Originally Posted by
Boggie Dog
Exactly who pulled the plug on simultaneous landings at LAX and HHR? Was it FAA or a union person or someone else altogether?
Who is trying to prevent both airports from landing traffic at the same time? Do the approach paths cross or conflict in any way? Are they both controlled or is HHR an uncontrolled field?
If HHR is controlled is it an FAA tower or contract?
I don't know the rule you speak of and would have to read it to see what the intent was.
1. FAA Headquarters personnel (non-union)
2. They are slightly converging runways (no conflict) centerlines about 5000 or 6000 feet apart at the closest point.
3. FAA tower
4. What happened is that the definition of converging and parallel runways contains the word "airport". Since Hawthorne is not the same airport as LAX, the FAA says the rules pertaining to converging and parallel runways do not apply, and therefore we must use standard separation criteria. If Hawthorne were declared as "runway 26 at LAX" on a piece of paper somewhere, the operation would be perfectly legal.
The union thinks the whole issue is silly and we are embarrassed that our customers are getting delayed and/or denied service.
I should probably say that our local facility management agrees with the union on this issue.
SR