GO INSIDE – take elevator at north end of the building to 2nd floor – turn right to the end of the hall
PARK FREE out front in the spaces closest to Woodley Avenue
VAN NUYS AIRPORT CITIZENS ADVISORY COUNCIL
August 7, 2018 Agenda: 7:00 p.m.
VAN NUYS FLYAWAY
2ND FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM
7610 Woodley Ave, Van Nuys, CA 91406
(Public comments are heard after Council discussion of each agenda item.)
CALL TO ORDER CHAIR ELLIOT SANDERS
APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF June 5, 2018
- STAFF REPORTS
- Flora Margheritis, Airport Manager
- Christian Moreno, Chief of Airport Operations
- Diana Sanchez, Director of Public and Community Relations
- Len Krugler, Environmental Specialist
- Lt. Dennis Lau, Officer-in-Charge, Airport Police
- BOAC Agenda Items Concerning VNY Discussion/Action
- REPORT FROM THE CHAIR
- REPORT FROM THE WORKING GROUPS
- Membership John Parker, Chairperson
- PUBLIC COMMENT NON-AGENDA ITEMS Discussion
- NEW BUSINESS
- Ad Hoc Committees – Discussion
- OLD BUSINESS
- Early Turn Update Discussion
- EMERGENCY ITEMS SINCE POSTING OF AGENDA Discussion/Action
- ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS COMMENTS – NON-AGENDA ITEMS
- ADJOURNMENT NEXT MEETING: September 4, 2018
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Studio City Sherman Oaks Encino News July 2018
FAA REJECTS PETITIONS
By Gerald A. Silver
Recently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) denied petitions from the Los Angeles Area Helicopter Noise Coalition (LAAHNC) for regulation of helicopter flights in Los Angeles County to reduce noise and improve safety. After years of talks with the FAA and helicopter operators, LAAHNC was unable to reach any agreement to reduce helicopter noise. This is in spite of the past three years where the FAAs Automated Complaint System has accumulated a quarter-million citizen complaints
In 2011, the Los Angeles Residential Helicopter Noise Relief Act bills were introduced by elected representatives in Congress. These and subsequent bills would have directed the FAA to regulate non-essential helicopter flights, such as tours. They received support from elected members of Congress, the State of California, County of Los Angeles, and 21 local cities. However, the FAA believes that the best way to handle noise issues is through collaboration with helicopter pilots and the local community using voluntary measures.
In January, 2014, Public Law No.11376 was enacted directing the FAA to evaluate and adjust helicopter routes above Los Angeles to lessen impacts on residential areas and noise sensitive landmarks. It also directed the FAA to make significant progress in the following year or begin the regulatory process. In December 2014 a California congressional delegation wrote to the FAA asking them to proceed with a regulatory approach if the stakeholders fail to agree on a voluntary process.
In October, 2015, LAAHNC submitted four petitions to the FAA proposing mandatory regulations for non-essential flights 1) A minimum flight altitude of 2,000 feet above ground level; 2) Limits on hovering time; 3) Pooling of media helicopters covering news events; and 4) A coastal route one-half mile offshore. Seven months later the FAA denied the LAAHNC petitions. In June 2016, LAAHNC asked the FAA to reconsider. A year and one–half later, in January of this year, the FAA finally denied LAAHNC requests bringing the petition process to a close.
The only route adjustment implemented by the FA A was in June 2015, when it created new coastal voluntary helicopter routes along the LA County coastline. However, they are only 750 feet offshore (plus or minus 250 feet) with no minimum altitudes. These routes are not sufficient to reduce noise or guarantee the safety of people on the shoreline. The FAA never discussed these routes with LAAHNC. Moreover, there was no advance public notice or opportunity for comment.
An Automated Complaint System was put into place about three years ago for the public in Los Angeles County to file helicopter noise complaints. It has averaged about 7,000 complaints per month and helped document the problem. LAAHNC continues to meet with pilot representatives monthly. However, since there are no established rules, individual pilots cannot be held accountable. This system was intended to inform stakeholders and help lead to agreements on needed fundamental reforms.
Regrettably after more than five years of effort the LAAHNC has not been able to achieve significant results through the collaborative process and the FAA refuses to establish any helicopter noise regulations for Los Angeles County. It is now up to the public to urge their elected representatives in Congress to hold the FAA accountable to fix the helicopter noise problem. More details and copies of related documents can be found at: LAHelicopterNoise.org.
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Gerald A. Silver is President of Homeowners of Encino. He served on the Citizens Advisory Committee that helped craft the Ventura Blvd. Specific Plan. He can be reached at gsilver4@earthlink.net.
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MyNewsLA.com July 24, 2018
Helicopter Noise Complaints Deserve Federal Funding, CA Politicians Say
A coalition of California lawmakers called Tuesday on the federal government to continue to pay for a system that allows Los Angeles County residents to complain about helicopter noise.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and several other members of Californias congressional delegation sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration asking it to reverse a decision to terminate funding for the Los Angeles Automated Complaint System. They also asked for improvements that would more accurately track helicopters across Los Angeles County.
