New Safety Steps at County’s Airport

A report in the July 18 edition of The Times stated that Orange County’s airport (John Wayne) ranks seventh in midair near-misses of aircraft. However, that terrifying fact was dismissed by one member of the Orange County Airport Assn. with the statement that John Wayne was the fifth-busiest airport.

An analysis of why we have the “fifth-busiest airport” would open a few eyes and put the “fifth busiest” into a completely different perspective. Orange County is the fifth busiest because of general aviation (G.A.), and not because of commercial aviation, with which most people associate progressive airports.

According to figures provided by airport authorities, in 1988 John Wayne Airport had about 533,000 takeoffs and landings. Over 444,000 of these operations were due to tiny G.A. planes. In the same time period, Los Angeles International had about 623,000 operations, with only 24,000 attributed to G.A. aircraft. The comparison is almost humorous. If we are going to rename John Wayne airport, then calling it “Orange County General Aviation Airport” might be appropriate.

The danger of mixing the small, single-engine G.A. aircraft with the large commercial jet aircraft in flight patterns has been well demonstrated by recent crashes resulting in hundreds of dead and millions of dollars in property damage.

This is particularly appalling when it is remembered that G.A. operations are primarily conducted for fun and sport. It’s too bad G.A. flyers aren’t on the ground to be forced to listen to their own noise as they fly over.

Most major airports in the nation have taken steps to eliminate, or at least severely curtail, G.A. operations. It is about time Orange County grows up and takes the same steps.

M.R. BRANSON

Orange