FAA To LA: We Rule The Skies, Not You

When San Fernando Valley Councilman Dennis Zine walked into a Los Angeles city hall meeting last week, he fully intended to ban news helicopters from flying with five miles of a police chase.

When he walked out, the former Los Angeles police officer had changed his mind, instead calling for a chat with area news executives about just how LA-area news organizations cover such pursuits.

"It was the initial reaction," Zine said of the news organizations, "but then also the realization that ... they want to work with us. We're not going to turn that down."

But Then Again, Zine Doesn't Control Such Flights

Zine initially planned to introduce a motion to the City Council, declaring a five-mile "aerial crime scene" above police chases. But even before he could get started, FAA officials said no US city - not even the second-largest one - can restrict aircraft flight.

"I'm not a lawyer," FAA spokesman William Shumann said, "but my experience has been that it's pretty clear that the FAA has jurisdiction, that it is the federal agency that regulates air space."

FMI: www.ci.la.ca.us