Residents in Santa Monica will have to continue enduring the drone of planes taking off and landing at Santa Monica Airport after the city council voted unanimously Tuesday to table a plan that would pay for student pilots to practice elsewhere.
In a statement, councilmembers said "perceived fears and preconceived notions" would make it difficult to objectively evaluate the plan intended to reduce noise pollution in the coastal city.
Under the proposal, the city would pay flight schools at Santa Monica Airport $150 each time a student pilot moves to another area airport to practice take offs and landings on holidays and weekends. The six-month incentive test program would be budgeted at $90,000, according to a city staff report (PDF).
Residents -- supportive and opposing -- were not quiet about their opinions of the plan.
"It sounds like a good idea," says Gloria Parker, who lives near the airport. "Anything that can help reduce the noise in this area is welcome."
But the plan is not so welcome in some neighboring communities, such asTorrance.
"We’ve already heard from a lot of residents saying, 'Don’t let it happen,'" says Torrance Mayor Frank Scotto.
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Mayor Scotto says he is outraged that Santa Monica would try to dump its noise problems on other cities.
Even though the plan would be on a six-month test trial in effect for limited days each week and month, Scott thinks it could overload other airports.
"If it is two or three students, we're talking 16 to 24 touch-and-goes on a Saturday," Scotto said. "It probably will become intolerable."
But Santa Monica Public Works Director Martin Pastucha says the impact on other airports will likely be minimal.
"We’re not designating airports involved," said Pastucha. "They could not fly to Torrance, or elsewhere. For a student pilot to fly over LAX is certainly challenging. We’re not sure where it's going to go, but that's why it's a test program."
Joe Justice, who runs Justice Aviation Flight School at Santa Monica Airport, says he thinks it's a good idea.
"It benefits the city of Santa Monica to lower noise here," says Justice. "It benefits the flight schools if some payments for training are sponsored. It benefits the neighbors."
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