(CLAIR | Simi Valley, CA) — Concerns about increasing aircraft noise are growing across Simi Valley, Agoura Hills, Thousand Oaks, and surrounding open space areas. At Monday’s Simi Valley City Council meeting, a resident spoke out about the persistent hum of low-flying planes—often tied to flight schools operating out of Van Nuys Airport.
The speaker, who relocated to Simi Valley to escape the constant drone of air traffic in the San Fernando Valley, said she’s now facing the same issue. “It’s become a constant presence,” she told the council. “We’re not asking them not to fly. We’re asking for some regulation so residents can enjoy their homes and backyards.”
According to her research, up to 18 flight schools currently use Van Nuys Airport, with the potential to increase to 25. These schools frequently train in airspace over eastern Ventura County due to fewer flight restrictions.
But it’s not just student pilots. Residents and nature lovers across Agoura Hills, Thousand Oaks, and Simi Valley report frequent noise from commercial airliners, too. Aircraft flying to and from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Hollywood Burbank Airport regularly cross the skies above local neighborhoods and nature preserves.
In open space areas like Chesebro Canyon, Wildwood Park, and the Santa Monica Mountains, it’s become difficult to capture even a moment of natural quiet. Hikers, wildlife enthusiasts, and videographers say there’s often only a 30-second window between aircraft noises—making peaceful moments rare and fleeting.
A major factor behind the increase in noise is the FAA’s Southern California Metroplex project, implemented in 2017. As part of the FAA’s nationwide NextGen modernization effort, the Metroplex initiative replaced traditional ground-based navigation with satellite-guided routes. While the goal was to improve flight efficiency and reduce fuel use, the new system also concentrated flight paths into narrower corridors—placing more air traffic directly over communities that previously experienced little to none.
Councilmember Elaine Litster acknowledged the issue during Monday’s meeting, recalling her own experience living near Van Nuys Airport. Mayor Dee Dee Cavanaugh thanked the speaker and said the city would investigate further. No action was taken, but city staff will begin researching the extent of the problem.
Van Nuys isn’t the only source of pilot training in the region. Flight schools also operate out of Camarillo and Oxnard Airports. While these programs are critical to maintaining a robust aviation industry and training the next generation of pilots, the challenge now is how to balance that need with residents’ quality of life—especially in suburban neighborhoods and protected open space areas that were never meant to be under a virtual flight path superhighway.
Residents who want to see the aircraft flying overhead in real time can visit FlightAware, a live flight tracking app that shows planes currently operating over Southern California, including Simi Valley, Agoura Hills, and Thousand Oaks.
