LAX Traffic Is Hardly ‘Solved’

* I wish to respectfully correct Col. E.H. Winchester’s rosy depiction of Los Angeles International Airport as having “solved all its road problems in an excellent manner . . .” (Letters, Oct. 18).

As an 18-year tenant of Marina del Rey Yacht Harbor, our three or four times weekly trek to Marina del Rey on the San Diego Freeway from the San Fernando Valley was normally an exercise in pain and frustration because of LAX travelers and commuters.

The noise of the jets taking off over the ocean blasted our ears continually and, I firmly believe, was the cause of my now quite-severe hearing loss.

We couldn’t take it anymore and moved to beautiful, quiet Orange County in May, where Winchester now wishes us to embrace another LAX in the form of an El Toro airport.

TED SCHWARTZ

Laguna Hills

* I am really happy that E.H. Winchester feels sale from noise in north Tustin. Never having had El Toro planes fly over his house, he can’t possibly know how unpleasant it can be. He says that no one in north Tustin will ever have any noise problems. Great for them, but how about me? No wonder he endorses El Toro as a commercial airport.

Winchester writes that the only planes that fly over his area are from John Wayne Airport and to develop John Wayne would mean the noise would compound to infinity.

Well, to develop El Toro would be disastrous for me. I too am retired, but I live in Laguna Hills, and his plan to ensure safety for himself will bring disaster to me.

Does he think it’s fair to ship the noise down to me so that he can have peace and quiet? And how will he feel when the El Toro planes do fly over his house?

If they realign the runways to make them safer for takeoff, as they are now saying will be necessary, what will he do when his house winds up right in the flight path? That, I would say, would be poetic justice.

LUCILLE COOPER

Laguna Hills

* I cannot understand how you could print the Oct. 18 letter from E.H. Winchester Sr. (Lt. Col., U.S. Marines Corps, ret.).

His statement about El Toro--”There won’t be any noise problems with the current operating plans”--is pure fantasy.

Are the planes that will be landing (heaven forbid) coming in over Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo and Leisure World going to be floating in with their engines off?

This statement does not make sense unless you interpret it to mean “for him.”

And as to traffic, it will be horrendous. The new improvements at the El Toro Y have made a big difference, but now multiply that with all the bus, car, truck and cab traffic that will be involved if an airport is built. Where are they going to find the room for the roads, etc., that will be needed?

Tell the gentleman to take a ride to LAX and then leave going north on the freeway and see what the traffic is like on a daily basis. It is horrible most of the time.

It is fascinating to read all the letters from Newport Beach as to how wonderful this airport will be. Talk about slanted, biased opinions.

And what about the investment made in the present Orange County airport?

ROBERT H. ABELS

Monarch Beach

* Obviously, Winchester never lived in Laguna Niguel during the Persian Gulf War.

Cargo planes went over our houses at 11 p.m., 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. for a number of weeks. They were so loud and flew so low, it was frightening. There was no way you could sleep during the flights, and sometimes I wondered if they were even going to clear the houses. To think of that going on 24 hours a day is mind-boggling.

I do not live in the greatest climate in the world only to have to stay indoors because of an airport close by my home.

E. MUNDAY

Laguna Niguel

* I have grown weary of reading statements from South County residents who say Newport Beach has spent millions trying to move John Wayne Airport’s noise to Irvine.

The fact is that John Wayne Airport is not moving its jet traffic anywhere. When El Toro becomes a commercial airport, it will not take any air traffic from JWA. In fact, JWA air traffic will probably increase, not decrease. What everyone needs to realize is that Newport Beach is only interested in JWA’s not doubling in size.

Is it asking too much for South County residents, the largest users of our county’s airport, to assume part of the responsibility for air travel so that JWA will not be asked to endure the entire burden?

ANN DOWNS

Newport Beach