Costa Mesa delves into flights issue
Lolita Harper
Aviation. Education. Collaboration.
Those are the key terms surrounding the boost in airplane presence
over the city and the steps that should be taken to resolve the
quagmire, officials say.
Costa Mesa’s problem of increased airplane traffic is fraught with
confusing terminology, conflicting statements from local airport
authorities and local officials who are desperate for some way to
take action in an area in which they have no authority.
City Manager Alan Roeder said city officials have been diligent
about gathering information about local flights and plan to take more
aggressive steps that include hiring outside experts and teaming up
with other city leaders to pressure federal aviation officials for
change.
Roeder said the increase in flights has been clearly documented by
airport flight paths and mounting complaints from residents. What
isn’t clear is exactly where the flights are coming from or what can
be done to stop them, he said.
ALL SIGNS POINT
TO LONG BEACH
While he can confidently point the finger at Long Beach, Roeder
said the evidence gathered so far exonerates John Wayne Airport as
the culprit. City officials have spoken with Long Beach and John
Wayne airports’ representatives, who both claim to have no part in
the flight increases.
Long Beach Airport spokeswoman Sharon Diggs-Jackson has said her
airport is too small to be the cause of such a noticeable increase
and said residents should look to JWA and LAX for answers.
Officials from John Wayne have volunteered various maps and charts
that detail the number of flights traveling through their air space
and clearly identify which are routed into and out of John Wayne,
Roeder said. City staffers have also researched LAX flights, Roeder
said.
“Based on what we’ve seen, there just any documentation that says
this is an LAX or John Wayne issue,” Roeder said.
EDUCATION IS KEY
Without pointing fingers, Roeder said the first order of business
was to educate city leaders on aviation and what role, if any, they
can play in finding a solution.
Councilman Gary Monahan invited Tom Naughton, a former pilot and
president of the Airport Working Group, to brief council members on
various factors involved in the increase in flights over the city.
Most of the increase stems from the adjustments in air space by the
federal government.
Federal Aviation Administration officials confirmed changes in
allocated airspace over the Southern California region, including a
larger space over John Wayne Airport. FAA representatives say changes
were made to give air traffic controllers more leniency in flight
paths to promote the safest route depending on specific weather or
traffic circumstances.
EL TORO DEMISE LEAVES OPEN SPACE
Naughton, who has garnered the title of local airport guru, said
that John Wayne airspace now extends into space formally reserved for
the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. Since the former base was
officially rezoned by Measure W as park land, aviation officials
decided to reallocate the airspace to give local airports full
advantage, he said.
Naughton said John Wayne has the most airspace it has ever had and
it allows smaller airports, such as Long Beach, to use it. The safest
and most practical route for flights coming into Long Beach from the
East travels directly over Costa Mesa, Naughton said.
The Long Beach localizer and glider beams, which are rays sent
from the airport to help align planes for the runway, are located
just between John Wayne Airport and the coast, Naughton explained.
Pilots must hit that mark and start their descent right around Costa
Mesa, which is only 15 nautical miles from Long Beach Airport, he
said.
“So, a pilot who is coming in naturally wants to take the shortest
route and would go through the John Wayne airspace at a higher
altitude and then attempt to intercept the glide scope around our
area here,” Naughton said.
The glide scope is set at an elevation of about 4,500 feet,
Naughton said, but pilots would want to come in under the mark for
the smoothest descent, which would explain why residents are
reporting low-flying aircraft.
“You wouldn’t come in above the glide scope and then dip in,”
Naughton said. “We used to in the military, but it’s not something
you would want to do with passengers.”
The popular route for incoming flights from the East and the
increase in flights from Long Beach airlines Jet Blue and American
have combined to create a noticeable difference in plane traffic over
the city, he said.
“The most popular airports in this region are John Wayne and Long
Beach, and Costa Mesa is taking the brunt from both,” Naughton said.
GETTING HELP FROM NEIGHBORING CITIES
Councilwoman Karen Robinson, who lives in Mesa Verde -- where many
of the recent complaints of airplane noise have cropped up -- said
she learned a lot from Naughton’s presentation and hopes neighboring
cities that are experiencing the same problems will also be educated
on the issue.
“We need to get each of our cities knowing why [there has been an
increase in flights] and on the same page so we can start to figure
out if there is anything we can do about it,” Robinson said. “I am
hopeful that once all of the cities get educated about what’s going
on and then work collectively to resolve whatever issues we can, if
we can.”
Roeder agreed, saying it is crucial to get various municipalities
at one table to figure out what exactly is taking place and what can
be done to provide some relief to residents of not only of Costa Mesa
but also of Huntington Beach, Seal Beach and Los Alamitos, which have
been directly affected.
Long Beach resident Alan Terry, who is a member of a community
organization created to halt Long Beach airport expansion, said he
would be more than willing to work with Costa Mesa residents and
officials -- as well as people from other cities -- who are also
concerned with the apparent increase in Long Beach flights. Terry,
who sits on the board for Long Beach Hush 2, said his group is
working to limit the number of flights at Long Beach, stop any future
expansion of the terminal and try to amend the noise restrictions so
they reflect the more modern, and quieter, aircraft.
Terry said he can empathize with Costa Mesa residents.
“They have a real good reason to be concerned in Costa Mesa,”
Terry said.
NOT ENTIRELY
UNDER CITIES’ CONTROL
Costa Mesa officials said they encourage resident participation
but warn that air space and the subsequent flight path are strictly
governed by the FAA.
“I am not entirely sure that the FAA would take the time and
effort to look for an alternative flight path,” Roeder said. “It is
something we will have to do for them.”
Roeder said the city is prepared to hire private, technical
experts who would be able to analyze the situation and compile
feasible flight path alternatives. Those alternatives would then be
offered to the FAA, but local leaders could not force their
implementation, he said. Local officials can simply apply pressure
and hope federal administrators are sympathetic, he said.
Lastly, but no less important, is the role individual residents
can take, Roeder said. He encouraged people from Costa Mesa,
Huntington Beach, Seal Beach and Los Alamitos to voice their opinions
to the FAA. Together, city leaders and residents might be able to
apply enough pressure to make a change, he said.
“It’s one thing to hear from the various municipalities, but it is
another thing when they hear from us and the residents,” Roeder said.
* LOLITA HARPER covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)
574-4275 or by e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.