Van Nuys (KVNY)

Chart Supplement Bulletin dated Oct. 31, 2024

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Van Nuys Airport Newsletter - Published by LAWA 

Van Nuys Community Updates connects our airport users, operators and community with news about the airport and airport-related events. Check below for some of our more recent news, and be sure to subscribe to stay connected. Thank you for supporting VNY as we celebrate 96 years of aviation this year!   Current Details and Archives HERE.

News, Challenges, and Correspondence:

 

04/14/2025   Van Nuys Airport Reports 66% Reduction in Noise Complaints as New Flight Paths Take Effect Following Revised Departure Procedures - Over a month into the implementation of revised Area Navigation departure procedures, Van Nuys Airport has observed positive trends in community noise concerns. Data collected since the February 20, 2025, implementation of the new procedures shows that the majority of flight tracks have successfully shifted northward, away from hillside communities, as intended by the revised procedures. The redesign stems from recommendations made by the Southern San Fernando Valley Airplane Noise Task Force in 2020. Following this guidance, Los Angeles World Airports submitted... - finish reading and find out more Here.

04/09/2025   Imelda Padilla appeared challenged when asked to defend her policy agenda at the April Sun Valley Area Neighborhood Council Mtg. Special to SCAUWG.ORG

"In a public meeting of the Sun Valley Area Neighborhood Council, LA City Councilwoman Imelda Padilla (District 6) spoke on a number of issues including the need for local youth activities and the nearby Whiteman Airport.

When asked about her own stances about Whiteman, past and present, an evasive Padilla claimed she had never spoken of the airport nor taken a definitive position amid the conjecture of possible closure. Instead, she reiterated her focus was Van Nuys Airport and brushed Whiteman off as a matter for City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez (District 7), who represents the area Whiteman sits within.

Imelda Padilla was confronted with a February 2023 video recording of then-candidate Padilla speaking about Whiteman and stating her opposition to closure--citing its role in serving and supporting nearby communities. Padilla acknowledged only certain parts of her own remarks, but otherwise ignored her own statements. When it was pointed out that Whiteman Airport is a County facility not subject to Monica Rodriguez' oversight, Padilla echoed her previous comments to say decision making around the airport was up to LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.

When asked about the youth activities Whiteman has hosted for many decades, Imelda Padilla flippantly derided these--implying she "knew all about them" and that they were initiated for optics after recent mishaps. In actuality, the various programs based at the airport date back over 40 years and are possible thanks to volunteers.

As Imelda Padilla's district includes Van Nuys Airport, which has been the subject of significant controversy and whose neighbors fear increased air traffic and its effects, it is flatly bizarre that Padilla apparently wishes to cede all future decision-making regarding the nearby Whiteman Airport to others. Given this abdication, Van Nuys Airport and its surrounding neighbors must accept and be prepared that Imelda Padilla may ignore them and their concerns altogether.

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Interestingly, when Imelda Padilla spoke about the Rory Shaw Wetlands project at this meeting, she stated "my priority was to get Lindsey Horvath elected to get the Rory Shaw Wetlands Project." However, when asked if she understood the significance of that project to Burbank airport (over concerns of the potential for bird strikes), Padilla demurred and stated this was "outside her purview." Relevant YouTube Video of Imelda Padilla speaking can be seen Here (19:30-20:50)  - Matthew Stone

04/07/2025   April 1, 2025, Meeting Notes - Van Nuys Landing fees: Not the normal type of Public Comment Meeting format, it was received as more of a Press Release with LAWA stating it's intended plans to charge a landing fee via the airport manager's revelations.  What exemptions would look like is to be decided.  LAWA has posted on their website that they need $18M to cover expenses. $6.11 per thousand pounds was a figure mentioned as a cap. It was revealed that that method was still under consideration and that the method of implementation was still undecided. Budgetary data was not discussed.

Stated was that once a budget is arrived at, LAWA will assess the fuel flowage fees, and whatever remains as uncompensated for will be sought as a landing fee. Currently, those based at the field except for part 135 operators, military, government and Angel Flights.  There has yet to be discussions with the vendors such as how to distinguish between part 135 flights and part 91 flights. Administration fees are planned to be paid for by landing fees.

An implementation date of July 1, 2025, seems to be the goal.   The official numbers were stated to be available in May 2025, ahead of the LAWA June 5, 2025, board meeting when the proposal is intended to be adopted. This date would coincide with the LAWA 2026 fiscal year. GA Fees are also being proposed for LAX,

A dissenter of the pending plan alleged that the meeting was less than data driven and presented a "significant lack of transparency." A future legal letter of opposition is in progress to be presented prior to the June 5, 2025, meeting.  Preventing this concept from becoming a model is well on the minds of many.

