Update: June 15, 2022

FAA PUSHES DATES FOR CHANGES TO DEPARTURE PROCEDURES

In May 2022, the FAA indicated to Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) that the environmental review process for revised departure procedures for Van Nuys Airport (VNY) would begin in April 2023, and the procedures would be on track for January 2024.

In response, LAWA sent a letter to the FAA on June 9, expressing its “concerns that the effort will be at a standstill for over a year without any indication as to what type of environmental review will be required and how long that environmental review will take…and that such a delay is unacceptable for communities who are affected by these flights each day.” LAWA requested a timeline for expediting the environmental review so that the new procedures can be “implemented as quickly as possible.”

Check back here for additional updates.

Update: November 1, 2021

LAWA SUPPORTS AMENDING VNY RNAV DEPARTURE PROCEDURES

In October, 2021, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) asked the FAA to move forward with the flight procedure revision process based on input from the community and a determination that changes to the departure procedures were feasible by the FAA.

Check back here for additional updates.

Update: August 18, 2021

RECAP OF VNY PROPOSED REDESIGNED DEPARTURE PROCEDURES

On August 9, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) hosted a virtual briefing with the FAA on the proposed redesign of the VNY departure procedures (PPRRY waypoint). SOEQS supports this proposal. Below is a recap of the meeting. Click here to see the entire presentation. Click here for the 3-hour video.

Check back here for additional updates. The FAA will not move forward with this proposal unless there is a final approval from the Council Districts with community support. To support this proposal, contact local L.A. Council districts 2, 4 and 5.

WILL MY "NEW COMMUNITY" BE HELPED BY THE PROPOSAL?

A "new community" had no, few, or some VNY aircraft flying over its homes, schools, 4(f) protected park lands, open spaces, canyons, high elevations with high fire danger, Ventura Blvd. corridor, and other flat lands, for 40+ years before the FAA shifted flight paths over it without notice in 2018.

During the 3-hour FAA presentation, additional information was provided that supports why this will help the "new communities."

IS THIS WHAT THE TASK FORCE RECOMMENDED?

City leaders convened a Task Force for 9 months, listened to community input, and studied proposals and options. In May 2020, they voted for VNY aircraft to return to historic paths, with turns over the Sepulveda Basin. A return to historic for VNY and BUR has also been supported by federal leaders and more than 15 community organizations.

HOW IS THIS PROPOSAL A RETURN TO HISTORIC?

In 2015 the FAA started making changes to L.A. area airspace as part of its NextGen advanced technology program. Today, older ground based technology (e.g. 2.2 DME over the Sepulveda Basin) can only be used by small planes (flying conventional), while corporate jets are mandated to use new satellite technology. These mandates are tied to Congress.

Thus, the FAA is unable to return corporate jets to "historic" in the traditional, conventional sense of the word.

After the FAA rejected the Task Force recommendation as not technically feasible, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) worked with the FAA on the "intent" of the recommendations. For example, not returning exactly to 2.2 DME but in the "vicinity" of it over the Basin, using new technology.

They were successful..the FAA is able to mimic historical paths by placing HARYS/ROSCOE and WLKKR points over the unpopulated Sepulveda Basin north of the PPPRY waypoint. (See photo below where waypoints are located over the Basin)

The FAA stated that these points will be treated as flybys with aircraft turning near 2.2. DME as much as possible. They will continue on paths similar to historic, peeling off before they get to the next waypoints (currently named WP1 and WP3), right on them, and sometimes after. All of this dispersal of turns is dependent on BUR air traffic as it always has been.

WHAT IS THE TIME FRAME?

The FAA indicated that they will apply time spent already on this proposal to 18-24 months it will take to conduct and EA and implement. They originally spent about 4 months working on the proposal in 2019, and 3 months working on revisions this year, so it may be possible 7 months or more is shaved off. The clock is currently stopped until LAWA and local leaders give the final approval to move forward.

This slide shows where HARYS/ROSCOE and WLKKR points will be located over the unpopulated Sepulveda Basin, south of 2.2 DME, and north of PPRRY.

This slide shows where current tracks in turquoise are over “new communities” and where the proposed tracks will return to the pink “historical” area.

Update: July 31, 2021

3 YEAR RECAP OF AIRCRAFT ISSUE

It has been three years since residents in communities south of Van Nuys Airport (VNY) literally woke up one morning to an onslaught of low-flying VNY aircraft over their homes and businesses day and night. On August 9, the FAA and LAWA will announce their latest solution to the problem. Click here for meeting information. This is a recap of what has transpired in the last three years:

THE ISSUE
(updated 8/23)

• For 40+ years VNY aircraft had made their turns over the unpopulated Sepulveda Basin just south of VNY airport with very few noise complaints.

• In 2017, FAA created the new FATKO waypoint as part of its Metroplex “NextGen” program, which was too close to the end of the runway and in violation of the airport’s no early turns policy. In response to 21 nearby resident complaints, the FAA moved turns back over the Basin.

• Instead of keeping the departure procedures there or in its vicinity, it created a new PPRRY waypoint in the summer of 2018, a half mile south, resulting in turns over the foothills and high elevations of the Santa Monica Mountains, impacting over 100,000 residents. Although this area has over 20 protected (4f) parks, overlooks and open spaces with wildlife, the change was done without notice or an environmental assessment.

• Even so, when the FAA does do environmental reviews, it deploys a flawed system of noise measurement using modeling and antiquated averages that do not measure the true adverse affects, particularly for mountainous terrain where noise reverberates and is quiet between noise events, a no-win situation.

• Almost immediately, this abrupt change in flight paths caused an over 100,000% increase in noise complaints from residents in our communities, whose homes had never been in a flight path for 40+ years or had very few over flights.

• These are residents who did not purchase their homes within a few miles of VNY. The runway was essentially moved over their homes that are 5 to 12 miles from the airport. In 2017, many of our residents had also started experiencing new FAA departure flight paths from Burbank Airport (BUR) in the opposite direction, 9 to 12 miles from Burbank. BUR knows about the issue yet is trying to expand their operations.

• General aviation (corporate jets, planes, helicopters) has had a poor crash safety record for decades that remains unchanged, often resulting in fire upon impact. Yet, 90% of the populated foothills and mountain terrain where hundreds of aircraft are flying over daily and nightly is a CA-designated Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFSZ), creating a dangerous risk for a catastrophic crash and fire.

• While VNY airport was transparent about what had happened after residents began complaining, that wasn’t the case for BUR. The FAA attempted to obfuscate - at first denying that there was a change in flight paths, then calling it a “Southerly shift” due to weather changes (our weather hasn’t fluctuated in decades) and other justifications.

