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