sr-071861-6fDATE: July 12, 1961
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
TO: The Honorable City Council ~~
~`
FROM: George Bundy, City Manager '~a,:"~"X ` ~!
SUBJECT:Night Flying ~gf~tx
JUL 1 €31961
~~z~ .R€TI~T Flu
A questionnaire was sent on July 3 to the 300 ~~' ~~ ~a~'
of the Municipal Airport and the fixed base operat $5 ~, 82
replied, including 9 operators.
The following answers were received:
A. Do you occasionally fly out of this airport at night, between
the hours of 11:00 p. m. and 5:C0 a. m. ?
(Yes) (No)
Users: 40 33
Operators: 6 3
Total: 45 36
B. If yes, approximately how many times during the year do
you depart or arrive at night?
Users: 997 Movements
Operators: 283 Movements
1, 280 Movements
C. Are you aware of the Airport Regulation which specifically
prohibits pattern flying during the hours of darkness?
(Yes) (No)
Users: 57 13
Operators: 4 0
Total: 56 13
D. Are you, as an airport user, in favor of the airport being
closed to night operations for the purpose of departure or
arrival ?
(Yss) (No)
Users: i 72
Operators: 0 9.
Total : 1 8 ?.
E. If the Airport is closed to night operations, would this
inconvenience cause you to move your aircraft to another
airport?
(Yes) (No)
Users: 51 20
Operators: 7 1
Total: 58 21
-Z-
F. Is your airs
Both (X)?
Users:
Operators:
Totai:
raft used for business (B), Pleasure (P), or
(~) (P) tx)
it 12 49
5 p 2
26 i2 51
G. If for business, are you required at times to leave late at
night or early in the morning, after 11:00 p, m. or before
5:00 a. m. ?
ties) (No)
Users: 42 2p
Operators: 6 2
Total: 48 22
Reviewing these answers, it should be ncted that item F indicates 67
of 79 (or 87%} users and operators depend upon their aircraft £or
earning a livelihood. Item G indicates that at least 48 (61ojo of 79) are
sometimes required to take off between 11 :OOp. m. and 5:00 a. m.
Item E is perhaps the most definitive ques±icn of all as 58 (or 73°Jo of
79) users and operators (actually all but one of the operators)
indicate that closing the airport petween 1 l:pp p. m. and 5:00 a. m.
would force them to move their operations elsewhere. When the
gross revenue of the Airport is considered ($393, 429 _ see page 85,
1961-62 Annual Budget), it is readily apparent that any loss in excess
of 70°fo would be a substantial one.
Item D conclusively indicates the opposition by airport users and
operators to closing the airport between i t;pp p, m. and 5:00 a. m.
The questionnaire has also caused these persons to send several
letters of opposition and to deluge the Airport Director with telephone
calls of opposition to such closing.
The persons surveyed were asked to explain their "yes" or "no"
answers to Item D. The one "yes'" answer was explained as follows:
"My flights average 13 hours which brings my ETA at Santa Monica
around 10:30 -- 71;3p p. m."
The "no" answers {$1) had too many .and too forceful explanations to
reproduce. In review, .they y:oint out that a public street is never
consistently closed to automobiles; that business requires a 24 hour
airport; that more users are involved than home-owners;that night
movements are extremely light; that Ciovsr Field existed long before
the residential areas; that weather conditions often make night
movements necessary; ete.
Item B indicates that the persons answering this questionnaire make
i, 28p movements per year for the hours in questi.or.. According to
-3-
the Babcock Report {see page 52), 2i8, 678 movements were made in
1.959. Multiplying 1, 280 by 4 {since only 83 of 360 registered users
answered), the total night movements become 5, 120. The ratio of
this figure to 2i8, 678 is approximately 2. 3°fo, a very minimal figure
for night flying.
There are some indications that the Municipal Airport is frequently
blamed for aircraft activity out of International Airport. Between
June'30 -- July 7, two other surveys were taken.
Between i 1 :00 p. m. and 5:00 a. m. during this period, there were
only 22 movements at the Municipal Airport, i. e. 10 landings and 12
take-offs.
During these same hours, there were 50 aircraft over the City of
Sar..ta lvlonica. Of these, 28 were large jets {DC-8's and 707's),
13 were large pistons, and ° ware small business or pleasure craft.
The Federal Aviation Agency further points out that jet aircraft
over Santa Monica, while well above 5, 000 feet, usually are climbing
for altitude under full power, thereby creating the impression of
extremely low level flight.
In summary, it can be said that airport users and fixed base operators
need and want 24 hour use of the Municipal Airport; that there is
evidence that some night aircraft noise originates from a source
other than the Municipal Airport; and that night flying from the
Municipal Airport is quite minimal.
It should also be noted that t,'~e Airport Director has posted "good
neighbor signs" and gereraliy made a tremendous effort to control
aircraft noise. But neighbors of any airport ~vil1 attest to the
existence of noise, so that the alternative is the removal of the
Municipal Airport if the -noise is to be completely abated. The City
Attorney indicates that the City cannot legally abandon the Airport.
GEORGE BUNDY
City Manager
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