THE FIX FOR VNY

• In response to the complaints, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) which owns VNY, worked with the FAA on a “solution” presented to our communities in August 2019. Unacceptable new waypoints would have been created in nearly the exact location of proposed waypoints for BUR. In other words, the FAA was attempting to create another low-flying “superhighway” in each direction in the foothills. New flight paths, such as these, are happening not only in our communities, but across the United States, as part of the FAA’s extremely flawed NextGen program. The FAA is a “captured” agency run by ex-airline and aviation industry executives who are continuing to promote their flawed NextGen program - the root of the issue here and across the U.S.

• In September 2019, the South San Fernando Valley Noise Task Force (TF) was convened in response to the growing complaints across our communities for VNY and BUR (currently over 1,000,000 complaints regarding both airports). The TF was comprised of 8 voting members: 2 from the City of Burbank, 1 each from Glendale and Pasadena, and 4 Los Angeles City Council members. Non-voting federal reps were: Congressmen Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman, Tony Cardenas and Ted Lieu, and Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris.

• In May 2020 the TF passed nearly every recommendation that we had advocated for. The gist of the VNY recommendation was for the FAA to return to departure procedures making turns over the Sepulveda Basin. In addition, in a letter to the FAA, Senators Feinstein and Harris reiterated the “urgent need to provide relief to the residents of the South San Fernando Valley and Santa Monica Mountains.”

• In September 2020 the FAA rejected the recommendations claiming “not operationally feasible.” We believe that is not only unacceptable but inaccurate, and that the FAA can make acceptable changes to flight paths.

• In response, in October 2020 LAWA submitted a formal request to return to the Sepulveda Basin as an interim solution, and to revisit the 2019 proposal.

• In May 2021, LAWA and FAA convened a working group to revise the 2019 proposal.

WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW

Updated (see latest update)

• On August 9, LAWA and FAA will have a Virtual Briefing on this “Proposed Redesign of VNY Procedures.” We have seen only a preliminary one-slide presentation of the proposal and need more information from the briefing if it returns to the Sepulveda Basin (or proximity). Click here for meeting information.

• When we have additional information, an update will be provided.

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Please check back for additional details as the final report becomes available.

Update: October 11, 2020

LOS ANGELES WORLD AIRPORTS (LAWA) SUBMITS FORMAL REQUEST TO FAA FOR VNY

In its presentation to the Task Force last year, Sherman Oaks & Encino for Quiet Skies (SOEQS) showed how the FAA immediately returned Van Nuys Airport (VNY) departure procedures between August 2017 and May 2018 to the Sepulveda Basin, south of Victory Blvd., in the vicinity of 2.2 DME, where the planes had been turning safely and without complaints for over forty years. SOEQS has continually stressed that this same area could be immediately used again in place of the current PPRRY waypoint that is harmful to tens of thousands of residents. We also requested that the current HARYS, ROSCO and WLKKR procedures that utilize PPRRY be suspended.

In May, the Task Force passed a number of recommendations for VNY and BUR that SOEQS and other organizations had been advocating for, and sent these recommendations to the FAA.

On September 1, the FAA rejected most of these recommendations, stating that they were “not operationally feasible.” The only solution for VNY that they cited as being “operationally feasible” was one that they proposed in 2019. Our communities have been opposed to it, as presented.

Over the last month, SOEQS has continued its advocacy with government officials to ensure that the intent of the 2020 Task Force recommendations and the 2019 Part 175 of the Reauthorization Act request by Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA), which have been supported by the Los Angeles City Council, Van Nuys Airport Citizens Advisory Council, Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners, Encino Neighborhood Council, and Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council, stays front and center. Specifically, we have continued to advocate for elimination of the PPRRY waypoint to be replaced immediately with dispersed departures south of Victory Blvd, over the Sepulveda Basin in the vicinity of 2.2 DME.

On October 8, LAWA (operators of VNY), officially submitted a request to the FAA for changes and sent a follow up letter. The request includes:

• An amendment of the current HARYS, ROSCO and WLKKR procedures, which will eliminate the PPRRY waypoint.

• Design and implement the notional procedures put forth in 2019 by the FAA (a two+ year process). LAWA has added this statement: “to be designed to mirror conventional departure tracks as close as possible to address concerns about increased departure flights over hillside communities and to provide the maximum dispersal possible for flight tracks, especially on initial departure.”

• Consider implementing the interim procedures that were “enacted in August 2017 through the time the revised open SID procedures were published in May 2018." These included ATCs issuing “initial turns to airplanes, once they reached the Sepulveda Basin just south of Victory Blvd….to provide immediate relief to communities while the notional procedures are evaluated.”

• “LAWA would like the FAA to consider maintaining these interim procedures as part of the permanent solution.”

Click here to read LAWA’s Letter.

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Update: September 13, 2020

FAA RESPONDS TO TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS

In May, the Task Force passed nearly every recommendation that we had advocated for, most unanimously or within one vote and sent them to the FAA.

On September 1, in its response, the FAA REJECTED nearly every Task Force recommendation, claiming “not operationally feasible” and “no further action.” Read the FAA Response  letter here.

For Van Nuys Airport, it claimed the only solution was their August 2019 proposal requiring Performance Based Navigation (PBN) waypoints in the foothills and Santa Monica Mountains on both sides of the 405 freeway (Encino to the west and Sherman Oaks to the east) which SOEQS, other advocates, and residents found to be unsuitable for our communities.

The current and proposed flight paths at both VNY and BUR have been an unnecessary and egregious assault on our communities, and this summary rejection by the FAA of Task Force recommendations to remedy it, is now an assault on the hard work of the advocacy groups, as well as the Task Force voting and non-voting members that supported change and a more equitable solution of dispersion. The Task Force convened for 7 months, heard testimony from residents and from advocacy groups that had engaged experts.

SOEQS is working on a rebuttal to the FAA. More to come soon.

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Update: August 28, 2020

U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris have responded to the Task Force and the FAA expressing their support for the Task Force’s recommendations which SOEQS has advocated for.

MORE RESPONSES TO TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS

As we previously reported, the South San Fernando Valley Noise Task Force sent final recommendations on May 14 to the FAA after convening for 7 months, with presentations by SOEQS and other major groups in support of immediate relief from day and night flight procedures at VNY and BUR airports. The Task Force had passed nearly every recommendation that we had advocated for, most unanimously or within one vote. Read the Recommendations here.

The Task Force also requested responses from various entities regarding specific recommendations within their purview.

The latest of these are the FAA’s 2nd Interim Response, and a response from U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris. Previous responses are in our August 9 update.

FAA Response  Read the FAA’s second interim letter here.

On July 28, in its 2nd interim response, the Regional Administrator of the FAA, sent a letter to the Task Force stating that the FAA’s goal is to provide “comprehensive and clear responses to all of the recommendations by August 31, 2020. “

U.S. Senator Feinstein and Harris Response
Read the Senators’ letter here.

