Writers wise in JWA warnings

Richard Taylor warns us that a growing John Wayne Airport is like a fire that will “scorch this community to the bare ground,” (“Call to action is late,” Saturday). He mentions individuals and groups lecturing us on “what needs to be done to control John Wayne Airport.” He criticizes Byron de Arakal for saying the settlement agreement, which keeps John Wayne Airport small, “does not override the county’s Airport System Master Plan, the long-range planning scheme for the eventual build-out of John Wayne Airport that was ratified by the Board of Supervisors in October of 2001.” (“Keeping JWA on the radar,” Oct. 9).

Both of these writers speak wisely about the threat of a growing John Wayne Airport, but neither mentions that Irvine, the big city surrounding John Wayne Airport on two sides, may be more against growth than traditional victims Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. This is because the airspace around El Toro is now open for all the airlines. Pilots, learning to turn, may be flying over Irvine instead of using circuitous routes that were mandated by the Marines.

DONALD NYRE

Newport Beach