Chances are, if you've arrived at this site, it's to learn more about the airplanes flying over
your home and the operations of aircraft on the ground at the Santa Monica Airport.
There are literally thousands of airports across the country. Some airports are classified as
air carrier with mostly commercial airlines (i.e. American, Delta, United, etc.) flying
paying passengers. Other airports are
military with mostly military aircraft using the airfield. Then, there
are airports like the Santa Monica Airport, which are called
general aviation
airports.
General aviation airports are a lot like the roads and highways many of us use everyday. They are
"public use" in that they were built using federal/state/local funds and can be used by anyone so
long as the users follow the rules. There are a number of rules that pilots using the Santa Monica
Airport have to follow. Most of these rules are enforced by Federal Aviation Regulations or FARs.
Other rules are governed through the Santa Monica Municipal Code
and/or the Airport's Operations Handbook. Some of the procedures the Airport Administration has are
simply requests, and others come with civil penalties attached if they are not followed.
Santa Monica Airport is unique from the thousands of general aviation airports across
the country in that we have one of the strictest local airport noise ordinances in the country. To
learn more about the Santa Monica Airport and many of the differences between Santa Monica Airport
and those around the country, click on the links below:
