Mailbag:

In response to “FAA to tweak takeoffs at JWA,” Feb. 27:

The best way to reduce the noise footprint over Newport Beach would be to extend the runway at John Wayne Airport farther north and closer to the San Diego Freeway. The farther back that the air carriers start their southbound take-offs, the higher they will be when they fly over Newport Beach, and the lower their noise impact will be.

Extending the runway to the north will also reduce the air pollution caused by taxiing delays, as the air carriers wait to cross the shorter runway, 19 Left, to get to the longer runway, 19 Right. It will also reduce the ground-collision risk that results from forcing the air carriers to cross the shorter runway to get to the longer runway. The shorter runway would not be extended north to the San Diego Freeway. Thus, the air carriers would cross the clear way that is north of the shorter runway, directly from the terminal to the longer runway.

Historically, Newport Beach has opposed lengthening the runway at John Wayne, in the belief that a longer runway would accommodate larger airplanes and lead to the increased use of the airport. However, extending the longer runway north to the San Diego Freeway would not necessarily result in a longer effective runway. Requiring airplanes to land at the beginning of the existing runway, by using a “displaced threshold,” would maintain the present runway length for landing at 5,701 feet.

By the way, I have lived under John Wayne’s southern departure path for 30 years.

Andrew W. Couch

Newport Beach

Another strategy for O.C. superintendent

Orange County Supt. of Schools William Habermehl continues to mislead the public (“Supt. offers hope amid deep cutbacks,” Feb. 26).

If he truly favors giving our school districts more control over their finances, he might start by eliminating most of his long-criticized and unnecessary county office “services” and directing that the lion’s share of his hefty budget be distributed to our county’s cash-strapped school districts where it can do the most good.

Ask your local educators, business people and elected officials who have actually studied this issue just how the Orange County Department of Education and other county offices of education statewide can justify their existence in their present configuration.

Kent Moore

Corona del Mar