Test Flights at El Toro Are Likely in Fall

In an unusual effort to quell lingering doubts about the impact of a proposed airport at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, Orange County is planning to stage several days of passenger and cargo jet flights there to simulate the real-life effect of noise and pollution.

About $2 million has been set aside in the county budget for the tests, which would use the flight patterns and jet models--including Boeing 747s and 777s--proposed under the airport plan and would likely take place this fall.

“This is a chance to let people see for themselves where the jets are going to be and what they are going to sound like,” said Supervisor Charles V. Smith, an airport supporter. “There are inaccurate perceptions out there about this project. With flight testing, people can see the real thing and not have to rely on supposition.”

A Times Orange County Poll conducted earlier this month found that residents remain divided about the issue and that nearly two-thirds believe an airport will cause “excessive noise” for people living near El Toro. County planners contend the project will actually result in less noise than what military operations produced.

The idea of conducting demonstrations has been discussed since 1996, when the Board of Supervisors gave preliminary approval for the airport. At the time, the board urged county planners to organize tests of passenger and cargo jets so that residents can have some idea of what to expect.

But until now, officials said, they didn’t have enough solid data about the departure and arrival patterns and the types of jets that would use El Toro to conduct meaningful tests.

“We are now getting close to having all the details defined,” said Courtney Wiercioch, the county’s El Toro planning manager. “We think it’s reasonable at this point to schedule demonstrations, perhaps in October.”

Some airport opponents also want to move forward with the flights, though others expressed concern that testing a limited number of jets might not give residents a true sense of the noise. The exact number of flights and how frequently they would take off and land has not been finalized.

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Supervisor Tom Wilson, an El Toro airport foe, said that residents at several recent airport forums have asked about having demonstrations. “People talk about noise. They hear recordings of noise. But there is a big benefit to seeing real jets with real payloads and real fuel,” he said.

However, Irvine Councilman Greg Smith said demonstrating the flight patterns of only a handful of jets, even if they are flown just a few minutes apart, might not offer an accurate view.

“To really do this right, you would need 50 to 100 aircraft and 50,000 cars to approximate the increased ground traffic,” Smith said. “Unless the tests are carefully crafted, it could be misleading.”

Under the airport plan endorsed by the Board of Supervisors last month, El Toro would accommodate about 500 daily arrivals and departures by 2020--about 10 times as many flights a day as the military conducted in 1994.

But the county maintains that noise levels in nearby communities will be reduced because military aircraft, such as F-18s, produce more than twice the noise of 737 and 757 jets, which would be used at the international airport.

While the Marines generally avoid flights at night and on weekends, the commercial airport would be expected to operate every day, around the clock. Under preliminary county plans, more than 30% of the passenger air service and nearly half of all cargo service would occur from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Some airport backers acknowledge that South County residents remain highly skeptical of the county’s noise data, and the airport supporters hope that live demonstrations might soften their cynicism about the project.

But Mike Boyd, an aviation consultant based in Denver, said he doubts flight tests will significantly change public opinion--even if jet noise proves not to be excessive.

“People who are concerned about airports tend to be bothered by jet noise even if it is soft,” he said. “When Denver opened its new airport, you had people miles from the flight paths who complained about very soft jet noise. But these same people had no problem with much louder noises from cars passing on the street. It’s a psychological thing.”

Boyd and other experts said flight tests at proposed airports are rare--especially ones designed to placate residents’ concerns about noise.

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County officials said they have not worked out the details of the flight tests but expect it to run over several days and include an assortment of aircraft.

The $2-million price tag could rise depending on how many jets are used and how long the demonstration lasts. Wiercioch said the county hopes that airlines and air-cargo firms will donate the use of planes and pilots as well as fuel and other equipment.

Having tests on more than one day is crucial, Supervisor Wilson said, because wind and weather conditions play a key role in determining whether jets take off to the east over the Foothill Ranch and Mission Viejo areas or whether they go to the north over the canyon areas and Irvine Lake.

The tests will be more complicated than they appear. Officials must arrange a schedule of flights that simulate what the airport would handle and ensure that jet payloads are comparable to normal operating conditions.

The weight of the jets is important because engine noise is louder with a heavier payload. It’s unlikely that a jet used in a flight test would carry passengers, but they could carry cargo and full tanks of fuel.

“We want this to be a way for residents to get an honest assessment of what the noise implications will be,” said Gary Proctor, chairman of the county’s El Toro advisory committee.

Murray Green, who lives near the El Toro jet arrival path in Laguna Hills, said he is eager for flight tests to begin--though he will consider the results with a skeptical eye and ear.

“I’m going to listen to the noise, then remember that I will be hearing it well into the night,” he said.