UPDATE - PROPOSED CLASS C AIRSPACE DESIGNATION SURROUNDING LONG BEACH AIRPORT POTENTIAL IMPACT ON RANCHO PALOS VERDES
		Click here for the Williams Aviation Consultants Technical Analysis Report Click here for the City's Technical Comments Letter Click here for the template public comment letter Click here for Questions and Answers Click here for Williams Aviation Consultants- Potential Impact Statement Click here for Comments by Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association Click here for Public Meeting Powerpoint presentation Click here for City Council staff report dated September 7, 2010

Posted October 4, 2010

On Thursday, September 30, 2010, the Rancho Palos Verdes City Attorney submitted a technical comments letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) addressing the FAA's current proposal to change the airspace around Long Beach Airport (LGB). Drawing mainly from the Technical Analysis Report completed by Williams Aviation Consultants (WAC), the letter requested that the FAA conduct a complete analysis of the potential impacts of the proposal before any change is made to the airspace designation around LGB.

Citing the limited information currently available, concerns regarding the potential unintended consequences regarding air safety, and the FAA's failure to undertake the necessary environmental review process, the City requested that the FAA complete the following in its letter:

• Withdraw or suspend the current technically flawed proposal to change the LGB airspace from Class D to Class C;

• Undertake the necessary study and analysis of the safety and environmental ramifications of any change airspace change and provide opportunities for meaningful public input on the results of such studies and analysis before any further consideration of an airspace change at LGB;
• In the event that the FAA opts to proceed with the current proposal, comply with the requirements of FAA Order 7400.2G, the National Environmental Protection Act, and disclose all relevant information to allow for meaningful public input before any change is made; and

• Provide specific notice to the City, in addition to any other required noticing, for any further actions related to this or future proposals to change airspace designations at LGB.

In addition to the Technical Comments Letter, the City also submitted the following to the FAA last week:

• A letter from the Mayor on behalf of the City Council expressing concerns about safety and adverse environmental impacts should the proposal be implemented; and,
• All public comments received from officials, business leaders and residents of Rancho Palos Verdes and other South Bay cities.

Comment letters were submitted by 6 other South Bay cities to the FAA expressing concern. These cities were Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Palos Verdes Estates, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach and Torrance.

To view the City's Technical Comments Letter and WAC's Technical Analysis Report, please click the appropriate links at the top of this page.

Posted September 3, 2010

City Staff is working with its aviation consultant and the community to collect additional technical information to be timely presented to the FAA.  At its meeting on August 17, 2010, the City Council unanimously approved a budget adjustment to pay for the cost of services rendered by the City's consultant.  The appropriation of additional funds further demonstrates the City's commitment to providing timely comments to the FAA with the goal of developing a solution that will be in the best interest of the City's residents, including the tourism community.

In its September 7th staff report entitled "Potential Impact Resulting from Proposed Class C Airspace Designation Surrounding the Long Beach Airport" (click here), City Staff provides an overview of the potential impact of the proposed change on Rancho Palos Verdes and its neighboring South Bay cities. This staff report includes a summary of information reported by the City's consultant, Williams Aviation Consultants, in the Potential Impact Statement (click here) it published on September 2, 2010.

City Staff has also developed a "Questions and Answers" document to help the public better understand the impact of this proposed change (click here). Furthermore, Staff has developed a template public comment letter for individuals to use if they are interested in expressing their concern about the change to the FAA (click here for the template letter). Staff strongly encourages users of this template to personalize their letter to the FAA.

Clark Desing, Operations Support Group, AJV-W2
Western Service Area, Air Traffic Organization
Federal Aviation Administration
1601 Lind Avenue, SW
Renton, WA 98057

Based upon the advice of the City's aviation consultant, a copy of all public comments should also be sent concurrently to:

William C. Withycombe
Western-Pacific Region Regional Administrator
Federal Aviation Administration
P.O. Box 92007
Los Angeles, CA 90009-2007

Posted August 18, 2010

The Federal Aviation Administration (the "FAA") is considering a proposal to change the airspace designation surrounding Long Beach Airport (LGB) from its current Class D designation to a more restricted Class C designation. If the airspace change occurs, all aircraft will be required to contact Southern California Terminal Radar Approach Control Center "TRACON", also known as "SCT", for authorization prior to entering the LGB Class C airspace.  The current LGB Class D airspace (click here to view a map of the current Class D airspace) is a radius of about 5 miles surrounding the airport and does not reach the 110 Freeway or extend beyond the shoreline in the Long Beach/Los Angeles Harbor area. However, the proposed Class C airspace would extend north to the 91 Freeway corridor, west to the 110 Freeway corridor and 5-10 miles south beyond the ocean shoreline and wrap around the coastline down towards Costa Mesa (click here to view a map of the proposed Class C airspace).  The FAAS's proposed LGB Class C airspace would be about 3 times larger than the existing Class D airspace.

Concern has been raised that the proposed LGB airspace change will "push" a greater number of instructional, testing and practice aircraft flights from the designated Long Beach/Los Angeles Harbor Flight training Area into the Palos Verdes Flight Training and Practice Area along the Palos Verdes Peninsula coastline.  This concern stems from belief that general aviation aircraft may elect to fly west of the 110 Freeway along the eastern ridge of the Palos Verdes Peninsula in order to avoid the requirement of obtaining authorization from SCT air traffic controllers before entering the LGB airspace. Furthermore, there is concern that flights departing from Torrance Airport and arriving to the coastal Palos Verdes Flight Training and Practice Area will increase general aviation traffic over both the north side of Palos Verdes Estates and the Hollywood Riviera area of Redondo Beach.  The City's aviation consultant has expressed a similar first impression.

The Los Angeles basin is considered one of the most complex air spaces in the country regarding the management of air traffic.  The commercial aircraft industry segment (i.e. passenger airlines and freight carriers) might be expected to support the airspace change citing improved air safety, especially passenger safety.  The general aviation aircraft community (i.e. flight schools, flying clubs and small businesses) might be expected to oppose the proposed airspace change citing the reasons to not enter Class C airspace and its unfavorable impact on flight schools, limiting general aviation use and safety.  The possible impact on the quality of life of the City's residents and tourism community may result from the possible increase of aircraft noise and the risks resulting from aircraft compression - more general aviation aircraft flying in a defined area are important considerations for the City.  Of course, maintaining air flight safety in Southern California is of the upmost importance.

The FAA conducted meetings on June 22, 2010 and June 23, 2010 to gather facts and public comments pursuant to the regulatory process that could possibly lead to an airspace change surrounding LGB.  The FAA will consider the comments prior to making a decision whether to move forward with the proposed LGB airspace change.  If the FAA decides to move forward, the process will include the issuance of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, followed by a public comment process prior to a final decision to change the LGB airspace.  The process could take up to a couple years before any rulemaking is finalized.

The City plans to continue to use its web site and Airport Noise listserver group to provide updates regarding the FAA's LGB airspace proposal. To join the listserver group, please visit http://www.rpvalert.com