Webmaster note: Though there is an organized effort to not allow ADS-B to be used as a data collection method intended for landing fee billing purposes, it is not a singular method proposed for the purpose, e.g. KSMO has cameras mounted to capture aircraft registration (N) numbers. Aircraft owners may wish to consider requesting the FAA to keep their registration data be kept private.

04/05/2025   Residents Say Van Nuys Airport Is Making Them Sick - "Despite residents’ health complaints and community pushback, the airport’s operations continue to expand, intensifying concerns about its health effects. - In a Capital & Main survey of 80 residents who live in the airport-adjacent neighborhoods of Lake Balboa and Van Nuys, 65% of respondents said they attributed a health condition to noise and air pollution from VNY, the airport’s call letters. Nearly half of respondents said they had consulted a medical professional for what they suspected were airport-related health problems since 2020. The survey is not a representative sample, but it is an indication of anxiety among residents living near the airport. Despite their health concerns and activism at public meetings, residents said local officials have largely ignored their pleas for years. - “I’m sending letters and comments [to the Van Nuys Airport Citizens Advisory Council] and all that, but they don’t get it,” said Danielle Sweet, a 30-year resident of Lake Balboa. The citizen panel offers feedback to airport officials. But Sweet, who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, said the officials have done little to address her concerns. The disease can be caused by long-term exposure to chemicals and by tobacco use. Sweet said she is not a smoker. - “They [airport officials] don’t really care about us. They’re still making money, and it’s almost like they don’t care what they have to do to do that,” Sweet said."   Full Article Can be Read Here.

03/17/2025   Van Nuys Airport neighbors call for noise-absorbing wall for their community - "Frustrated by inaction from city officials, residents and airport tenants push for the long-discussed wall - For years, residents near Van Nuys Airport have pleaded for relief from the noise and emissions drifting into their neighborhood. They’ve attended meetings, gathered signatures and pressed city officials to take action. But despite their efforts, they say little has changed.

Fed up with inaction, residents have taken matters into their hands–collaborating not with city leaders, but with airport tenants, to push for a noise-absorbing wall along Hayvenhurst Avenue. And the Van Nuys Airport tenants are offering to pay for the wall — a project that Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a city of L.A. department, had stalled on. - “You boil it down to the basics: bypass LAWA. The tenants (are) willing to put up a wall. It would give us immediate relief,” said Suzanne Gutierrez, a resident living near the airport. “It’s not going to cure the problem, but it will give us some form of relief.” Gutierrez added, “They are pushing back,” referring to LAWA.

Gutierrez, who co-founded Fume Fighters United VNY, a community group focused on reducing emissions and noise from the airport, has been advocating for years."  - "With the backing of two Van Nuys Airport tenants, the residents in the neighborhood have proposed a 15-foot-tall sound-absorbing wall along Hayvenhurst Avenue."

"Timi Romolini, a legal research consultant working pro bono for the community and the tenants, said residents first requested a sound barrier in 2021. She pressed for it again in September 2023 during a public presentation, inviting LAWA to collaborate on a solution. In January 2025, Romolini introduced the concept at the Citizens Advisory Council meeting. - “I have been researching wall options, technology and materials since 2021,” Romolini said. “I, along with community, have invited and pleaded with LAWA to participate and collaborate on a barrier for the last three years. The request fell on deaf ears and even met unjustified resistance.”

Romolini said the wall proposal came to fruition as a direct response to City Councilmember Imelda Padilla’s motion in November 2023 calling for a new Specific Plan to replace the outdated Van Nuys Airport Plan and zoning ordinance. - The 2023 motion, introduced by Padilla and Councilmember Nithya Raman and adopted by the Los Angeles City Council in February 2024, directed the Department of City Planning to develop a Specific Plan for Van Nuys Airport. Among other objectives it sought to mitigate noise and other airport-related impacts, including installing a sound barrier between the airport and nearby homes and businesses, and creating green space.

But residents said their concerns went largely unanswered after they sent letters to Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Padilla, who represents the council district that includes the airport." - Continue Reading the FULL Daily News article by Teresa Liu Here

For a Map of the proposed Wall CLICK HERE.