On August 4, U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, who were non-voting members of the Task Force, also responded to the recommendations, with these key highlights which we have advocated for:

• Reiterated the “urgent need to provide relief to the residents of the South San Fernando Valley and Santa Monica Mountains”

• Encouraged the FAA to consider the recommendations put forth by the Task Force that seek to “adjust the flight paths and altitudes of departing aircraft, reduce the concentration of flight paths, distribute airplane noise more equitably, and mitigate noise impacts.”

• In addition, the Senators stated that for recommendations requiring federal legislation, they will be working on them with their colleagues in the House of Representatives.

More news to follow as soon as we learn more. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.

Update: August 9, 2020

RESPONSES TO TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS

The South San Fernando Valley Noise Task Force sent final recommendations on May 14 to the FAA after convening for 7 months, with presentations by SOEQS and other major groups in support of immediate relief from day and night flight procedures at VNY and BUR airports. The Task Force had passed nearly every recommendation that we had advocated for, most unanimously or within one vote. Read the Recommendations here.

The Task Force also requested responses from various entities regarding specific recommendations within their purview. These are the responses thus far:

FAA Response 
Read the FAA’s first interim letter here.

On June 11, in a first interim response, Regional Administrator of the FAA, sent a letter to the Task Force stating that the FAA will not be able to complete the feasibility determinations for all recommendations within the 60 days requested by the Task Force but will provide periodic, written updates about its progress and "which recommendations can be potentially implemented in the short and long terms, as well as those not feasible to implement." SOEQS sent a joint letter with Home Owners of Encino (HOME) to reiterate the importance of the recommendations concerning immediate relief for our communities in the spirit of the Task Force recommendations, stressing the double-standard of not immediately returning to historical flight paths when it was done in 2017 for a lesser safety issue than our communities have now, with hundreds of flights traversing the high elevations and fire hazard zone of the foothills and Santa Monica Mountains.

Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Response
Read LAWA’s letter here.

On July 21, the CEO of LAWA (operators of VNY) responded to the Task Force recommendations, stating that it will "press the FAA on matters pertaining to the recommendations affecting VNY and the PPRRY waypoint...and continue to communicate with the FAA on the importance of developing and implementing a solution as quickly as possible." We appreciate that LAWA went on to say that "PPRRY waypoint issue is the number one priority for addressing noise concerns." SOEQS sent a joint letter with Studio City for Quiet Skies and Uproar LA to reiterate the prioritization of immediate and long-term recommendations for both VNY and BUR airports, along with our positions on other referenced recommendations concerning noise studies and mitigation.

Congressional Reps Response
Read Congressional Reps’ letter here.

On July 27, U.S. Representatives Brad Sherman, Adam Schiff and Ted Lieu, who were non-voting members of the Task Force, responded to the recommendations, stating that residents "continue to face highly disruptive noise from flights" and that they would continue to work to help "achieve meaningful relief for residents of the San Fernando Valley who have experienced excessive airplane noise for too long." A few of the actions they are taking or have taken include:

• Legislation for MANDATORY nighttime curfews at both VNY and BUR airports.

• Requested an independent Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of whether the FAA's criteria for determining "significant" changes in noise levels sufficiently capture potential negative impacts, since the FAA initially had found that new routes over the foothills and Santa Monica Mountains "would not result in significant noise impacts" contradicting what we have been subject to.

• Support request for documents from the FAA related to NextGen, Southern California Metroplex, and other documents.

Update: May 10, 2020 (Revised July 29, 2020)

7/29/20 Updates to the recommendations numbering and verbiage which had changed in the final documents that the Task Force sent to the FAA in May and June 2020.

VICTORY!! THE TASK FORCE RECOMMENDS FLIGHT PROCEDURE CHANGES

Why & How the Meeting was Conducted

The final South San Fernando Valley Noise Task Force (TF) meeting was held Wednesday, May 6 and Thursday, May 7. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic they were conducted virtually. Both meetings were about 4 hours and are available on the Task Force website.

The purpose of the meetings was to hear public comment and for TF members to vote on recommendations for the FAA to correct the flight procedures at Burbank (BUR) and Van Nuys (VNY) Airports that were illegally implemented without public notice or environmental assessment by the FAA in the southern portion of the San Fernando Valley in 2017 and 2018, including over the foothills and protected 4(f) public parks and open spaces of the Santa Monica Mountains. These changes have adversely impacted over 100,000 residents, most who are 5-12 miles from either airport (the “new communities”), which had few, if any, flights prior to the change. Read more about the issue on our About the Problem page and in our November presentation. More about the vote is below in the “Thursday, May 7” section.

There were 8 voting TF members: 2 from the City of Burbank, 1 each from Glendale and Pasadena, and 4 Los Angeles City Council members (or their reps) including Paul Koretz (CD5 - Encino, Bel Air), David Ryu (CD4 - Sherman Oaks, Toluca Lake), Paul Krekorian (CD2 - Studio City, Valley Village) and Nury Martinez (CD6 - Van Nuys, N. Hollywood). The HMMH facilitator, hired as a TF consultant, and representatives for Van Nuys Airport, Burbank Airport, and the FAA were present but not on screen. In addition, non-voting federal representatives from the offices of Representatives Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman, Tony Cardenas and Ted Lieu, as well as Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, listened in.

Wednesday, May 6 Meeting - Comments

Most of the first meeting was devoted to 3-minute audio or video comments from each of the 9 community advocacy groups that presented to the TF in previous meetings. The advocacy groups in favor of a solution to correct the current flight procedures are: Sherman Oaks & Encino for Quiet Skies, Studio City for Quiet Skies, UproarLA, Save Coldwater Canyon, and a few others. In addition, Encino Neighborhood Council made a statement in favor. Only two of the 9 groups, located in Valley Village and the northern area of the San Fernando Valley, argued that the new procedures should remain.

The TF was only able to read about half of 444 individual community email and voice mail comments submitted. Of the 218 read aloud, 169 were in support of our position (4 to 1). These and the remainder of the comments are available on the Task Force video recording and website.

Thursday, May 7 Meeting - Recommendations

In the second meeting, the main topics covered are as follows:

Congressional Input

Statements from non-voting federal members of the TF were read aloud, supporting the advocacy groups. Highlights include:

• Overall acknowledgement of the adverse impact on the new communities and need for change.

• Representative Brad Sherman announced that Congress will be taking up the FAA’s failure to address noise issues and implementation of its flawed NextGen procedures, and with the General Accounting Office.

