The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) reported last week that Los Angeles County has unwisely added $1.3 million to its $600,000 budget for assessing how to repurpose Whiteman Airport (KWHP), despite the fact that the county has a federal obligation to keep the airport operational “in perpetuity.” That mandate comes from language that requires perpetual support of an airport that has accepted federal funding for the purpose of acquiring “real property” even if that property is only a part of the existing airport footprint.
“Repurposing the airport” just means kicking out the planes to build condos, shopping malls, or whatever seems trendy. It might sound good to some, but for pilots and airport workers, it’s a nightmare.
The LA County leaders should know that as the population grows, so does the need for aviation. More people mean more flights for business, emergencies, and training. Airports like WHP, VNY, and BUR are crucial for meeting this demand. Closing WHP won’t reduce the need for flights—it’ll just push operations to other airports, overcrowding them and making noise and pollution worse for nearby communities.
The planes won’t disappear; they’ll move to VNY and BUR, creating new problems instead of solving the old ones. With a growing population, we need better airports, not fewer. Instead of shutting WHP down, we should focus on improving it to handle demand while reducing its impact on the community.
More…Whiteman Airport (WHP) contributes about 1-2% of the total pollution in its surrounding area, according to typical urban emissions data and comparisons with similar studies from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB). In comparison, vehicles such as cars, trucks, and buses are responsible for the majority, contributing around 60-70%, while industrial activities account for approximately 20-25%. The remaining 5-10% comes from residential sources and other urban activities like heating, cooling, and waste processing.
Although WHP’s overall contribution is small, its lead emissions (from piston-engine aircraft using avgas) and localized pollution can significantly impact nearby communities. However, most pollution in the area comes from vehicles and industrial sources, which are the primary drivers of poor air quality. Addressing these larger contributors, as highlighted in reports by CARB and the EPA, would yield far greater improvements to regional air quality than closing the airport. WHP’s role in pollution is notable but minor in the broader context.
At some point when will the populace rise up and shthammer these clowns for quadrupling a budget to benefit ONLY the local realtors and developers. EVERYBODY owns that money.
This is what happens when an activist judiciary redefines the phrase “in perpetuity” which some clown already did in the case of Santa Monica Airport (KSMO) which is scheduled to close in 2028.
While I agree with your sentiment, the planes cannot relocate. We are under-airported in Sthn California.
Santa Monica is closing due to an FAA administrator rolling over (Bribe??)
Torrance city council already voted to close the airport and is harassing pilots with landing fees and requiring full stop landings and taxi backs,
Fullerton is full, although tie downs might be available.
Orange County KSNA – the county hangars have had their rates lifted to $1400/1500 a month since the FBO wrote a land lease with the county for the area where the county hangars are located so it can build a jet center where the hangars are along the south side.
Van Nuys is full. I read that it is being expanded – I don’t know how? But jets own that airport.
Burbank is commercial and GA is unwelcome.
I just don’t see where the planes would go, except sold and off to Florida.
Learned to fly @WHP in the early '90s, switched to VNY for instrument training. Great for newbie pilots except it had a NFCT and the controller would get flustered if there were more than three airplanes in the pattern and chaos would ensue. Then we’d leave the pattern and go to VNY where the controllers could coolly handle 12 in the pattern in their sleep. It was blocked by BUR Class C to the south and LAX Class B above, but you could duck out through the Newhall Pass and practice near Six Flags Magic Mountain or further West near Fillmore. Had to watch out for jets inbound to BUR from the North also flying in the Class E airspace with you.
“In perpetuity” didn’t stop the Mayor from bulldozing the runway @Meigs Field so he could build a park for his wife.
Bob, KSMO was a complicated problem. The city and residents complained about the danger of “little planes flying over the neighborhood” and “belching lead over the community, affecting our children”.
More important was that of the 4,500’ runway, only 3,000’ was the original grant to be held in perpetuity. The City owned the remaining 1,500’ and ALL of the area where the tiedowns, car parking, and services (flight school, maintenance, fuel vendor etc) were located. So the city could close all of these assets, leaving just 3,000’ of runway with no tiedown, parking or services.
The FAA head rolled over and waived the ‘perpetuity’ and it was doomed.
The pro-airport people forced a vote on the closure, expecting to win but the city and airport opponents used social media and created a website showing a park, flowers, birds chirping. The pro airport folk lost the vote.
The KSMO tactics are being copied for Reid-Hillview in San Jose, sadly. At Reid-Hillview 120 acres was sold to the county but nobody can find the deed requiring it remain an airport. The remaining 60 acres is where all the services and tiedown are located and is owned by the county and can be closed since the county put the tenants on month to month rental agreements.