03/10/2025

 

The above image to the VNY website wherein links to the NOTICE and the METHODLOGY are able to be accessed.  Also VERY IMPORTANT, details for PUBLIC COMMENT are also included.  Comments are due by April 11, 2025.  Email to: VNYLandingFee@lawa.org

02/15/2025   Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council to Present Community Needs to Councilmember Imelda Padilla on February 5, 2025

From Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council Newsletter dated 2/4/2025 - "Van Nuys and Whiteman AirportsWith approximately 2 million of Los Angeles’ 4 million residents living in the valley, a backup airport is needed in case of emergencies for FEMA, the RED Cross, water scoopers, and other emergency agencies. L.A. City Council voted to support closing Whiteman, LA County airport (CF20-1538). LBNC opposes the closing of Whiteman.

Van Nuys Airport - What a neighborhood Group wants

Van Nuys Airport was primarily for general aviation enthusiasts. Currently, it has morphed into an international commercial enterprise. It has jet maintenance facilities, charter vendors with 150+ passenger seat aircraft, and U.S. Customs facilities, which increases traffic at this general aviation airport. These “upgrades” were created without consideration for the surrounding schools and single-family homes. Where there was once a buffer to the community, there is now a jet hangar blasting fumes throughout the neighborhood. The aircraft noise and fumes constantly drift through the neighborhood.

We Want:

  1. Stop the fumes that permeate the neighborhood
  2. Stop the sale of individual seats on charter flights, which is considered commercial airline activity and not appropriate for a general aviation airport
  3. Post the Citizens Advisory Council’s agenda on the city’s Early Notification System
  4. Include all the communities affected by noise, fumes, and soot in all Van Nuys Airport Vision Plan meetings
  5. Implement a curfew for all aircraft from 10 PM to 7 AM (Burbank has a curfew, so why can’t VNY?)
  6. Stop Personal Air Vehicles (PAVs), Flying Cars, and Air-Taxi services like Uber/Lyft in the sky"

You can view the entire Newsletter Here.

02/05/2025   Taxiway Closures and Runway Closures concurrent with constructure.  LTA Details Here./

02/04/2025   Practice Approaches Stopped until 2/4/2027LTA Details Here

01/13/2025    Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) Information for Operators in the Southern San Fernando Valley - The final approach course to Runway 8 at Bob Hope “Hollywood Burbank” Airport (BUR), Burbank, CA, crosses over the south end of Runway 16R as well as both the east and west-side traffic patterns at Van Nuys Airport (VNY), Van Nuys, CA. Aircraft on approach to BUR Runway 8 have been receiving TCAS Resolution Advisories (RAs) when overflying aircraft in traffic patterns as well as fast-climbing turbojet departures at VNY. Southwest, Spirit, and Alaska Airlines have reported numerous events.   A seminar/webinar event is scheduled for 1/22-23 to be held at Clay Lacy Aviation is planned.  -  For TCAS Safety Project Information Click Here.

 

01/12/2025 

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01/07/2025    Van Nuys Airport Citizens Advisory Council 

In operation from 2022 - a description from LAWA:  "The Van Nuys Airport Citizens Advisory Council was established by the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners and approved by the Los Angeles City Council in 1985. The committee reviews issues affecting the operation of Van Nuys Airport and provides advice and recommendations to the Commission, Mayor’s Office, City Council and other appropriate agencies. Providing a means of communication between the Commission, the appointing authorities, the general aviation community and the public, the Citizens Advisory Council concerns itself with all aspects of general aviation operations, facilities development and land utilization at and around the airport. For complete bylaws, please click here.

The 20-member Council is comprised of three representatives appointed by the Board of Airport Commissioners, three representatives appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles, and two representatives each appointed by Los Angeles City Council members from Districts 2,3,4,5,6,7 and 12. Short biographies of current members can be obtained by clicking here. For general inquiries or to reach any of the CAC members, email VNYCAC@lawa.org.

Meetings will be held at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month. CAC meetings fall under the State of California Brown Act. Any changes must be posted 72 hours prior to any meeting. We suggest that interested parties confirm meeting dates and location prior to attending by checking our website or calling 818-442-6526. All CAC meetings are open to the general public. See monthly agenda posted below."  See LAWA Web Page Here.

12/06/2024   Fearing loss of federal funds, L.A. reverses course, approves Van Nuys Airport lease

Faced with the possibility of losing hundreds of millions in federal funds, the Los Angeles City Council reversed course on Tuesday and awarded a helicopter company a lease at Van Nuys Airport for up to 25 years, despite protests from residents who live nearby.- Airport officials, the city’s lawyers and Mayor Karen Bass warned that the city would risk losing funding from the Federal Aviation Administration if the lease were rejected. - “Failing to [approve the lease] would endanger hundreds of millions of federal dollars for Los Angeles and vital projects at all of our airports,” Bass said in a statement before the vote. “Our airports are entry points to our city for the entire world, and we have to run them like it.”