• A joint Congressional letter from Senators Feinstein and Harris, and the four members of the House (Sherman, Schiff, Lieu, Cardenas) to FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. It addresses the impacts of increased noise from VNY and BUR planes that “tended to fly further to the south before making turns to the east or west, which has extended the noise problem.” They stated their support of solutions that reduce the noise and more equitably distribute the number of planes.

  Noting that stricter adherence to traffic management procedures may lead to meaningful reduction:

  • They requested specific steps be taken related to the training and number of air traffic controllers at Tracon, which directs planes after they leave the runway, and at the BUR tower when they’re on or near the runway.

  • They also specifically requested a review of the VNY 2017 Standard Operating Procedure that was used prior to the implementation of the final procedure (PPRRY waypoint) published in May 2018.

  Read the Congressional letter here.

Vote by Task Force on Recommendations to be Submitted to the FAA

After the last meeting in February, the TF voting members submitted almost 100 individual recommendations to HMMH, the facilitator, who consolidated them into 19 recommendations. Approved recommendations will be submitted to the FAA, which will make the decision if and how they can be implemented. In addition, all of the individual TF member recommendations will accompany the approved consolidated recommendations for the FAA to understand their thinking or intent.

The FAA requested that the TF prioritize the Recommendations, however, members declined to do so. We have requested that the TF focus first on immediate solutions and to allow review of the final copy before it is sent by HMMH to the FAA.

In addition, the Task Force is requiring the FAA to submit timely written reports.

Continuing the Task Force and Community Pressure

In addition to the Recommendations, the members voted to not disband the Task Force so they can see the process through to completion. Krekorian, who is the Vice Chair, emphasized that it is “not the finish line” and will take continued organizing and pressure by federal reps and the community.

Koretz thanked the community - those who have been impacted and came to meetings and the advocacy organizations that presented reports. He stressed the importance of not disbanding the Task Force, stating that we “can’t let them off the hook,” referring to the FAA.

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Final Recommendations & SOEQS Analysis of Wins & Losses

Click here for the FINAL copy of the Task Force Member Recommendations, sent to the FAA on May 14. The primary focus of SOEQS has been on Van Nuys Airport (VNY) while supporting a comprehensive solution and other organizations dedicated to Burbank Airport (BUR). We applaud the work they have done.

Below are some of the main Task Force vote results and our analysis.

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Recommendation specific for VNY:

Recommendation #2 (VNY): WIN
Immediately stop the use of the procedure with the PPRRY Waypoint and design and implement a modified RNAV procedure for Van Nuys Airport (VNY) Runway 16R that results in earlier turns of departing flights and allow a greater percentage of the departing flight tracks to be over the uninhabited Sepulveda Basin as the case when using the 2.2 DME departure procedure.

Analysis: The Task Force got it right. We specifically requested that the PPRRY waypoint be discontinued immediately (near-term), with a return to 2.2 DME, and evaluated as a long-term solution with dispersed flight patterns. In the summer of 2017, the FAA implemented a new FATKO waypoint, which was too close to the runway and buildings, causing a few complaints and safety issues. While they worked on a solution, they immediately returned to 2.2 DME over the unpopulated Sepulveda Basin between September 2017 and May 2018, where planes had safely turned for decades with very few complaints or safety issues. However, instead of keeping it there, in May 2018 the FAA permanently implemented the new PPPRY waypoint farther south, without a notice or EA.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: The communities rejected the FAA’s August 2019 proposal “Potential VNY (PPRRY) Replacement SIDS” as a solution to PPRRY and we requested that the Task Force formally oppose it. The procedures would be much further south than 2.2 DME and require aircraft to fly over waypoints in the foothills and Santa Monica Mountains, in the opposite direction of the proposed SLAPP and OROSZ procedures (TEAGN/JAYTE waypoints) at BUR. (See #5 below).

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Recommendations specific for BUR:

Recommendation #1 (BUR): WIN
Immediately restore the BUR Runway 15 departure flight tracks to 2007 conditions without implementing a new procedure.

Recommendation #5 (BUR): WIN
The Task Force opposes the FAA’s proposed changes to the SLAPP and OROSZ departure procedures and request the FAA design and implement a procedure for maximum dispersion from Runway 15 and Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR).

Analysis: SOEQS won’t weigh in too much on this (we’ll leave that to other orgs focused on BUR) but these two recommendations are also definitely a win. The first one addresses what is happening now, while the second recommends removing the proposed SLAPP/OROSZ procedures that would have, if implemented, required aircraft to follow low-flying, repetitive paths in the new communities, hitting TEAGN/JAYTE waypoints in the Santa Monica Mountains and foothills.

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Recommendations that affect both BUR and VNY:

Recommendation #4 (VNY / BUR): APPROVED
Conduct a study to determine how to obtain the lowest noise levels from aircraft from Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) Runway 15 and Van Nuys Airport (VNY) Runway 16R in the South SFV communities through increased climb gradients, noise abatement departures profile (NADP) procedures, de-rated takeoff procedures, or a combination of the three alternatives.

Analysis: SOEQS does not agree. Our request was for the PPPRY waypoint to be immediately discontinued and a return to 2.2 DME (see Recommendation #2 above) which was approved. However, our communities should not have to wait on a noise study or have it used as a potential solution to try and reduce flights over the Fire Hazard Severity Zone and noise-sensitive, environmentally protected 4(f) areas of the Santa Monica Mountains.

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Recommendation #6 (VNY / BUR): WIN
Replace current NextGen aircraft procedures at Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) and Van Nuys Airport (VNY) with procedures that provide better dispersion of flight tracks, such as “open” departures and diverse vector area (DVA) procedures.

Analysis: The Task Force got it right on this one too. The FAA is looking also at “intent” and individual TF member recommendations provide additional support for this recommendation. Specifically for VNY: “Eliminate the PPRRY waypoint and publish an open waypoint placed south of the airport runway near Victory Blvd and the top of the Sepulveda Basin. An open waypoint will help with dispersion so no one community bears the brunt of aircraft flight tracks.”

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Recommendation (formerly #8) (VNY / BUR): LOSS
Implement preferential runway use plans at BUR and VNY to have aircraft depart directly to the north when winds allow, to depart northerly aligned runways.       

Recommendation #8 (BUR) - WIN
Create “open” Standard Instrument Departure (SID) Procedures at Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) for Runways 8, 26, and 33 mimicking the ELMOO 9 conventional procedure.

Analysis:
SOEQS and other organizations have advocated for more equitable dispersal as a long-term solution and departures to the north was one way to achieve that. This would have allowed northern departures as a “preference” only when the winds would allow it (which is not all the time), along with the more commonly used southern departure. Currently there are only rare northern departures. Without preferential northern departures, almost all VNY flights will fly south, and then turn east or west, to go north. At BUR, they are limited to flying south and then turning to the west to go north. Recommendation #8 will evaluate eastbound.

