Airport Council Hears Complaints of Helicopter Noise

Residents of the Hollywood Hills came to the Van Nuys Airport Citizens Advisory Council on May 3 seeking advice on how to deal with noisy helicopters. The three residents said that helicopters used by tour operators buzzing the Hollywood sign and for movie and television filming has made life unbearable in some sections of the Beachwood Canyon and Bronson Canyon neighborhoods. Because of how the canyons are shaped, the rotor and engine noise from the low flying copters becomes louder in certain areas, the residents said. “It has escalated as the tour industry has gotten more vibrant,” said Fran Reichenbach, president of the Beachwood Canyon Neighborhood Association. Calls to tour operators revealed that helicopters flights originate from Van Nuys, Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, and Camarillo Airport, said Olivia Duke, one of the residents appearing before the council. “Unless something is done now it is only going to get worse,” Duke said. The council, while sympathetic to the plight of the residents, had little advice to give the residents other than to contact Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge, who represents the area, and agencies responsible for aircraft activity. The council did refer the complaints to a committee headed by member Wayne Williams that handles issues involving helicopters.