At first blush, the headline on the top of this edition's page one is scarey to anyone who lives at the northern end of the West Seattle peninsula. More planes coming in lower and closer is not good news in northern Delridge, City View, Pigeon Point or along Harbor Drive and the view homes above.

For a half century the planes have been flying over Magnolia in the approach path to King County International Airport, Boeing Field to most of us, and one of the busiest non-hub airports in the nation. Now the county, which owns the airport, is trying to figure out whether to ask the Federal Aviation Administration to change the landing pattern from the north, the approach route most planes use to land at Boeing. See the story by Tim St.Clair on Page One.

Magnolia residents have been squawking for most of the past 50 years, urging that the approach path be move more out over Puget Sound and Elliott Bay. That change would put planes at about one-half miles from Duwamish Head and at an altitude of 1,000 feet. Currently the planes come in a mile and a half away from West Seattle.

But we see the chance this will happen as close to zero. The change would impede a third of the landings at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, five miles south of Boeing Field.

We simply cannot see the Federal Aviation Administration changing something that would cause massive problems for the region's major international airport. Add to that the fact the Port of Seattle owns Sea-Tac and is bound to launch a strong battle against anything that gets in the way of the traffic at that airport.

The fact is is being discussed is important for West Seattle residents to know so they can launch their own objections. We would like to hear your comments in e-mailed letters to the editor and comments on our Website, www.westseattleherald.com.

Do we really want to be that nice to the folks in Magnolia?