TORRANCE, Calif., April 28,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sling Pilot Academy, a premier
flight training institution located in Torrance, CA, and the City of Torrance have settled a dispute in
State Court over Sling's business license.
In October 2023 Sling received a
letter from the City of Torrance
saying that Sling's business license would not be renewed in 2024
due to a never-enforced 1977 resolution limiting the number of
flight schools at Torrance Airport. The resolution had been made,
but never enacted as an Ordinance, by a 1977 City Council
responding to complaints from residents about noise from airplanes
flying over their homes.
Facing irreparable harm, Sling filed a complaint in California
State Court. On December
21st, 2023 Judge Curtis
Kin of the Superior Court of the State of California issued a Temporary
Restraining Order against the City of
Torrance, preventing them from blocking the issuance of
Sling's 2024 business license. The day before, the City of Torrance
City Council voted to enact an Ordinance and Urgency Ordinance
limiting the number of flight schools at Torrance Airport to 6
flight schools. As in 1977, the City Council was responding to
complaints from residents about noise from airplanes flying over
their homes.
On January 12th, 2024
Judge Kin again sided with Sling's attorneys and issued a
Preliminary Injunction against the City
of Torrance restraining and enjoining them from taking any
action to block the issuance of Sling's 2024 business license on
the grounds that there can only be 6 flight schools at the airport.
This injunction protected against the irreparable harm that would
have come to Sling's 90+ employees and 200+ students had Sling's
business license been cancelled.
After some movement regarding businesses registered as flight
schools at the Torrance Airport it was determined that Sling fell
"within the 6" (flight school limitation), and the City of Torrance reached out to Sling to
settle the dispute and dismiss the case in California State Court
as well as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 16
Complaint that Sling had filed with the FAA. On April 12th, 2024, Sling and the
City of Torrance signed a
Settlement Agreement and filed for dismissal of both
complaints.
Sling Pilot Academy remains committed to working with the
City of Torrance and the residents
surrounding the airport. Sling believes in its mission to offer
flight training to the residents of the local region and to uplift
their lives by enabling the path to the life-changing career of an
airline pilot. The severe pilot shortage has created a desperate
need for pilots in this segment of our Critical Infrastructure.
Flight Training is specifically called out as part of our Critical
Infrastructure and Sling has in the past been a recipient of a
$500,000 Federal Grant designed to
create pilots for the aviation workforce.
Sling will continue to engage with local residents to better
understand the annoyance of airplane noise. Sling will continue to
work on voluntary procedures to mitigate this problem and Sling
will continue to work on the "Whisper Sling" project to make its
quiet airplanes even quieter and more pleasing to the human ear.
Sling Pilot Academy intends to become the world's quietest flight
school with these technical advancements.
website www.slingpilotacademy.com. Email
contact@slingpilotacademy.com
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SOURCE Sling Pilot Academy