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Recommendation # 9 (VNY / BUR): WIN
Restrict aircraft from operating during the night at both Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) and Van Nuys Airport (VNY) and penalize and identify publicly aircraft operators that violate the mandatory curfew. (Will require federal legislative action)

Recommendation #10 (VNY): WIN
Restrict the hours of the Customs and Border Protection Office at Van Nuys Airport (VNY.)

Analysis: Although #9 will require federal legislative action, this is a strong statement endorsed by the Task Force. The next step will be for the non-voting federal leaders to get it done. For #10, SOEQS asked for the hours to be restricted to mandatory nighttime curfew.

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Please check back for additional details as the final report becomes available.

Update: May 5, 2020

All major advocacy groups have joined together in a Statement of Unity for immediate relief/redress of the newly impacted communities.

ADDITIONAL ORGANIZATIONS SIGN OUR STATEMENT OF UNITY

On May 5, the following organizations joined the original organizations in a Statement of Unity that was resent to the Task Force today. Shout out to Studio City for Quiet Skies for organizing it.

Original:
SHERMAN OAKS & ENCINO FOR QUIET SKIES
STUDIO CITY FOR QUIET SKIES
UPROARLA
BURBANK QUIET SKIES

Additional:
HILLSIDE FEDERATION – Representing 45 Homeowner/Resident Groups
HOMEOWNERS OF ENCINO – HOME
STUDIO CITY RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION
HARVARD-WESTLAKE SCHOOL
SAVE COLDWATER CANYON
DIXIE CANYON ASSOCIATION
CANYON BACK ALLIANCE, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving public access to trails in the Santa Monica Mountains
BRENTWOOD RESIDENTS COALTION
TOLUCA LAKE HOMEOWNERS’ ASSOCIATION
BEL AIR SKYCREST PROPERTY OWNERS' ASSOCIATION (BASPOA)

Update: March 11, 2020

The Citizens Advisory Council (CAC) motion for a Voluntary Nighttime Curfew at VNY that was passed last year and sent to Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC) is being watered down by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA).

LOS ANGELES WORLD AIRPORTS (LAWA) STAFF ATTEMPTS TO WATER DOWN VOLUNTARY NIGHTTIME CURFEW

On April 2 (unless canceled due to the COVID-19 coronavirus; see our meeting page for updates) the Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC), which is the governing body for Van Nuys Airport (VNY), will be meeting to hear final comments on a Voluntary Nighttime Curfew. BOAC has asked VNY aviation operators to attend. It is important that our community is well-represented.

Several months ago the Van Nuys Citizens Advisory Council (CAC) passed a Motion to implement a Voluntary Nighttime Curfew for all non-emergency aircraft flying in and out of VNY between 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM on weekdays, and 10:00 PM and 9:00 AM on weekends and holidays. The motion also requested Burbank Airport (BUR) to enforce and implement their existing Voluntary Nighttime Curfew to include General Aviation non-emergency arrivals and departures. The motion stated that notifications should be sent to users of the airports via FAA Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), via airport public relations, and via signage to announce the Voluntary Curfew.

Instead of supporting that BOAC pass the motion, Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA) staff which oversees VNY Airport, has watered it down with a “Preferential Nighttime Jet Departure Program,” still in development. Only LAWA, BOAC and VNY master tenants have collaborated on it. It falls short and only includes the voluntary hours between 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM weekdays and weekends. It also does not include NOTAM announcements or the request for BUR airport.

Click here for Meeting details.

Update: March 5, 2020

All major advocacy groups have joined together in a Statement of Unity for immediate relief/redress of the newly impacted communities.

WE JOINED OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN A STATEMENT OF UNITY: SIGN OUR STATEMENT AND SEND TO TASK FORCE.

As we await the final Task Force meeting on April 1 (unless canceled due to the COVID-19 coronavirus: see our meeting page for updates), Sherman Oaks & Encino for Quiet Skies united with Studio City for Quiet Skies, UproarLA, and Burbank for Quiet Skies in a statement of unity that was sent to the Task Force. See below.

Please email the Task Force in support of the Unity Statement - (Just click, add your name, and send).

Update: December 17, 2019

On December 12, 2019, Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, Councilman Paul Koretz (Encino, Bel Air) and Councilman Paul Krekorian (Studio City) announce that the City has sued the FAA over departures from Burbank Airport.

THE CITY SUES FAA OVER BURBANK DEPARTURE PATHS

On Thursday, December 12, the City Attorney Mike Feuer and Councilmen Koretz (Encino/Bel Air) and Krekorian (Studio City), announced the City’s lawsuit against the FAA for flight changes at Burbank Airport (BUR).  Councilman Ryu (Sherman Oaks) was not in attendance. The City also filed another concurrent lawsuit for the FAA to respond to a series of Freedom of Information Act requests. Key points that were made included:

• There was a sudden and dramatic change to flight paths at BUR that happened in 2017 impacting 250,000 residents in neighborhoods that have never had noise. The impact is doubled in the hillsides because planes are closer to homes. People on the ground are being victimized.

• The FAA has finally admitted that there was a one-third mile southward shift but the City’s own experts say it’s more than a mile. The FAA continues to deny, however, that they know how that happened. The FAA has said very little to justify their actions.

• The lawsuit was filed because of the FAA’s “stunning lack of accountability”. It demands the FAA return to historical paths and then determine a dispersed path.

• Feuer said if he felt the Task Force was making progress he might have held the lawsuit but thinks progress isn’t being made. He said that the lawsuit wouldn’t stop Task Force collaboration - litigation or no litigation. Koretz noted that the Task Force (of which he is a voting member) has asked great questions but the FAA hasn’t answered them. Krekorian also said the FAA is not being transparent or cooperative.

Click here to see the entire press conference.

Click here to read the City's complaint.

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Why Wasn't Van Nuys Airport Included?

Many of our members have asked why Van Nuys Airport was not included in this lawsuit. None of us can know exactly what is happening behind the scenes in the City Attorney’s war room. But here are a few facts:

• VNY procedural changes weren't mentioned at any public workshop before Metroplex became final in 2016 and no EA was done, according to our review of Metroplex documents.

• PPRRY waypoint which currently directs departures deep into the Santa Monica Mountains, foothills and Ventura Blvd corridor, wasn’t in the original Metroplex, and when it was implemented post-Metroplex in 2018, no Environmental Assessment (EA) or proper notice was given.

• The FAA’s PPRRY “fix” announced in August is unacceptable as it would require a concentrated low-flying path and continue to impact our communities.

• In addition, with hundreds of aircraft traversing the same elevated airspace, and poor crash record for General Aviation (helicopters, planes and jets), there is an extreme fire danger in the fire hazard severity zone (FHSZ) of the Santa Monica Mountains and foothills.