Bass had argued that the vote was especially urgent as the city prepares to host the World Cup in 2026 and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028. - The council’s 11-2 vote followed a yearlong political fight that..."   Continue reading Here.

 

12/03/2024   LA City Council Approves Much-Debated Lease at Van Nuys Airport

LOS ANGELES   - From Westside Current - After a brief, heated exchange between a council member and airport officials -- and an hour of closed-door discussions -- the City Council Tuesday approved a much-debated lease for a hangar facility at Van Nuys Airport.

In a 11-2 vote, the City Council OK'd the five-year lease with Bonseph Helinet LLC, which could be extended for up to 25 years, covering 4.22 acres of land and 17,253 square feet of office and hangar space at VNY.

Council members Imelda Padilla and Hugo Soto-Martinez opposed the lease, and their colleagues Traci Park and Heather Hutt were absent during the vote.

With the lease approved, Bonseph Helinet -- composed of Helinet Aviation Services, the Castagna 1998 Trust and Bonseph Holdings Van Nuys Inc. -- will be able to seek entitlements for a $26 million redevelopment project at the site, including two new 30,000-square-foot hangars, 15,000 square feet of terminal/shop space, 72,000 square feet of renovated ramp areas, among other improvements.

Council members Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Eunisses Hernandez, Paul Krekorian, John Lee, Tim McOsker, Curren Price, Nithya Raman and Katy Yaroslavsky voted in favor of the lawsuit settlement. Padilla, Bob Blumenfield, Kevin de Leon, Monica Rodriguez and Soto-Martinez opposed it.

In its lawsuit, Bonseph Helinet accused the City Council of violating the City Charter by failing to act on the lease proposal within 30 days -- instead waiting more than 15 months after the lease had been approved by the city's Board of Airport Commissioners in late 2022. The company also accused the city of overstepping its authority over Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department overseeing LAX and VNY.

As part of the settlement agreement, Bonseph Helinet is expected to release..."  Continue Here.

 

12/03/2024

From myhewsLA.com

"Returning from its holiday break, the City Council Tuesday will reconsider a much-debated lease at Van Nuys Airport that proponents say would bring economic growth but nearby residents fear could cause further harm to their communities.

Bonseph Helinet LLC — composed of Helinet Aviation Services, the Castagna 1998 Trust and Bonseph Holdings Van Nuys Inc. — is seeking a five-year lease, possibly extending for up to 25 years, for 4.22 acres of land and 17,253 square feet of office and hangar space at VNY.

If City Council approves the lease, the group would seek entitlements for a $26 million redevelopment project at the site, including two new 30,000-square-foot hangars, 15,000 square feet of terminal/shop space, 72,000 square feet of renovated ramp areas, among other improvements.

This is the second time the matter has come before the council.

In March, the City Council rejected the lease after environmental concerns were raised by San Fernando Valley residents who live in proximity to the airport. Council members also cited concerns with the request for proposal — or bidding — process, also known as an RFP.

The council’s action prompted a lawsuit by Bonseph Helinet, which accused the council of violating the City Charter by failing to act on the lease proposal within 30 days — instead waiting more than 15 months after the lease had been approved by the city’s Board of Airport Commissioners in 2022. The company also accused the city of overstepping its authority over Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department overseeing LAX and VNY.

Additionally, the Van Nuys Airport Association, an organization composed of tenants at VNY, filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration, which alleged the city violated FAA regulations when it denied the lease, arguing that airports such as VNY that receive federal funds must agree to certain obligations or assurances.

Curt Castagna, a partner of Bonseph Helinet, serves as the president of the Van Nuys Airport Association, while Kathryn Purwin, CEO of Helinet Aviation Services, is also a member of that organization.

Continue Reading This Account Here.

 

11/22/2024  -  Community Near Van Nuys Airport Raise Concerns About Expansion

Some San Fernando Valley residents who live near the Van Nuys Airport are renewing their calls Friday for elected officials to deny a proposed lease and plan to expand hangars, which they say may further harm their communities. The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners, which governs Los Angeles World Airports, recently recommended approval of […    Continue Here.

 

11/12/2024

SoCal Tracon is working on the design of an RNAV approach to Rwy 16R.  It will be an "overlay" approach of the 16R ILS. This to mitigate for Missed Approaches. Currently, there are two ILS approaches to 16R, (Y & Z) - the track difference between the two are the missed approach procedures.  Estimated time for the release, about one year.

