Dear Editor,
Although marketed as some sort of holiday gift to the communities from the six flight schools at SMO, this is a major insult to the airport’s neighbors. It amounts to a gift wrapped present that contains nothing of any substance. Who are they kidding? “Voluntary” is not even enforceable!
What stands out from both the fight schools letter and the City of Santa Monica’s press release is the lack of any reference to the fact that there already exists tougher restrictions to pattern flying. (Touch and Go and Stop and Go operations are prohibited on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, and during weekdays between one-half (1/2) hour after sunset and 7:00 a.m. of the following morning). The flight schools have circumvented the spirit and intent of this by using a maneuver called taxi-backs.
The airport’s neighbors will not be fooled and should be outraged by this empty and insulting gesture, as noise from pattern flying will continue throughout the day, most of the evening, and weekends.
If the six SMO flight schools wanted to do the right thing they would move to an appropriate airport not surrounded by residential communities.
Martin Rubin
Director, Concerned Residents Against Airport Pollution
