Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Noise
Is the Camarillo Airport going to add scheduled airline service, large air cargo, or lengthen the runway?
No, Ventura County Airports continues to support the guidelines outlined in the Joint Powers Agreement which maintains CMA as a general aviation/reliever airport. No scheduled airline service, no large air cargo operations, no lengthening of the runway.
Does the Camarillo Airport/Joint Powers Agreement ban all nighttime aircraft operations?
No, the JPA permits Landings on a 24-hour basis, but Takeoffs are not permitted between midnight and 5 a.m. except for emergencies. (Sheriff, Air Ambulance, etc.)
Wouldn’t it be helpful if the County installed permanent noise monitoring equipment around the airport to track noise events?
This is an option that the Department of Airports will continue to explore and evaluate as we move through the noise study process.
Can the Airport contact pilots midflight to direct them to follow Fly Friendly Ventura County procedures?
No, the airports rely on the air traffic control tower teams to maintain safe and effective traffic patterns in the CMA and OXR airspace. The primary purpose of an airport traffic control tower is to ensure the safe operation of aircraft.
Airports instead work closely to follow daily traffic patterns and communicate with flight operators accordingly as part of the ongoing educational component of Fly Friendly VC.
Are pilots sometimes required/directed to NOT follow the Fly Friendly Ventura County traffic patterns?
Pilots are only directed not to fly specific patterns when operational needs necessitate. Changes in incoming/outgoing traffic patterns, weather conditions (specifically wind), and radar outages are reasons the tower team may temporarily direct pilots away from the Fly Friendly VC pattern.
Can the Department of Airports just say no to more aircraft activity and/or touch and go activity?
The short answer is no, with two primary reasons why:
- Airspace, regardless of obligations or agreements from the County, is federally regulated.
- Federal grant assurances and the Aircraft Noise and Capacity Act (ANCA) of 1990 place significant limitations to changes the County can make to airport operations.