Our Solution

We are advocating for a return to historical, dispersed, high altitude departures at VNY with a variety of procedures for less impact on any one community — and without Performance Based Navigation (PBN) that require jets to hit waypoints along a low-flying, concentrated path. Can that be done?  Yes!  When the FAA was tinkering with a FATKO solution, between August of 2017 and May of 2018, they returned all flights to make their turns at 2.2 DME over the unpopulated Sepulveda Basin, where there were very few complaints.

Update: November 8, 2019

Sherman Oaks & Encino for Quiet Skies make a 20-minute presentation to the Noise Task Force on November 6, 2019, outlining the issues and viable, immediate solutions.

TASK FORCE MEETING RECAP

Click here to read our Task Force presentation.

The Burbank Marriott Hotel Grand Ballroom was again filled for the 3rd meeting of the Van Nuys-Burbank Airport Noise Task Force.

Sherman Oaks and Encino For Quiet Skies made a formal (20 minute) comprehensive presentation about the problem here in our communities and the broader issue of NextGen, which is the rerouting of lower, stacked, more impactful paths in communities across the United States. We advocate for a return to historical, dispersed, higher altitude, and less impactful pre-NextGen paths, and waiver of Performance Based Navigation (PBN) paths that require jets to fly low and hit fixed waypoint(s) before making their turns after take-off.

Input from organizations and speakers once again reflected pleas for immediate relief from the severe adverse noise, health, and environmental impacts so many people have been suffering with for 2 years. Our solutions emphasized the need for immediate relief and a return to dispersed historic paths at VNY, where they were without noise complaints for decades. This is aligned with other groups advocating for BUR. These solutions drew applause from the audience. We along with others pointed out how the FAA quickly changed to northern departure paths at both airports during the recent fires and when the president was in town, then returned to southern departure paths.

FAA spokesperson Ian Gregor also spoke in response to questions and continued to claim that the FAA adequately provided environmental assessments and notice to the communities to which they moved HUNDREDS OF AIRCRAFT daily to. He also has claimed that the FAA doesn't move noise to other communities.

After our presentation, Councilman Paul Koretz said about the FAA creating a new PPRRY waypoint at VNY in response to less than 200 total complaints but refuses to provide relief now: "So you go from...100 to 200 complaints and the FAA responds with this policy, then you have 37,000 complaints and we don't see any response at all. So why would we not at least go back to where you were or something approximating that and then figure out how to solve your problems rather than destroy all these people's lives?"

A big shout out and THANKS to everyone who showed up and sent a message to the FAA and the members of the Task Force that we will not stand for this injustice!

1st Round Win at VNY Citizens Advisory Council

Persistent, strong community presence is working!

At last Tuesday night's CAC meeting (November 5), residents and representatives from Neighborhood Councils and homeowner groups spoke on behalf of a Voluntary Nighttime Curfew at VNY, as well as the need for representation from Council District 4 (Sherman Oaks). Both motions passed! It's now headed to the Board of Airport Commissioners for a final vote.

1. The Van Nuys Citizens Advisory Council passed the motion for a Voluntary Nighttime Curfew between 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM on weekdays and until 9:00 AM on Weekends and Holidays. This would not apply to emergency aircraft.

While strictly voluntary, this is, at least recognition by the CAC that neighborhoods, not just commercial jet operators matter. Although there is no guarantee, the existence of a voluntary curfew will hopefully create awareness that our communities are adversely impacted and at least some operators will attempt to modify when they fly.

The motion still needs to be approved by the Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC). This will likely be on the agenda for their December meeting. Check our website here for details to be posted.

2. Other great news for Sherman Oaks to have more balance on the CAC: The bylaws will be amended (pending BOAC’s vote) to include 2 members from David Ryu's Council District 4. The membership is currently comprised of appointees as follows: 3 from the mayor's office, 3 from the Board of Airport Commissioners and 2 each from Council District's 2,3,5,6,7,12. With CD4 added, there will now be 20 members on the VNY CAC.

Showing up to these meetings makes a huge difference!! Thank you for all of your continued support.

Update: September 5, 2019

The first Southern San Fernando Valley Airplane Noise Task Force met on August 28 to address VNY and BUR issues.

TASK FORCE MEETING RECAP

Background

The first of six meetings of the Southern San Fernando Valley Airplane Noise Task Force was held on Wednesday, August 28th. Given an extensive and persistent public outcry due to the sudden and alarming presence of aircraft over parts of Studio City, Toluca Lake, Sherman Oaks, Encino, and Mulholland ridge communities, last March Senators Feinstein and Harris, and Representatives Sherman and Schiff called for the formation of a panel or task force to address the problem at Van Nuys (VNY) and Burbank (BUR) airports.

At their behest, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA/VNY) and Burbank Airport Authority (BUR) formed this Task Force to address unprecedented numbers of community noise complaints (along with mounting health, fire, and environmental issues) due to changes in flight patterns at both airports. The Task Force’s goal is a proposal to be implemented by necessary parties (e.g., aircraft operators, airlines, airports, FAA) to alleviate the crisis. This should occur irrespective of the upcoming environmental assessment of two proposed changes to BUR RNAV departure routes.

Meeting Recap

An overflow crowd of nearly 300 residents packed the meeting room at the Burbank Marriott hotel. Interested/concerned citizens represented numerous adversely affected communities including Toluca Lake, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Encino, and Bel Air.

Task Force Composition

As constituted by Burbank Authority in conjunction with LAWA, there are 13 Task Force members. These include 8 voting members: (a) Councilmembers Krekorian (CD2 Studio City), Ryu (CD4 Sherman Oaks and Toluca Lake), Koretz (CD5 Encino), and Martinez (CD6 Van Nuys); and (b) Other city representatives which include the mayor and vice-mayor of Burbank, and mayors of Glendale and Pasadena.

In addition, there are are 5 non-voting federal representatives from offices of Sen Feinstein, Sen Harris, Rep Sherman, Rep Schiff, and Rep Cardenas.

Burbank and Van Nuys airport staff, and FAA representatives sit apart from the panel and are available for technical assistance. .

The fact that there are no community representatives was raised at this meeting; Task Force members agreed to consider such an addition.

Community Input

During the 3 hour meeting, 72 community members signed up to speak during public comment for 90 seconds each. Many people repeatedly held up signs saying "FIX IT NOW" during speaker remarks. Comments from speakers included the following frequently repeated themes:

Noise, Health, and Quality of Life

1. Community concerns and frustration with the continuing frequency and intensity of severe abusive daily noise and pollution from very low flying jets over homes and schools. Speakers stated this is an unprecedented, significant change for communities south of the 101 freeway — not near either airport — that never before experienced such abuse.

