Noise From Choppers, Planes

* Although my home is not in the San Fernando Valley, I can certainly sympathize with those residents who are forced to endure never-ending noise from news helicopters.

Seemingly always trying to grab our incredulous attention, whether via reports of otherwise familiar events like daily traffic gridlock or yet another car chase, these swooping hitch vultures are often nothing but annoying.

Swarming helicopters are just another example of a local media that’s out of control [and] intruding into our private lives.

STEVE CAREY

Burbank

* I couldn’t agree more with the writers’ viewpoint, although I would extend the impacted area beyond the Van Nuys Airport neighborhoods. I and my neighbors in [Glendale’s] Rancho neighborhood suffer daily from increased helicopter overflights, especially those straying from their Federal Aviation Administration-mandated corridors above Interstate 5 and the 134 / Ventura Freeway, which intersect two blocks from our homes.

With the exception of police and fire copters, I have long despaired over the news gathering and traffic reporting justifications offered by TV and radio stations, the nearest one being Disney’s new KABC-TV facilities at its Glendale campus close by, complete with rooftop helicopter pad.

Any perceived benefit by TV viewers or radio listeners regarding mayhem, chases and traffic jams is far outweighed by the drastically reduced quality of life of residents, schoolkids, elderly and even animals below.

From now on, we’ll be supporting officeholders on all levels who will work to reduce this blight on our lives.

JOANNE HEDGE

President, Glendale

Rancho Homeowners Assn.

* We would like to emphasize that we are not members of a homeowners association or a protester group, and we fully understand and support the need for emergency use of helicopters. However, what seems to be exacerbating the helicopter noise problem are the economic pressures that the Van Nuys Airport and its operatives are imposing on elected officials and local, state and federal governments to permit commercial businesses to fly helicopters, with impunity, as early as 5 a.m. over the rooftops of residents.

We ask that an immediate curfew be imposed rather than a study that would delay decisions and lead to inaction. The business interests are claiming 1st Amendment rights. We claim that private citizens have an implied constitutional right to privacy.

STUART and SANDI KART

Sherman Oaks

* In response to the letter from Jon Leonoudakis in Northridge (“Van Nuys Air Expo,� Letters to the Valley Edition, July 9): It is easy for him to talk about his “thrill� in seeing the extremely loud military jets land and take off for the Van Nuys Air Expo when he lives about three miles west of the flight line, not beneath it!

JIMMIE SWAN

North Hills