The residents of Los Angeles deserve the continued support of the FAA in maintaining the Los Angeles Automated Noise Complaint System. Excessive helicopter noise remains a problem in the Los Angeles County, and we ask the FAA to continue working toward solutions, including by supporting and improving the noise complaint system, the letter reads in part.
It was also signed by Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, Brad Sherman, D-Porter Ranch, Tony Cardenas, D-Los Angeles, Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, and Ted Lieu, D-Torrance.
The system costs $30,000 annually, according to the California delegation, which pointed out that Congress recently approved an additional $1.6 billion in FAA spending, nearly a 10 percent increase to the federal agencys budget.
The decision to terminate the noise complaint system appears to be less about its very modest expense and more about not wanting to hear complaints from the public of excessive noise, the letter states.
In addition, the group wants to see the system incorporate data from Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast systems, required for all helicopters by 2020, and be available in Spanish and other languages.
The system was set up in 2015 in response to legislation sponsored by Feinstein and Schiff and allows federal regulators to track complaints about helicopter noise. It is intended to sort out which operators are responsible for excessive noise. Information on enforcement and effectiveness was not immediately available.
Complaints can be lodged online at www.heli-noise-la.com or by calling (424) 348-4354.
Statistics on the website show that hundreds of complaints are filed weekly. Support for the system ended June 30, according to a note on the site.
Helicopter Noise Complaints Deserve Federal Funding, CA Politicians Say was last modified: July 24th, 2018 by Contributing Editor
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Los Angeles Daily News – July 27, 2018
Critics protest scheduled end of FAAs helicopter noise complaint hotline
By Nick Green
July 25, 2018, 5:32 pm
A three-year-old FAA-sponsored hotline and website that logs complaints about excessive helicopter noise will soon be shut down as scheduled, but members of Californias Congressional delegation and local activists are lobbying to keep it operating even though the systems effectiveness is in question.
The Automated Complaint System, as its officially known, was established in early 2015 and now logs about 7,000 complaints a month, said Richard Root, a Torrance resident who is president of the Los Angeles Area Helicopter Noise Coalition.
The website is at heli-noise-la.com/ and the hotline number is 424-348-HELI (4354).
Intended to be a one-year data-gathering effort by the Federal Aviation Administration, the system was extended twice for additional one-year terms at the urging of the group and regional helicopter operators. It costs about $30,000 annually to operate.
But a group of politicians that include both the states senators and a half dozen local congressional representatives sent a letter to the FAA this week requesting not only a continuation of the complaint system, but improvements be made to it.
Given that Congress recently made an additional $1.6 billion available to the FAA, an increase of nearly 10 percent, the decision to terminate the noise complaint system appears to be less about its very modest expense and more about not wanting to hear complaints from the public of excessive noise, the letter reads in part. The FAA will not be permitted to ignore this persistent problem and one that affects the quality of life for so many of our constituents by turning off a method for residents to provide feedback on the problem and insist on accountability. …
To read full article:
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VNY AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS ARE UP SIGNIFICANTLY
According to an Operations Report presented 6/05/2018 to the VNY-CAC, VNY flight operations are up significantly:
April 2028 Total Operations were 23,288, up by 25.14% over April 2017
Year to date, Total Operations are up by over 20% over 2017
TO REPORT VNY AIRCRAFT NOISE:
To report helicopter noise over Los Angeles County
http:http://heli-noise-la.com/
To report Van Nuys Airport (VNY) helicopter and aircraft noise
http: http://webtrak.bksv.com/vny/
Los Angeles Area Helicopter Noise Coalition (LAAHNC) web page
http://lahelicopternoise.org//
Contact the following Valley Councilmembers and report Van Nuys Airport noise problems:
Councilmember Paul Koretz CD 5, 818-971-3088
Councilmember Paul Krekorian CD 2, 213-485-3391
Councilmember Bob Blumenfield CD 3, 818-756-8848
Councilmember Mitch Englander CD 12, 818-886-5210
Councilmember Monica Rodriguez CD 7, 213-473-7007
Councilmember David Ryu CD 4, 818-728-9924
Councilmember Nury Martinez CD 6, (818) 778-4999
Email your comments to:
Councilmember Nury Martinez CD 6 councilmember.martinez@lacity.org
Councilmember Paul Krekorian councilmember.Krekorian@lacity.org
Councilmember Monica Rodriguez councilmember.Rodriguez@lacity.org
Councilmember Bob Blumenfield councilmember.blumenfield@lacity.org
Councilman Mitchell Englander councilmember.englander@lacity.org
Councilmember David Ryu david.ryu@lacity.org
Councilman Paul Koretz paul.koretz@lacity.org
Also cc:
Van Nuys Airport Interim Manager, Flora Margheritis, C.M.
Mayor Garcetti mayor@lacity.org