Letter sent to the FAA regarding noisy helicopter routes

February 12, 1997

Mr. Charles A. Chamberlain VNY FAA Tower Chief

7550 Hayvenhurst Place Van Nuys, CA 91406

Updating helicopter letters of agreement

On behalf of Homeowners of Encino and the other 24 homeowner associations that make up the Stop the Noise! Coalition, I would like to welcome you to the Van Nuys Airport community

Helicopter noise from Van Nuys Airport has an enormous impact on residents living south and southeast of the airport, and in the Santa Monica Mountains. I understand that the FAA is in the process of updating the dozen or more Letters of Agreement with helicopter operators. The purpose of Letters of Agreement "is to ensure safe and efficient helicopter operations while minimizing the noise impact on the surrounding community" [see memo by John G. Clancy, FAA Air Traffic Manager--1992]

I would like to draw to your attention a major problem in the current VFR helicopter routes, promulgated in the FAA's Letters of Agreement. A Note is attached to the Flood Basin Departure route which states, "For noise abatement, the FLOOD BASIN DEPARTURE should be requested and approved to the extent possible." The effect of this directive is to give preference to routing helicopters through the Basin, and then immediately over heavily populated residential areas in Encino, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, and the Santa Monica Mountains. This greatly exacerbates the noise problems for these residents who already endure most of the jet departures from both Van Nuys and Burbank Airports. The Basin route creates a noise problem for residents because once low flying helicopters leave the Basin, they immediately fly south and southeast of the airport, down the Ventura Freeway corridor. As you know, there are no minimum altitudes for helicopters

Much of this helicopter noise begins as early as 4:30 am, when dozens of media helicopters leave Van Nuys Airport, disturbing and waking up thousands of residents. Helicopter noise continues well into the evening hours. Since there is no helicopter curfew at Van Nuys Airport, it has become the principal base for most of the media helicopters in this region

The Basin route preference was established without the benefit of an environmental assessment, as mandated by the FAA's Order 1050.1D - Policies and Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts. An environmental assessment is required for any "revised air traffic control procedures which routinely route air traffic over noise sensitive areas at less than 3,000 feet ABOVE GROUND LEVEL." [Order 1050.1D, Appendix 3, Page 1]. No such environmental work was performed since the approval of Order 1050.1D

We strongly urge you to delete the preference for the Basin route in all future Letters of Agreement that are drafted between helicopter operators and the FAA. The already approved Stagg arrival and departure route should be the preferred route rather than the Basin because it impacts far fewer residents. The Stagg route provides improved noise abatement because virtually all of the alignment is over industrial property

A preference for the Stagg St. route should be noted in future Letters of Agreement. This would mitigate some of the helicopter noise problem and still be compatible with the FAA's goal of "providing a safe and efficient helicopter routing, while minimizing noise." Finally, I understand that the Letters of Agreement will include a provision for squawk codes for helicopters using VNY. We urge you to include this provision, since it will assist in identifying helicopter operations and flight tracks more readily. This in turn will improve the noise abatement efforts at VNY

Cordially yours, Gerald A. Silver President

cc: Congressman Sherman, Berman, Elected officials, homeowners associations

Van Nuys Airport page
Revised 02/13/97