Preserving Oxnard Airport

* The Oxnard Airport must be preserved.

Having lived in Oxnard the better part of my life and having attended the old Oxnard High School, I know something about the noise that the airport produces. But I have never considered planes landing and taking off to be a problem.

Instead I see a part of Oxnard that is our history and a part of our economic base.

When I sit in my house with windows open, I can see planes coming in for a landing. To me and countless thousands of other aviation fans, this is a beautiful sight--a real important part of life here in Oxnard.

I hope that young people are inspired by this and dream of flight and use our airport as a starting point for careers in aviation.

Think for a moment about what could be done with the land occupied by the airport. Do we need another strip shopping center? How many doughnut shops and dry cleaners do we really need? Another housing tract with pseudo-Spanish architecture--”Airport View Estates” perhaps? My heart soars with the possibilities!

For those who purchased homes around the airport and are now complaining, I have a question. Which of the following did you suffer from when purchasing: deafness, dumbness or blindness?

MICHAEL AITCHISON

Oxnard

* Oxnard Airport has existed for more than 60 years. Its operations are currently at their lowest point in 20 years. The airport is and always has been compatible with the community.

This small airport cannot physically expand. Its terminal size and ramp space naturally limit the airport’s growth and service.

I find it interesting that people move to this area apparently unaware that there is a small airport near their property. It is ridiculous and reprehensible that these people want to close the airport after they discover that it is there.

The latest round of misinformation and rumors about the big bad monster airport gobbling up the city is a disservice to the community. It has reached the point that if the airport even wants to put in a parking lot, that is considered “expansion.”

Mayor Manuel Lopez wastes city staff’s time and taxpayers’ money every six months by trying to figure out what to do with the airport. This despite the fact that the city has no direct jurisdiction over the airport, which is owned by Ventura County and regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The county Department of Airports held an open house and invited the neighbors who complain about airport noise. Only two people showed up, one of them an airport supporter. It seems like people would rather complain about something they know very little about than find out the truth.

Aviation is an integral part of this area’s history. The Oxnard Airport cannot be expanded or closed. Leave it alone!

DAVID OUSLEY

Oxnard