Date: 19-Mar-97 08:47 PDT From: Ernest Barter [73644,2142] Subj: Airport noise AN OPEN LETTER TO THOSE INTERESTED IN A QUIET AIRPORT A" Quiet Airport ". Sounds impossible after enduring the wrath of SJC and it's Jet traffic on your neighborhood ? You're right, SJC will never be a quiet International Jetport. Given its present use, no amount of money spent on improvements at SJC will reduce the noise level in your area. Is there a solution ? Yes. Reduce the operations at SJC to small aircraft. Restrict the size of aircraft using SJC to single engine and light twin engine airplanes. SJC can be a first class executive airport such as Miggs Field in Chicago, or Torrence at Los Angles, or Kansas City Municipal, And the list goes on. Many major cities now have close-in executive airports. They operate quietly and safely in close proximity to down town areas and are a real asset to the commerce of these business communities. WAIT JUST A DARN MINUTE, YOU SAY " SANTA CLARA COUNTY NEEDS A FIRST RATE INTERNATIONAL JET AIRPORT " You're right, we need a " real honest to gosh, first class, safe, world class Jetport " for Santa Clara Valley. Are you ready for this ? WE HAVE ONE. It's SAFE. it has skads of room to expand, it's close in to downtown, it can be QUIET and it's FREE, a gift from the Navy. The new South Bay International Airport is now called Moffett. How can that be ? That we have this Airport ( Moffett ) in our lap and we are not developing it ? This is a question that I can't answer, but; Possibly the pride of our City fathers ( Mothers ) in having a " city " airport ? Possibly the fact that the City of San Jose has spent large sums of money developing SJC and wont " give it up " for that reason ? Possibly they do not realize just how unsafe and noisy SJC is now ? ( Naw, they're too smart to not know ). Possibly the reluctance to give up control of SJC as a cash cow to the city ? In spite of it's deficiencies ?........ Like I say, I don't have answers to the above, but I do know that a Moffett Airport Authority could be established, by the City and the County, with all the existing pride and profits remaining intact. WHAT'S THAT HOWLING I HEAR FROM MT VIEW AND SUNNYVALE ? " NOT IN MY BACK YARD " Careful guys, don't resist a very good thing. Done right, Moffett can be your biggest asset since NASA, Lockheed or the Air Force. This letter is addressed to the San Jose folks that are sick of noise, but the issue of noise at Moffett must be addressed. Let's face it, the resistance to developing Moffett comes in part from the noise sensitive areas around Moffett that were " buzzed incessantly be P-3s and earlier Crusaders. Yeah I know, you P-3 guys weren't buzzing, you were just flying left hand touch-and-go patterns governed by SJC traffic and the Navy. How would all that be different ? Read on........ -2- QUIET OPERATIONS AT MOFFETT ? YOU BET; How can Moffett be operated quietly ? Simple, the main runway ( s ) must be lengthened to the NW, so displaced thresholds can be established. A displaced threshold moves the touch down target of landing aircraft to a new point on the runway. ( in effect it moves the airport Northwest ) PROVE IT All one has to do is apply some standard noise and approach / landing policies in use today at other airports, to Moffett. It's obvious that Moffet could be down right quiet. For instance, applied to Moffett; LAX, CURFEW, all departures are to the West. Landings are from the West. Moffett the same, arrive from and depart to the NW over the bay. SFO, South departures make a left turn to avoid the hills. Moffett, turn left and remain NW of 237 with climb over the bay. JFK, landing East ( Canarsie approach to 13L & R ) Moffett, approach from the bay with the same right turn in to lead-in lights NW of 237. IF NO AIRCRAFT OPERATE SOUTH OR WEST OF 101 / 237, WHAT'S THE BEEF ? WHERE'S THE NOISE ? Answer, there isn't any noise. While we're at it, what's the down-side of the above ? Extended runways would encroach on some wetland / wildlife preserve. Let's make a deal....We will save a quarter million people the agony of noise, and in exchange, we will buy some salt evaporation ponds and convert them to wetland / preserves for you. Good deal ? Ask the quarter million people about it, and the birds don't care. Wetlands-is-wetlands. Shoreline Park ? A slight right turn after take-off and Shoreline will ask " what airport ? " Surface traffic ?, yeah all those people using the airport will be driving all over the place trying to spend their money at your restaurants and hotels. Your property values might just go through the roof ! How about easy access to Cal-Train and the freeway. By the way, anybody worried about traffic at SJC ? Hmm. BACK TO BUSINESS AT SJC AND IT'S NOISE If you subscribe to the above, how do you proceed ? Who do call ? Too many deaf ears ( no pun intended ) ? A grass roots effort is needed to convince those that have the power to change policy, to look at the alternative to spending more money at SJC. Santa Clara Valley can have a World Class International Airport and at the same time, provide you folks with a quiet neighborhood. But it won't happen on it's own. There is a group out there that actually wants to ( I'm not kidding on this ) REMOVE the runways at Moffett. TIME IS RUNNING OUT. If you do nothing, these guys will prevail. -3- Did you noticed the ballot measures at Mt View and Sunnyvale " do they want Cargo Flights at Moffett ? " What a surprise, after the P-3s, what do we expect from these folks. Has anyone explained to them that Moffett can be quiet ? No. Has anyone demonstrated a displaced threshold and noise abatement arrivals and departures at Moffett ? No. How about a County wide ballot measure on the future of Moffett ? Given a little education on the possibilities and the alternatives, I think a voter referendum might be a very easy thing to accomplish. But it wont happen if San Jose is going full speed ahead with blinders on, spending like drunken sailors at SJC. You folks, the ones that are going to take it in the chops if SJC is expanded, are the ones that can stop the insanity, and turn things around, but it wont happen if you sit on your hands and watch and wait for someone else to do it. Why do I write this letter ? What ax do I have to grind ? Hey, I'm retired. I don't have to fly into short runways at SJC, surrounded by irate noise sensitive neighbors any more. I just hate to see taxpayer money poured into a rat hole, when there is such an elegant alternative, and especially when the alternative is a gift. Thank you Uncle Sam. Say something positive ? O K, the new terminal at SJC will make a heck of a nice shopping mall with it's own parking garage. And yes, the runways are just right for little airplanes. And yes, the Jet Center facility is great for business flyers, as is, without spending any more tax payer dollars. And yes, if push comes to shove, Reid Hillview could be closed and the flight schools moved to SJC. There is plenty of room for them. And yes, I think FedEx and UPS would like a hub at Moffett, along with American, United, TWA and...................have you counted the 747 tails at SJC lately ?