Manager keeps control at world's busiest airport.

Recognized as the world's busiest general aviation airport, the Van Nuys Airport is an important part of business life in the San Fernando Valley.

Overseeing its daily operations is Selena Birk, a veteran administrator with the Los Angeles World Airports, the agency that owns and operates not only Van Nuys but also Los Angeles International, Ontario and Palmdale airports.

As the general manager, Birk handles airfield operations, property functions, maintenance, security, environmental management, and public relations.

"There is also a significant community component in coordinating with local elected officials, the citizen's advisory council and individual homeowners and homeowner groups," Birk said.

In April the most recent statistics available, the airport handled 31,400 general aviation aircraft movements. Van Nuys is also home to well known aircraft management and charter service companies and the home base for many media helicopters. Birk has been manager at Van Nuys Air port for more than six years. Prior to that, she was at LAX for 10 years in a variety of positions from operations, contract management, risk management and security functions.

Question: What work have you been involved in since coming to Van Nuys?

Answer: Since I've been here at Van Nuys I've had the opportunity to participate in significant projects, including the completion of the master plan, which was completed in January of this year. We've had some significant construction projects including upgrading electrical vaults and replacing a number of signs on the west side of the airport. We are also in the process of replacing our maintenance yard. We've begun the process of changing the Air National Guard site to a propeller aviation center.

Q: Can you describe more what the master plan entails?

A: It's primarily a land use plan that will help guide the development of the airport. It sets aside the former Air National Guard site, which is about 30 acres, and it will be used for development for use only by propeller aircraft.

Q: Why is it important that land be set aside for them?

A: The propeller aircraft tend to be more price sensitive as far as rents. This sets aside an area guaranteed for them. It allows for development at the airport depending on how the tenants plan to move forward.

Q: Assess Van Nuys Airport's economic impact on the San Fernando Valley?

A: We've done an economic impact study. We do them approximately every five years. The last one that was done in 1998 showed we had a $1.2 billion economic impact in the greater San Fernando Valley. We are beginning now a new economic impact study and selecting a consultant to do that for us. By early next year we should have the results of that study. The significance of the airport to the Valley is jobs. In addition to that it is a key part to the national transportation system as well as being a reliever airport for LAX by having the general aviation component of the greater Los Angeles area come here rather than to LAX.

Q: One of the bigger issues that needs to be resolved is on the use of Stage 2 aircraft at the airport (Stage 2 is a noise-level designation for aircraft--Stage 1 aircraft are banned in the United States while Stage 3 aircraft are the quietest). Can you give a status on that?

A: There is an existing ordinance that controls the number of Stage 2 aircraft based at the airport called the non-addition rule. It was an amendment to a curfew ordinance that was put into place before 1990. This fixed the number of Stage 2 aircraft that could be based at the airport. If they were at the airport for 90 days or more in 1999, that was the criteria that was set. We allow other Stage 2 aircraft in if they are coming for significant maintenance or they can be at the airport for 30 days in a calendar year. We're also in the process of data gathering as part of the Federal Aviation Regulation 161 study, which is a process required by the federal government if an airport wants to take action to restrict noise at an airport. One of the measures being studied is a phase out of Stage 2 aircraft.

Q: Are there still a lot of Stage 2 aircraft at the airport?

A: There are 34 at this time.

Q: If those are phased out will it have significant effect on the companies that have those planes?

A: That's what the 161 study will help tell us. It looks at the operational impacts of any restrictions on the airport. It looks at the economic impacts. It looks at the impacts to the national aviation system and looks at the impacts of what would happen to the other airports in the area should we enact some sort of restriction on a type of aircraft.

Q: Any timetable on when that will he done.

A: It's supposed to be completed in 2008. It will be submitted to the FAA and they'll have a period to go through and make sure the study was done to their standards.

Q: What's the relationship between the airport and the surrounding community? Is there a dialogue there on noise issues and other issues related to the airport?

A: We have a speaker's bureau where we provide topic experts to any community function that invites us. We have experts on LAWA staff in addition to tenants and there's a school on site that provides speakers. We have a wide variety of people who are very generous with their time. We'll do airfield tours to community leaders as well as to educational facilities. We open our doors as often as we can both on site and by taking presentations and speakers off site.

Q: Can you talk about your relationship with Los Angeles World Airports and the Board of Airport Commissioners.

A: It's similar to a legislative board. The Board of Airport Commissioners is our policy making board. They are appointed by the mayor. All of the airport managers report to Paul Haney, a deputy executive director and he reports to Lydia Kennard the executive director.

Q: Do you stay in contact with the business tenants.

A: There is contact both officially and unofficially. They feel comfortable contacting me. I talk with one or another of the tenants daily. There is a tenant association and I attend their meetings. I also attend, as I am able to, the meetings of the propeller (aircraft) association.

BY MARK R. MADLER

Staff Reporter