AIR TRAFFIC IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY

THE AIRPORTS

More than 8,000 times a day an airplane takes off from or lands at one of the 14 public airports in Los Angeles County.

Of the 14 airports, three--Los Angeles International, Van Nuys and Long Beach--are among the 11 busiest in the nation. Five others--Torrance, Burbank, Brackett, El Monte and Santa Monica--are among the 100 busiest. Five other airports in surrounding Southern California counties are also in the top 100.

Scheduled air carrier service accounts for only 12.5% of the takeoffs and landings in the county. The rest is “general aviation,” such as private planes, transport planes and unscheduled business and commercial services.

WHY THEY FLY

The most recent study by the FAA gave a nationwide breakdown of how the 33 million hours flown by America’s general aviation pilots in 1984 were used. The leading categories:

Business and executive 32.9% Recreational 19.6 Student Pilots 13.0 Rental 8.4 Crop-spraying 5.5 Other 20.6

The most popular recreational destinations among Los Angeles-area private pilots are Santa Catalina Island, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, Las Vegas and Big Bear, according to interviews with numerous airplane-leasing organizations.

Total takeoffs and landings at Los Angeles County public airports for 1985.

1. Los Angeles International 545,973 2. Van Nuys Airport 503,488 3. Long Beach Airport 398,559 4. Torrance Airport 259,931 5. Burbank Airport 245,341 6. Bracket Field (Laverne) 209,218 7. El Monte Airport 200,096 8. Santa Monica Airport 178,264 9. Compton Airport 160,000* 10. Fox Field (Lancaster) 132,805 11. Whiteman Airport 130,000* 12. Hawthorne Airport 129,194 13. Airport in the Sky (Avalon) 56,586 14. Agua Dulce Airport 8,600*

* Indicates estimate because these three airports do not have control towers to keep track of each takeoff and landing.