SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

City officials said a letter-writing campaign against illegal aerobatic flying within city limits has reduced the problem.

The city provided information to residents on the northeast side on how to contact the Federal Aviation Administration and Rep. Ron Packard (R-Oceanside) if they witness any violations of flying regulations.

Pilots often practice stunts northeast of the city in a space zoned for aerobatic flight known as the Blockhouse area, but some residents claimed last month that pilots sometimes cross over into city limits.

“We’ve gotten comments that the noise has abated and hasn’t been much of a problem since the city started the letter-writing campaign,” said Mechelle Lawrence, economic development manager for the city. “We have a minimal role in this. We’re just helping people help themselves and hopefully the problem is going away. We’ll just have to wait and see.”