Crowded Air Space

I am writing in response to a recent overly drastic letter by Lee Johnson (Aug. 23) regarding expansion of controlled air space in the Los Angeles area.

He writes, “Let’s limit amateur pilot activity to takeoff/landing loops around our small craft airports.” How does Johnson define “amateur?” Why does an individual flying from Los Angeles to San Francisco as a passenger on a commercial airliner have more right to fly in certain air space than someone flying the same route as a passenger in a twin-engine Beechcraft Baron or single-engine Piper Saratoga? Expansion of controlled air space does not fix any real or imagined problem. It simply has a possibility of making things more difficult for all concerned (especially controllers, I would think).

Please remember one thing: No pilot yearns to be involved in a collision. All pilots do their best to watch for other airplanes and fly safely. It is the major part of every caring pilot’s training whether that pilot flies a DC-10 or a Cessna Skyplane.

DON HAGEDORN

Hermosa Beach