Sounding Off on Noisy Aircraft Towing Ads

To Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors’ Beach Advisory Committee:

I would like to lend my support to the complaints listed in today’s (Aug. 2) Los Angeles Times, by Kenneth Kahn of Manhattan Beach and sailor Jim Lissner, regarding the noise pollution caused by the banner-towing aircraft that fill the skies on weekends.

I live on the Marina Peninsula beach, and on weekends, like thousands of others, like to enjoy the sun and hoped-for peace and serenity that the area’s beaches supposedly provide.

I say supposedly because, like Messrs. Kahn and Lissner, I and others along this beautiful stretch of sand are assaulted by the noise of these mostly unmuffled airplanes towing advertising banners. At my particular location on Quarterdeck Street, many of these airplanes also choose to make their “climb” over my residence, causing an incredible amount of noise.

I, like my neighbors, have suffered in frustrated silence long enough. To paraphrase one of the actors in the movie “Network,” “I’m mad, and I’m not going to take it anymore.”

I would like to ask you to ban all noise-emitting aircraft from these stretches of populated beach. And I would like you and the FAA or whoever is the proper authority to begin enforcing the 500-foot minimum altitude for flying.

I invite you to spend a day at the beach with me some weekend. I’m sure you too won’t enjoy the noise brought on by these advertising airplanes and the helicopter pilots who think it is their God-given right to fly along the beach, barely missing the lifeguard stations, to ogle the beach-goers.

Thank you in advance for listening. I’m now prepared to help Messrs. Kahn and Lissner and others in fighting these obnoxious violators of peace and quiet.

I also plan to write to the companies who hire these advertising airplanes, letting them know that I, because of their noise-polluting advertising, absolutely will not buy their products or patronize their clubs or restaurants.

TERRY W. DILLMAN

Marina del Rey