Noise Study Panel Endorses Easterly Takeoffs at Airport

The concept of “sharing” aircraft noise--now concentrated in communities to the south of Burbank Airport--by asking commercial airline pilots to take off to the east nearly half the time was endorsed Thursday by a committee studying the problem.

The committee of local, state and federal officials, established by the Airport Authority as part of a Federal Aviation Administration noise study, urged adoption of a policy that would attempt to have 40% of jetliners taking off toward the east over homes which currently experience little aircraft noise. Pilots would continue to have the final say on which runway they use.

In a split vote that fell along geographical lines, 11 members who primarily represent areas south and west of the airport voted for the proposal. The six members representing the Burbank and Glendale areas voted against it.

The two factions now plan to write majority and minority reports which they expect to submit to the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority in January.

The authority must then decide whether to submit the noise-sharing proposal to the FAA as a method for alleviating the airport’s noise problem.

Currently, most commercial flights take off to the south over North Hollywood, Studio City and parts of Burbank. The FAA prohibits eastward takeoffs in the interest of safety, because the shorter east-west runway brings departing aircraft closer to the airport terminal. Under FAA orders, the Authority has developed a plan to build a new terminal farther from the runways in three to five years.

FAA officials have said that they would allow eastward takeoffs as soon as the old terminal building is razed.

However, because of possible conflict with the landing approach to Los Angeles International Airport, the FAA would require jetliners taking off to the east from Burbank to immediately turn 180 degrees south and west, flying directly across the southward takeoff route at about twice the altitude.

A consultant hired by the airport for the FAA noise study reported that the greater altitude would make the planes discernibly quieter to those below.

However, the consultant, Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co., said that shifting of flights to the east would increase the total measured noise in neighborhoods to the east of the airport almost as much as it would reduce it in neighborhoods to the south and west.

Net Change Estimated

The net change would reduce by only about 25 acres out of almost 400 the area where noise is defined as excessive under current standards.

Supporters of the plan argued that that reduction would be great enough to justify the change.

Opponents said it would merely provide a slight relief to residents south and west of the airport while greatly increasing noise for residents immediately to the east and exposing the Authority to more nuisance lawsuits.

As the proposal came to a vote Thursday, however, the outcome was predetermined by the composition of the committee, which had been filled by way of invitations to elected officials in districts affected by airport noise.

Three Los Angeles City Council members representing areas of the East Valley sent aides to the committee. Burbank and Glendale each sent only one representative and Pasadena none.

Representation Increased

When the reorganization of the Los Angeles City Council earlier this year brought three new council districts into the Valley, three more council members sent aides. In the meantime, Peter Rudolph, the aide for Councilman Howard Finn, whose First District was moved away from the Valley after his death, remained on the committee as the representative of Mayor Tom Bradley.

When the vote came on the noise-sharing plan, the seven Los Angeles representatives were joined by those of Supervisor Ed Edelman, Assemblymen Richard Katz (D-Sepulveda) and Burt Margolin (D-Los Angeles) and Rep. Howard Berman (D-Studio City) in support of the plan.

Representatives of Supervisor Mike Antonovich, Assembly members Pat Nolan (R-Glendale) and Marian W. La Follette (R-Northridge) and Rep. Carlos J. Moorhead (R-Glendale) joined Burbank City Atty. Doug Holland and Glendale Councilman Carl Raggio in opposing it.