Sept. 13, 2025 7 AM PT
To the editor: The article on noise and heat in L.A. doesn’t even mention the problem of airplane noise in the west San Fernando Valley (“A tour of the sound and heat hellscape that is L.A.,” Sept. 9). It does mention LAX, but we also hear the incessant extreme noise caused by airline flight paths to and from the airports here, plus low-flying police helicopters. A major airline flight path seems to enter the west valley over the hills about halfway between the 101 and 118 freeways, and it creates extreme noise almost continuously. Can something be done, like perhaps requiring a bit higher flight (as a few do) until past the magnifying sound caused by the hills?
To help with heat, the city should be prioritizing and immediately planting trees in parkways, including numerous older areas where trees have died. On my 60-year-old seven-block street, there are only about eight trees still living. Greatly needed are shade trees that are drought tolerant.
These solutions could greatly help reduce the impact of these insidious health threats.
Wanda Dameron, West Hills