Commissioners Move Ahead to Ban Noisy Jets

The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners adopted a resolution to Aug. 21 to phase out the use of certain jet aircraft at Van Nuys Airport over a 9-year period. At the end of the nine years, aircraft using the Valley airfield will not be allowed to exceed 77 decibels when taking off and landing. The ban on Stage 2 aircraft now goes before the public for a review and undergoes an environmental study before returning to the airport commissioners for final approval and transmittal to the City Council. The proposed ban would exclude historical military aircraft, such as the Condor Squadron based at Van Nuys Airport, and aircraft using the airport for maintenance and repairs. Stage 2 is a designation by the FAA for aircraft with a certain noise level when operating. Stage 1 aircraft are banned in the United States while Stage 3 aircraft are the quietest. Manufacturers stopped making Stage 2 aircraft in 1986. Van Nuys is home to 32 Stage 2 aircraft.