police helicopter is a small price to pay
for peace of mind, and the safety of your loved ones. And yes,
helicopters cost money. And the police department and the city will
spend less money in the long run by having a larger fleet that is in
better working condition and can cover more area in an extreme
emergency. The cost of crime is much higher than the pettiness
outlined by a few disgruntled citizens who have obviously never been
victimized and live in a fantasy land.
Hats off to the Huntington Beach Police Department and their
awesome helicopter fleet. Please patrol my neighborhood anytime and
often. My last bit of advice to Mary is to educate herself by going
on a police ride-a-long before spouting off at the mouth again
regarding subjects that she knows nothing about.
SALLYANN PROCACCINI
Huntington Beach
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