COPTER CURFEW URGED AT AIRPORT; CRITIC TARGETS NEWS AIRCRAFT.

Byline: Lisa Van Proyen Daily News Staff Writer

A member of the Van Nuys Airport Citizens Advisory Council argued Tuesday night that helicopters - notably those used by radio and television stations doing early-morning newscasts - should have noise curfews imposed on them.

Gerald Silver, also president of Homeowners of Encino and one of the most ardent activists for noise reduction, said in his report that Los Angeles-area TV stations make up least half of the top 10 users.

``The bulk of the noise (from 5 to 7 a.m.) is coming from six to eight media helicopters,'' said Silver, who based his figures on airport records. ``Every one of them flies south, over the Sepulveda Basin, then goes over the edge of Encino or Sherman Oaks, down the Ventura Freeway, down the Cahuenga Pass, waking up thousands of residents.''

No curfews have yet been imposed on helicopters flying in and out of Van Nuys Airport, said Stacy Geere, a spokeswoman for the airport.

To pass a curfew ordinance on helicopters, an extensive and costly analysis known as a Part 161 study required by the Federal Aviation Administration must first be completed, said Bret Lobner, a senior assistant city attorney.

Among other issues, the study must detail the costs and benefits involved in instituting a curfew, Lobner said.

``If you don't do that, then you don't have a right to impose a restriction,'' he said before the meeting.

Airport officials already have presented a plan to impose a longer curfew on loud jets at Van Nuys Airport.

The plan would curb noisy jet flights at 10 p.m., instead of the current 11 p.m. curfew, and bar any new Stage 2 jets - or aircraft that create more than 77 decibels of noise - from joining the Van Nuys fleets. The proposed ordinance is still under review.

Silver maintained Tuesday that alternatives should be studied to include helicopters in the proposed ordinance.

One alternative he presented before the meeting was having one news helicopter act as pool coverage for numerous TV stations. Silver also suggested that news crews monitor morning traffic from Caltrans via the Internet, rather than in the air.

However, some critics questioned Silver's figures during Tuesday's meeting.

The alternatives are not feasible, said Dave Corsello, general manager of West Coast Helicopter at Van Nuys Airport, who leases helicopters to various news stations, including Channels 7 (KABC) and 11 (KTTV), which Silver cited as the two largest helicopter users between 5 and 7 a.m.

``For a lot of people (the news helicopter) is a useful form of communication. It eliminates them having to spend a lot of time in traffic,'' he said. ``A lot of people identify with the visual thing.''

Corsello also argued that helicopter pooling would not work because each station has its own agenda.

``What if there's numerous other places where events are happening?'' he asked. ``It doesn't make a lot of sense. Certain stations have their own agenda.''