El Toro Reuse and the FAA

* At which FAA was your editorial directed (“The FAA and El Toro,” July 19)? The agency that is in charge of aviation safety or the one promoting increased air capacity?

The conflict between the two was defended by the head of the administration at the time, David Hinson, after the tragic ValuJet crash. Yes, the same David Hinson who is now promoting a commercial airport at El Toro.

Further, your editorial questioned why “basic assumptions about runway directions and safety” have not yet been established. The real question is why there has never been a comprehensive study of the best reuse of the base, when an airport is only one possibility. The current confusion about runway configuration stems from the hurried way in which the plan to build a commercial airport at El Toro has arrived, when the will of a few powerful and wealthy individuals pushed away any orderly planning.

The final decision about the best reuse of the base should be made by us, the citizens of the neighboring communities, not by an outside group or agency.

HANNA HILL

Irvine

* Your editorial is right. There is confusion in the public’s mind over how the airliners will arrive at and depart from El Toro.

The confusion isn’t lessened by anti-airport organizations like Project 99, which should be ashamed of itself for sending out mailers telling recipients that jets will be roaring in and out over every Irvine neighborhood. That is absolutely false.

Runway 07 departures (to the east) should be no problem most of the time. In the morning, the prevailing wind actually favors this runway. In 1990 and 1991, during Operation Desert Storm, 43 heavy (Boeing 747-size) and 14 other (Boeing 737-size) chartered jets flew in and out of El Toro. Four of the heavy and 11 of the other charter aircraft took off from Runway 07. At least 1,000 feet could be added to each end of this runway, enhancing its serviceability for takeoffs east or west.

Runway 34 departures do create problems, especially for heavy transport aircraft. The Standard Instrument Departure for this runway calls for aircraft to climb three miles north (around Irvine) before circling to the south at 4,000 feet over John Wayne Airport traffic. During Operation Desert Storm, only two of the heavy charters took off from this runway while 30 took off in the opposite direction from Runway 16.

Runway 16 is the preferred takeoff runway for heavy aircraft; there’s less terrain to worry about and less interference with John Wayne traffic. Runway 16 could also be a preferred arrival runway if the county and the FAA would put their thinking caps on and devise appropriate good weather and bad weather approach procedures for that runway.

El Toro has been a community-compatible jet base for 50 years. There’s no reason it can’t be one for 50 more.

NORM EWERS

Irvine

* There have been numerous debates, stories, reports, editorials and letters to the editor on the proposed El Toro commercial airport--and confusion still reigns.

Looking to the FAA for help is not the answer. The much-sought-after answer is in a few undeniable facts. The last paragraph of The Times’ July 19 editorial states, “Since El Toro has been operating as a military airport, it is not as if information on terrain, wind direction and regional traffic patterns is new.”

It is a fact that the Marines will not use the departures proposed by the county for loaded cargo and transport aircraft. They know that they are unsafe and have fatalities to prove it. It is a fact that during Operation Desert Storm all cargo and transport departures were to the south. It is a fact that Air Force One and Air Force Two will not use the departures that the county recommends.

I believe that the county planners know full well that departures to the north and east are unsafe and new runways are needed. They also know that if they tell the truth they will lose vital support in north Orange County. Their hope is that they will reach “the point of no return” in the planning process before the people know the whole truth about El Toro.

MARCEL T. FERNANDEZ

Lake Forest

* Thank you for the outstanding July 27 article, “Clue to El Toro’s Future Could Lie in Past,” concerning Novato and the closed Hamilton Air Base.

Orange County residents, including both El Toro airport proponents and foes, can become better informed as a result of the background furnished in your article.

Presenting such valuable insights about Orange County’s most prominent and significant issue, El Toro reuse, is a priority news item that The Times should give more coverage to.

RICHARD HAVENS

Laguna Niguel

* Perhaps those involved in the controversy of the end use of the El Toro Marine base should take a hard look at the similar event in Marin County, as reported in The Times on July 27.

The enlightened voters there have thwarted the conversion of Hamilton Air Base to a commercial airport, a process that has taken a quarter-century of fighting and bitterly divided that area. Many financial losses to this once prosperous city have also occurred.

Do we really want to continue to split our Orange County so that when it is all over with, everyone will wonder if any one side really “won”? By then, the El Toro base will have deteriorated to rubble, the same as Hamilton has, and become a blight on the land.

Many plans have been proposed to convert and utilize El Toro’s 5,000 acres of land. A sports complex and stadium have been proposed, ignoring the fact that Anaheim’s facility is skirting bankruptcy. Another Irvine Spectrum is proposed, but the existing one is wanting for occupants.

One vision that has not been expressed is that of digging out the San Diego Creek to form a ship canal, and be connected to Newport Harbor. We would then dredge the El Toro base to make another Newport Beach, complete with a large harbor, many waterfront homes, beaches, hotels and a gigantic resort area.

Perhaps the America’s Cup races could be based there and held just offshore. We could even promote it as another Hawaii!

It has been said that there is only so much oceanfront property, and when that is gone, there is no more. Well, here is the chance to “manufacture” more.

The dirt dredged from these 5,000 acres could be barged down the canal and dumped off shore to build an international airport paralleling the coast, just off Newport Beach. This would be similar to the mammoth airport that Hong Kong has just built.

JACK SMITH

Lake Forest