2. Current jet paths are now concentrated over homes and schools in the Santa Monica Mountains, which amplifies and extends the intensity of jet engine sounds.

3. Residents' lives are now being substantially, adversely impacted by both Burbank and Van Nuys airport traffic.

4. In addition to physical health issues, many spoke of the adverse impact on emotional health (sleep, ability to work, concentrate, talk at normal levels inside and outside the home) and how the intense noise has been ruinous to quality of life. Some people spoke of possibly selling their homes; several expressed concerned about diminution in property value due to the continuing noise; others shared how the quiet neighborhood to which they were attracted has been hugely disrupted and changed by re-routed jet aircraft.

Safety and Fire

5. Concern about the very real potential fire danger from an aviation crash in the high and very high Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ), as designated by the State of California, of the Santa Monica Mountains and foothills, over which Burbank and Van Nuys jets now fly.

FAA Actions In Re-routing Departure Paths

6. FAA revised departure paths without regard to where they shifted routes: flying very low and making turns in elevated terrain over the Santa Monica Mountain hillside communities:

• departures from both airports over Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Encino, and south of Mulholland communities;

• windy day reversals in which BUR arrivals fly even lower over Santa Monica Mountains

These actions were taken without notice to affected communities and without accounting for the increased challenges for pilots flying over mountain terrain, the sound-amplifying nature of the terrain, and the significance of the fire hazard zone across the southern end of the Valley in the Santa Monica Mountains, on both sides of Mulholland Drive.

7. Frustration and concern about the FAA's ignoring a policy not to shift noise to new areas-- which is exactly what they did.

8. Frustration was expressed with stated FAA Metroplex goals to promote efficiency, safety, and fuel savings. Long extended take offs south when destinations are usually north and east, and a high volume of low planes over designated fire hazard areas and health impact from horrendous noise and toxic emissions contradict this position.

9. Several speakers challenged FAA previously stated intentions --about saving and making money, and saving airlines fuel cost and promoting airport expansion at community expense.

10. Frustration was expressed about apparent denial that there has been a change that has adversely affected communities, or that the FAA and airport authority representatives don't know why the change occurred.

FIX IT NOW -- Suggestions to Correct the Departure Routes

Return immediately to historical flight paths (pre-2016 changes) which include turning sooner upon take-off (and over natural noise corridors), ascending to higher altitudes faster (steeper climb immediately), and dispersal.

NBCLA4 reports on Task Force which includes members of LA City Council and reps from Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena.

ABC7LA reports that over 200 residents attended the over-capacity room. Residents were turned away from entering.

Update: August 20, 2019

The FAA presented their solution for the PPRRY waypoint that was implemented without public notice or environmental impact studies.

VNY SOLUTION IS NOT WHAT WE ASKED FOR

On Tuesday 8/6 the FAA presented the long awaited “solution” at the VNY Citizens Advisory Council (CAC) meeting. It was NOT what we proposed to LAWA in January and we do not support it.

Our proposal was to return to the historical path using the 2.2 DME waypoint at/near the unpopulated Sepulveda Basin just south of Van Nuys Airport where planes had successfully - without complaints - turned for 30+ years prior to last year. We had advocated for this as an immediate / interim solution at the very least so that residents would not have to wait for the Task Force to make decisions and changes (see below). In 2018, the FAA had created the PPRRY waypoint - without notice - routing planes further south, severely impacting the Ventura Blvd. corridor/foothills and Santa Monica Mountains.

At the CAC meeting on August 6, the FAA announced that they were proposing to create still another new "path," which will impact most of the same communities that the PPRRY waypoint and BUR aircraft is currently impacting. This is unacceptable. We have reached out to officials about this and the Task Force, and as we learn more, we will provide additional details.

VNY and BUR AIRPORT JOINT TASK FORCE FIRST MEETING SET

On August 28, at 6:30 PM, the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and Burbank Airport will lead the first Task Force meeting to address long-term solutions at VNY and BUR. It is to be comprised of City and Federal representatives, along with Airport staff, technical experts and FAA staff. As we understand it, the public will have an opportunity to speak.

The Task Force is expected to take 6 months through a series of meetings before it will submit recommendations for long-term solutions to the FAA for the aviation impacts to the South San Fernando Valley. Thus this process will not end until at least March, 2020.

LOCATION:
Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel
2500 N. Hollywood Way
Burbank, CA

Recommended to arrive by 6:15 PM. Residents planning to speak need to fill out a speaker card. The hotel has paid parking. Click here for map and parking information.

Update: August 2, 2019

BOAC confirms during their August 1, 2019 meeting that any change to the VNY waypoint will not affect any potential changes to BUR.

VNY SOLUTION IS TO BE PRESENTED

On Tuesday 8/6 Van Nuys Airport staff will make a presentation about the potential replacement/ change to the PPRRY waypoint that was implemented without notice in 2018 by the FAA, which has been directing VNY aircraft over the high fire hazard severity zone (FHSZ) and noise-sensitive Santa Monica Mountains and foothill area of Encino and Sherman Oaks, and parts of Bel-Air, Mulholland ridge and Studio City.

Since the formation of our organization in January of this year, we have worked with federal and local officials, the City of Los Angeles and LAWA's Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC), on an immediate solution to return the PPRRY waypoint to a departure route that had successfully been in place for decades over an unpopulated area.

LAWA has been working closely with the FAA since March on a solution that will be presented on Tuesday night. While we have not yet seen it, our understanding is it will bring some relief but it won't happen overnight. And a "formal" request to the FAA has not yet been made. That's why it's important for you to attend in support of relief. After receiving a formal request, the FAA will provide further evaluation/analysis, and the procedure will then be designed, coded and implemented.

We also want to make it ultra-clear to community members that rumors that it could somehow interfere with a BUR fix is unfounded. It has been publicly CONFIRMED on the record by Board of Airport Commissioners and LAWA (City of Los Angeles) officials that it will NOT interfere with any proposed BUR solutions.

The residents of our communities need -- and should have -- IMMEDIATE relief from the dangerous fire risks and noise impacts imposed by VNY aircraft (as well as BUR). Please attend and tell your neighbors!

Update: July 15, 2019

Joint Task Force announced at BUR commissioners meeting on July 15, 2019.

VNY AND BUR AIRPORTS JOINT TASK FORCE ANNOUNCED

Joint Task Force Information
The City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), and Hollywood Burbank Airport have agreed on a Task Force, which was officially announced at the Burbank Commissioners meeting on July 15. It is to be comprised of City and Federal representatives, along with Airport staff, technical experts and FAA staff. Community groups such as our own are not included as voting members. The public has the ability to make presentations however we have urged them to include the three San Fernando Valley community advocacy groups focused on this issue including our own.

