Gassing Up at Ontario Airport

Alaska Airlines’ convoluted exercise of departing John Wayne Airport within prescribed weight limits, then landing at Ontario Airport to take on fuel, is tantamount to exporting garbage to a neighboring state (“Refueling Stop Is Airline’s Weight-Reduction Secret,” Sept. 26).

Not only does this machination transfer the noise of an unnecessary arrival and departure to the Ontario area, but it is blatantly wasteful of fuel and frivolously exposes the passengers to the slight safety risk of an unproductive landing and takeoff at Ontario.

Add that slight safety risk to the considerable safety risk of the noise abatement departure procedure at John Wayne Airport, coupled with the exposure to low-altitude, non-controlled small-aircraft traffic en route to Ontario, and the result is a flight, I, as a former airline pilot, would rather not ride on.

I’d much rather go to Ontario by surface transportation in the first instance and board the flight there.

John Wayne Airport, with its too-short runways, mix of heavy and small aircraft traffic and its inane power-reduction, noise abatement procedures, makes the airport an accident waiting to happen.

The new terminal building only contributes to the determination to increase operations at this wholly inadequate airport, and thus statistically--at the least--brings closer the inevitable horrible air disaster at, or in proximity to, John Wayne.

WALLACE B. ROBERTS

San Clemente