ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Safety First at John Wayne

Airport noise levels are a volatile political issue in Orange County, where John Wayne Airport operates under some of the strictest noise regulations in the nation.

But Anthony J. Broderick, Federal Aviation Administration associate administrator for regulation and certification, is right: Safety must come first. Ultimately, in light of the growing body of pilot complaints that airline takeoff procedures aimed at reducing noise are dangerous, the FAA must rule definitively.

In the past, the FAA has held that pilot procedures requiring a power cutback at 500 feet during takeoff--which minimizes jet engine noise--are safe. But pilots say that noise-dictated operational procedures reduce cockpit vision and their ability to respond to emergencies. They say John Wayne’s short runway doesn’t help either.

An advisory group convened last summer by the FAA, which includes pilots, is now proposing a policy that would forbid commercial pilots from reducing engine power at altitudes lower than 800 feet during takeoff. The additional 300 feet reflects a concern of pilots that more room is needed to react to an emergency.

It should be noted, too, that FAA Administrator James B. Bussey, who flew an evaluation flight out of John Wayne last year, agrees that power cutbacks should be reviewed. While it is unclear what impact any change would have on noise levels, the FAA assessment should be based strictly on safety. It’s good that the FAA has promised this review, and that it will entertain public comment on any proposed changes.

Should a change be adopted nationally, it surely would affect John Wayne, which was one of the only airports in the nation to be allowed to keep its own stricter noise regulations after new federal standards were established. Yet while there is much to be considered, the FAA’s advisory body has raised a question about the safety of current procedures that must be answered: Are they safe or not? The people of Orange County deserve to know.