The V-Plan offers a common sense approach to proposed airport operations at El Toro! The V-Plan’s proposed arrivals and departures operate into the prevailing on shore winds, in like fashion with similar flight tracks as the nearby John Wayne Airport.

Because the airline Captain is in command, the Captain is most concerned with the safety of his passengers and crew. Eliminating safety hazards at the airport dramatically prevents safety hazards.

The V-Plan maximizes the airport safety by eliminating El Toro’s dual parallel east/west runways and taxiways which intersect with the dual parallel north/south runways and taxiways. By maintaining the existing north/south runway and constructing a new, widely separated Runway 1-19, the highest level of [airport ground] safety and efficiency is achieved.

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ALPSEA supports the V-Plan

Bob McGowan is a retired commercial airline Captain.  In mid 1999 he organized a group of 20 local commercial airline pilots called ALPSEA (Airline Pilots for a Safer El Toro Airport) for the purpose of exploring a safer, more reasonable alternative airport plan to resolve many of the controversial issues generated by the county’s proposed airport plan. ALPSEA generated the “Pilots Plan” alternative. The Pilots Plan and Griffin’s Phase 1 “V-Plan” were strikingly similar, and it wasn’t long before the two were combined and refined becoming the “Pilots-V-Plan” being promoted and supported today .

While the Captain has command of the safety of his passengers and crew, the Air Traffic Controllers monitors the safety of all arriving and departing aircraft in the skies. The Air Traffic Controllers greatest concerns are in being able to coordinate all arriving and departing aircraft in the safest and most efficient manner.

Doing so in Southern California’s crowded airways is no easy task, and to add El Toro to the mix, requires the safest, most efficient proposed Airport Layout Plan (ALP) and proposed Airport Operating Plan (AOP).

Walter White of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Southern California TRACON (FAA SOCAL TRACON), and others in the FAA’s Airspace Planning Division felt the frustration of not being able to participate in the early El Toro planning process, and responded in an internal e-mail obtained from the Freedom Of Information Act:

By means of standard FAA policy, the planning of coordinating new air traffic procedures generally are not considered until after the airport operator has finalized and submitted the ALP to the FAA for review. This is an unfortunate policy. Had the FAA ATC Division been included in the county’s El Toro planning process earlier, El Toro may have been secured today with the V-Plan as the county’s proposed ALP.

In light of the statements by the Pilots and the Air Traffic Controllers supporting the V-Plan, it is doubtful that provided the FAA were allowed by the county LRA to proceed with a full and unbiased analysis of the V-Plan ALP and AOP, it is unlikely that they would be in disagreement.

The V-Plan is a new, modern airport plan, not a remake of an outdated plan designed in the days of World War II prop planes.Not only was the V-Plan ALP and AOP designed in accordance with all current FAA Advisory Circulars on airport design, but it also addresses and resolves the South County political opposition fueled by the former proposed airport plan for El Toro by redirecting all proposed flights over available greater open space corridors.

The Airline Pilots Association ALPA represents over 60,000 commercial airline pilots. While ALPA has not supported or endorsed the county LRA’s proposed Airport and Open Space ALP, ALPA headquarters has supported the V-Plan, and has encouraged the Board of Supervisors (LRA) to adopt the V-Plan as the preferred alternative and to allow the FAA to perform a full evaluation of the plan.

Orange County Regional Airport Authority endorses the V-Plan

On April 10, 2002, the Board of Directors for the Orange County Regional Airport Authority (OCRAA) passed Resolution 001-2002. The resolution supports the Reasonable Airport, Park and Nature Preserve Initiative which has been filed with the Registrar of Voters.

OCRAA members acknowledge: [the Initiative] is signed by several professional airline pilots and, unlike the Airport System Master Plan (ASMP) developed in the LRA’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR) 573, has the support of the airline pilot’s unions. The Initiative facilitates the development of a modern, safe, and efficient airport at El Toro which protects the quality of life of all existing Orange County residents by utilizing wide, existing open space corridors composed primarily of publicly-owned Orange County Open Space Preserve for flight tracks in to and out of the airport.

Orange County Cities support the V-Plan

Many cities in Orange County support the V-Plan and have passed resolutions as such, recognizing that the plan is viable and non threatening to Orange Countyresidents quality of life.

The Airport Working Group  At this time, the Newport Beach based Airport Working Group (AWG) does not have an official position on the V-Plan.

The Irvine Company has strongly opposed the Pilot's V-Plan.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors refused to officially request that the FAA conduct an unbiased study to determine the best possible way to operate a civil airport at the former MCAS El Toro.

 

the Pilots V-Plan: intro overview  comparisons  review  engineering


Revised 6/23/05