AIRCRAFT SOUNDS PLAGUE NEIGHBORS.

Byline: Anne Carver 

THOSE of us who live in and around Van Nuys Airport have been plagued for years with excruciatingly loud jet and helicopter noise.

What was once a fairly small airport has become the largest general aviation airport in the country. The makeup of the airport has changed from an airport with mostly small prop planes to an airport that has become a hub for older-model, noisy jets that scream through the air over residential areas.

Van Nuys Airport also has become a media base for TV news helicopters. There are little or no controls on these aircraft. Residents in Van Nuys, Encino, Sherman Oaks, Studio City and even as far as Cahuenga Pass complain of loud aircraft, polluted air and disturbed sleep.

Residents have been asking city government for a very long time to pass a non-addition rule that would put restrictions on any new stage-two jets joining those already at Van Nuys Airport. The non-addition rule was also to include a phase-out of these jets. There actually was a non-addition rule put on the table back in 1992, but when the present mayor took over, that idea was scrapped in favor of a ``voluntary fly-friendly program.''

At a time when other airports are working on phasing out these old, noisy jets, our City Council is getting ready to guarantee that these noisy jets may remain at the airport forever.

The proposal also includes no limits on non-resident jets. Many jets come to Van Nuys Airport for maintenance and repair. There is no limit on the number of airplanes coming in for repair. It also leaves the decision of what time of day or night these jets can fly in to the airport manager. It does not include any incentive to get rid of these noisy jets.

The proposal does not address our problem with noisy helicopters that buzz our homes and puts no controls on the number of stage-three jets at the airport. If the City Council approves the non-addition rule, the Board of Airport Commissioners will never again listen to our pleas for relief.

Do we really want a rule passed that will not provide any relief from this racket?

The purpose of a non-addition rule is to provide relief to the thousands of residents disturbed by constant loud aircraft noise. There are some 28 homeowners associations, along with the Sierra Club, who feel this rule should be rejected. They do not reject it because they do not want relief, but they reject it because it does not do what it is supposed to do. That is the reason this bad solution should be rejected. It does not solve our noise problems.

What can and should be done?

The proposal should be sent back to the Board of Airport Commissioners, and the board should be asked to consider a real solution: a solution that will actually deal with noise problems. There should be a gradual phase out of stage-two jets.

Unrelated to the non-addition rule - but also effective - would be hush kits fitted on stage-two jets to make them quieter. A tax incentive to encourage stage-two jet owners to either purchase a hush kit or buy a newer and quieter airplane would be another solution. There should be controls on the size of the airport. Completion of the master plan could accomplish this.

It is not appropriate for growth of this airport to occur when residential areas surround it. Or have we reached a point in time that quality of life does not count? Aren't all of us entitled to peaceful use and enjoyment of our homes?

If we do not consider these things people will continue to move out of the San Fernando Valley. It will no longer be a place anyone will want to call home.

The City Council is due to make this crucial decision of whether to approve the proposed non-addition rule on Tuesday. It is important that anyone disturbed by jet noise attend the City Council meeting, which will be held at the Airtel Plaza Hotel in Van Nuys at 10 a.m. Those unable to attend should write or call their council member's office to voice their concerns.

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Photo: Will the proposed non-addition rule help Van Nuys Airport?

Er ic Grigorian/Special to the Daily News