The Harrison Ford plane crash on Penmar Golf Course in Venice, CA, has spotlighted again the dangers of living close to a small airport. We have the same situation here, in my hometown of San Jose, CA. People are upset by the nearness of the municipal airport to their homes.
This baffles me. In our case, the small-aircraft airport was built, then housing built up around it later. In the case of Penmore, it appears that the airport and some homes were being built at the same time and others built later around it. My question is, Why build homes in an unsafe area? Or, in the case of people having homes where an airport is proposed, why not fight it harder (Venice is NOT a poor area).
Fast forward to today from 1962, when Penmore was built, or from 1937, when our Reid-Hillview Airport had its ground-breaking. Houses have changed hands many times. Why did people buy them, choosing to live so close to what they’re now calling a big danger? Even if air traffic for light planes has increased over the years, a reasonable person whould have foreseen that.
I don’t mean to minimize people’s fear for their families’ safety in their own homes, although damage and injury from planes in such an area is quite rare. But I do expect people to think before they act and, once they’ve made the decision, to respect the rights of others who use or work at the airport. In other words, they should live with their decision or move.