8/19/2025    LAWA LETTER to All Members of the Van Nuys Citizens Advisory Council (CAC)
Re: May 7, 2024, VNY CAC Economic Policy Motion
Dear Members of the Van Nuys Citizens Advisory Council (CAC), Thank you for your dedication to advancing conversations regarding Van Nuys Airport (VNY) and the surrounding community. You are the body appointed by the Mayor, City Council, and Board of Airport Commissioners to represent the community on issues related to VNY and your service to your communities is admirable. The CAC is an important avenue for LAWA to gain insight and information from our community stakeholders and work together to explore ways in which VNY and our neighbors collectively benefit and succeed. - LAWA is listening. - LAWA staff reviewed the VNY CAC Economic Policy Motion from May 7, 2024, and are pleased to provide a response to your requests. While we are not able to do 100% of what is being requested in this motion, we have identified several items that we can begin work on immediately. Additionally, there are other items that..."    See Full Letter Here.

 

3/5/2024   Imelda Padila - PR Release - No Friend of Van Nuys Airport Improvement

Read Information and the release HERE

 

02/21/2024   LA to form advisory committee of Valley residents for Van Nuys Airport development

"LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles City Council approved a motion Tuesday to convene a citizens advisory committee on the future development of Van Nuys Airport.

In a 13-0 vote, council members instructed the Department of City Planning and Los Angeles World Airports to finalize the panel of residents and stakeholders from council districts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 12 — which encompass neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley impacted by future development at the airport. - Council members will also have the option to participate in the meetings. - The recommendations come from a motion introduced by Councilwomen Imelda Padilla and Nithya Raman in November 2023. According to the motion, the Van Nuys Airport Specific Plan is in need of modernization, as it was adopted nearly 18 years ago.

Members of the advisory committee will look to better understand the financial needs of the airport so that it may remain self-sustaining, as well as determine the need for — or potential independence from — Federal Aviation Administration grant use.

In addition, the committee will outline criteria for economic studies related to the airport’s revenue, such as examining what income supports airport infrastructure vs. income benefiting the region.

Discussions might also involve environmental impacts, such as noise, climate change and pollution, as well as the possible establishment of a community benefit program for the surrounding area."   Continue Reading Full Story Here.

 

June 30, 2020  -  Study Predicts Lower Traffic, Revenue at Van Nuys Airport - "Tenants at Van Nuys Airport should expect to see revenue decrease by $16.4 million by the end of June, and $26.5 million by the end of the year, according to a study released this month from a group of graduate students at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. The students’ study was based on anonymous questionnaire responses from six master tenants representing about 60 percent of the total leased acreage at the airport and from data from the Federal Aviation Administration through the end of April. With more than 200 aviation businesses located in and around the airport, Van Nuys Airport is a major economic engine for the Valley. The six tenants surveyed for the study employ about 1,500 workers and paid about $1 million in local taxes last year. “The scope of work covers gathering and analyzing new and existing data important to determining the impacts of the current global health crisis on airport jobs and businesses,” the study said. Forty-three percent of the surveyed tenants had laid off or furloughed employees. “These airport businesses reduced their workforces by a range of 10 percent to 50 percent with a total of 152 employee layoffs or furloughs recorded during the post-pandemic (March and April) period,” the study said. The study noted that the job losses were..."  Continue Reading Full Story Here.

 

Added 11/24/2024  -  Sent by a real aircraft enthusiast.

A piece of VNY history and Comments from Clay Lacy.

My Dad was friends with Jack Conroy, the developer of the Pregnant and Super Guppies. Jack came up with the idea on the back of a napkin at the old Skytrails Restaurant on Van Nuys Airport. Every week, my Dad would take me to the airport to follow the progression of the assembly of the two prototypes. We were also present to watch the first flights at Van Nuys Airport.  Wonderful memories!
-W.S.
From its incredible history to its unique design features, we're taking an inside look at the Super Guppy! In 1962, President Kennedy made the bold claim to put an American on the moon by the end of the decade. However, the components required for Apollo were massive and assembled nationwide. For Apollo to launch on time, NASA needed an aircraft larger than anything the world had ever seen. Since Apollo, the Super Guppy has completed hundreds of missions for NASA, the DOD, and even worldwide. Five Super Guppies were constructed, and today only one remains flying.

VNY Noise Portal

Welcome to the VNY Noise Portal, Los Angeles World Airports' interactive, neighborhood-focused web application designed to help you easily explore, learn, and gain insight into aircraft flight activities that may affect you and others in your community. -
To access resources to help you easily identify common aircraft operations and noise affecting your community, tap or click on your Area of Interest (AOI) on the map featured at:    LAWA Official Site | Noise Management