At the meeting, several commissioners expressed the following:

• While the Task Force is underway there needs to be short-term fixes for Burbank.

• If the community organizations that have been advocating for solutions at Van Nuys Airport and Burbank Airport "can remain positive" then they deserve a seat at the table.

• Making sure that high fire risk and noise reverberations in the Santa Monica Mountains are included.

The Task Force is slated to begin in late August or early September and is expected to take 6 months through a series of meetings before it will submit recommendations in March 2020 for long-term solutions to the FAA for the aviation impacts to the South San Fernando Valley.

History and Immediacy
Last March, at our urging, U.S. Senators Feinstein and Harris, and Representatives Sherman and Schiff, called for a roundtable panel to be formed to find an immediate solution to the adverse impacts in our communities caused by changes to VNY and BUR departure patterns. Since it has taken about six months to put in place, it is no longer "immediate." However, we still believe this panel (now called a Task Force) is beneficial because it will look at long-term solutions that go beyond what would be considered immediate during the BUR Environmental Assessment (EA).

At the time we advocated for a panel, simultaneously we worked with the City of Los Angeles and LAWA’s Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC) on an immediate solution for VNY that would not interfere with any proposed solutions at BUR while that roundtable panel could be formed. That VNY solution is nearing completion.

Burbank Commission Lags Behind
When our organization was formed in late January 2019, our focus was and has been on finding immediate solutions and long term solutions for Van Nuys Airport. However, our co-founders, as well as much of our membership, are impacted by BUR flights as well. The two other advocacy groups in the San Fernando Valley, with all of their founders based in Studio City, have focused on BUR, and we support them in that effort while also advocating for a comprehensive solution for both efforts. The Burbank Commission has been lagging behind BOAC in finding immediate solutions for BUR. Finally in June, the Burbank Commissioners passed a motion to propose three immediate fixes to the FAA.

Our position is that immediate fixes should not be delayed while awaiting the Task Force. If they are unable to do so by the time the Task Force is convened, the Task Force should do everything in its power to ensure that the proposed interim solutions are implemented immediately as they work on the longer term solutions.

Update: June 25, 2019

Sherman Oaks & Encino for Quiet Skies in the news on June 25, 2019

Addendum
A question that is being asked is “why can’t the City include Van Nuys Airport and Burbank Airport in the lawsuit?”
ANSWER: Our understanding is that The City's lawsuit pertains to LAX arrival flight procedures that are now considered final actions by the FAA. It appears the City and the FAA had an agreement to freeze the time for suing while they tried to resolve it amicably. Our communities can't be a part of that lawsuit because it does not pertain to BUR and VNY flight procedures, as there are no final actions the FAA has taken at those airports upon which the City can sue at this time.

With regard to BUR, the City can’t sue the FAA right now because FAA has not yet taken a final action on the FAA’s proposed modifications to two flight departure procedures that will be the subject of an upcoming environmental assessment by the FAA (the schedule for this EA has yet to be announced). With regard to VNY, the City can’t sue the FAA because there is no timely flight procedure at issue; the window for suing regarding FAA changes at VNY is closed, as far as we know right now.

CITY SUES THE FAA OVER LAX & SAYS IT SUPPORTS THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

The City of Los Angeles, through City Attorney Mike Feuer, has announced it is suing the FAA regarding arrival flight path changes made at LAX that are subjecting mid-City and central Los Angeles residents to environmental and noise impacts. The City says these impacts were not adequately considered prior to the FAA's making flight path changes final.

The lawsuit also challenges the FAA’s recent decision to discontinue its longstanding practice of accepting public comment on its website in the environmental analysis of proposed flight procedures, pointing out that comments submitted through its IFP Information Gateway require submitters to acknowledge that “comments submitted to the IFP Information Gateway related to potential environmental impacts will not be considered."

According to City Attorney Mike Feuer's office, the City has also been communicating directly with the FAA's Regional Administrator, legal counsel and members of Congress to ensure that the FAA address and resolve the aircraft traffic impacts for San Fernando Valley residents in Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, Bel Air, and Mulholland Ridge areas in and near the Santa Monica Mountains.

In late March of this year, efforts by Sherman Oaks and Encino for Quiet Skies (SOEQS) led to Senators Feinstein and Harris, and Representatives Sherman and Schiff, to call for a "panel" or "roundtable" to be convened to immediately address the crisis caused by frequent flights from both Van Nuys Airport and Hollywood Burbank Airport over the Santa Monica Mountains. Today, the City Attorney recognizes Congress’ call to convene the panel with the FAA's involvement to address the serious problems created by the FAA’s actions at both airports.

SOEQS commends and supports the City of Los Angeles’ actions. We continue to work with the City of Los Angeles and our state and federal representatives to convene this roundtable or “Solutions Panel” for the San Fernando Valley. The Panel’s objective will be to identify and to recommend solutions that can be immediately implemented at both airports to protect our residents and the Santa Monica Mountains from further and future harm due to the low altitude flight paths destroying quality of life, subjecting residents to serious health and environmental problems, and greatly increasing the chances of an aviation accident and potential wildfire in the Santa Monica Mountains area.

Update: May 18, 2019

LAWA is working with FAA on flight path changes at VNY.

A SOLUTION FOR VNY FLIGHT PATHS IS UNDER REVIEW

Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) announced at their Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC) meeting on Thursday that they have been working with the FAA on a solution for Van Nuys Airport (VNY) and that the FAA has narrowed 6 possibilities down to a “hybrid” solution, which is still under review.

LAWA, which runs VNY airport, is acting on behalf of the Los Angeles City Council and the Motion they passed in March, to find an immediate solution for VNY flights over the Santa Monica Mountains area, which are adversely affecting residents in Sherman Oaks, Encino, Studio City, Bel-Air and along the Mulholland ridge - due to changes the FAA has implemented as part of Metroplex/ NextGen. Nearly all of these residents are also affected by BUR flight paths.

As a reminder, that Motion also instructed that the FAA consider BUR airport in any VNY proposals. Our understanding is that is the case. And, we cannot assume that the FAA is not reviewing 6 different proposals without consideration of how a potential solution will work with any future solution for BUR.

Our position has always been - and remains - that we will work with our local and federal representatives to find immediate solutions for residents that are suffering from VNY flight paths, while also looking at the bigger picture of both airports and a comprehensive solution.

To that end, getting relief from VNY flight paths is a step toward the comprehensive solution, which is what we seek.

We cannot state at this time whether we are in support of the VNY “hybrid” solution as details about it have not been released. However, if the “hybrid” solution for VNY is not satisfactory for our residents’ relief from flights at both airports, we will let our representatives know at the appropriate time.