Fly Friendly Ventura County
Click here to view the Fly Friendly VC Pilot Guide for Oxnard
Click here to view the Fly Friendly VC Pilot Guide for Camarillo
The maps and video below showcase a flight by Barb Filkins and Eric Nelson, locally based pilots and FFVC advocates, in an effort to verify the accuracy of the Vector Noise and Operation Management System (VNOMS) while also providing a visual of what ideal FFVC flight patterns look like.
FFVC Flight Patterns at Glance
VIDEO: FFVC Flight Patterns: A View from the Sky
Check out the video links below to learn how local flight schools have implemented Fly Friendly VC
VIDEO: Fly Friendly VC Implementation (Part 1)
VIDEO: Fly Friendly VC Implementation (Part 2)
The History Behind Fly Friendly VC
The Ventura County Department of Airports (DOA) officially launched Fly Friendly VC on Sept. 13, 2022, with presentations to a variety of flight schools that conduct training operations in the region, as well as local community-based pilots. The event was held in the terminal of Oxnard Airport, and invitations to the event were sent to flight schools from throughout Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles counties.
As part of the DOA’s response to an increase of concerns from Ventura County residents, the event focused on educating local pilots and certified flight instructors about alternate flights paths that are designed to lessen the number of touch and go operations directly over residential communities, with an end goal of reducing issues related to noise. Complaints associated with touch and go operations currently account for more than 95 percent of the total noise complaints stemming from Oxnard Airport. For that reason, residents of Oxnard were also in attendance to express their concerns.
“We recognize how critical it is to make a collective effort to provide the safest and best possible environment for Ventura County residents and for pilots operating out of the Camarillo and Oxnard airports,” said Keith Freitas, Director of Airports for the County of Ventura. “We are prioritizing community concerns by providing alternate flight patterns specifically for touch and go operations that we believe will alleviate a majority of the concerns, all while ensuring that all pilots have the tools they need to maintain safety and improve airport operations.”
In a letter inviting flight schools to the event, Freitas wrote, “As we watch what is happening with airports like Santa Monica and Reid Hillview, we all know how important it is that we work together to be the best neighbors we can be to local residents. There is no question we need your help to effectively implement these noise mitigation measures.”
Additional Fly Friendly VC workshops will be scheduled to ensure ongoing education is available. For more information regarding Fly Friendly VC, visit airports.venturacounty.gov.
Click here to learn more about the Vector Noise and Operations Management System (VNOMS)