City Considers Paying Pilots to Fly Elsewhere

The cost of a quieter ? About $90,000 in six months.

That's the price tag city staffers give an incentive program for flight schools aimed at reducing repetitive takeoff and landings by student pilots.

The program is in response to complaints from neighbors, particularly those who live within hundreds of feet of the airport tarmac, who say they are tormented by aircraft noise.

Participating flight schools would receive $150 for each flight that resulted in a minimum of four takeoffs and four landings conducted at other airports on weekends and federal holidays. City staffers said it has the potential of resulting in up to 4,800 fewer takeoffs and landings during a six-month test period starting July 1.

The "Flight Training Reduction Incentive Test Program" is up for approval Tuesday night by the Santa Monica City Council.

Money for the reimbursements—designed to offset the schools' cost of traveling to a different airport—would come from the city's general fund, a catchall account for services such as the police and fire departments and library system.

About 40 percent of Santa Monica Airport traffic is generated by aircraft that stay within the local traffic pattern or the airport's designated controlled  airspace, and many of those operations are takeoffs and landings by pilots-in-training, according to Airport Services Director Robert Trimborn.

"Airport staff receives numerous noise complaints from residents regarding these repetitive types of local operations especially during weekends and holidays when most people are at home," Trimborn wrote in a memo to the City Council.

City staffers said flight schools support the program and agree it would reduce the number of repetitive takeoffs and landings.

The City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, at 1685 Main St. For the night's full agenda, click here.