Feds initiate aircraft noise studies (FAA Next Gen)

Los Altos Town Crier ^ | 11/25/2015 | Alicia Castro

[ProtectOurFreedom]

In response to public outcry over aircraft noise above Los Altos and other Bay Area cities, the Federal Aviation Administration last week issued a plan to consider changes to flight traffic.

The FAA in October began analyzing potential modifications to its aircraft paths, including offshore routes, higher-altitude travel and reduced nighttime operations.

"I welcome this important first step the FAA has developed," said U.S. Rep. Anna G. Eshoo, who worked alongside Reps. Sam Farr and Jackie Speier to engage the FAA.

Eshoo said FAA leadership would follow up with community meetings through the representatives' offices to explain the plan to address noise problems.

"From the beginning, I have told the FAA that they created this mess, so it is up to them to fix it," Farr said.

However, the FAA's initiative doesn't include any promised amendments or a definitive timeline.

"It's full of to-be-determined - no commitments," said Los Altos resident Don Gardner, an engineer who has led local efforts to compile data proving that Los Altos is among the cities impacted by aircraft noise.

During a weeklong study period in October, Gardner tallied an average of 198 airplanes per day flying over his residence. Many of the flights reached or exceeded a sound level of 50 decibels - loud enough to wake a person.

In August, an estimated 1,200 Bay Area residents filed with San Francisco International Airport approximately 62,391 complaints - 86 times more than in the same month in 2013.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

The FAA has implemented a new "Next Gen" aircraft management system in many major metro areas of the U.S. Communities all over the country are now having their formerly peaceful neighborhoods disrupted with constant low-flying, loud jet aircraft. The Santa Cruz to Palo Alto corridor is particularly affected. Passenger jet pilots used to have wide latitude when approaching SFO, but are now funneled into a GPS-controlled route resulting in non-stop aircraft overhead. You hear 1 to 2 minutes of loud jet noise followed by 30 seconds of quiet from 5 AM to 11 PM.

People are infuriated about the government doing this without conducting serious noise studies. The FAA was able to avoid doing a full environmental impact statement and declared no impact would occur to people on the ground. The data tell a far different story (graph below).

The FAA released a report this week that is a milestone -- they actually said they are going to listen to citizens instead of telling them to STFU and FOAD. But it is the normal noncommittal gobbledygook you expect from government -- they create a problem, then promise to study it to death, toss in a few meaningless and ineffectual palliatives (e.g., moving a nav waypoint a mile or two south, suggesting pilots don't use their speed brakes), and promise lots of "TBDs."

Have you suffered in your area as a result of the FAA "Next Gen" rerouting of aircraft over your house?

[sparklite2]

I remember flying out of a city that had noise abatement in place. As soon as we got off the ground, the pilot took us into a steep climb that became an ever-elevating corkscrew until we got high enough to break out and fly away. Round and around we went.

[Regulator]

You hear 1 to 2 minutes of loud jet noise followed by 30 seconds of quiet from 5 AM to 11 PM

That's a ridiculous exaggeration.

We live right underneath the new arrival track in the Santa Cruz area and I can safely tell you the a&&hole& on their harleys are a far worse problem.

In fact, we didn't even realize anything was different until some people with kit fox ears starting complaining with the cute little signs.

Seems about normal to me.

[RckyRaCoCo]

KSNA was always an “interesting” departure.

[djf]

I remember when Sea-Tac airport was expanding, they literally bulldozed hundreds if not thousands of homes into dust.

And all I kept thinking was “What, no deaf people need homes???”...

[Don Corleone]

These “noise abatement” departures contain an element of danger since steep climbs along with power reductions and maneuvering flight paths are not the most desirable way to constitute a take-off. Loss of an engine or some other emergency during those maneuvers is always a possibility. Just hope you don’t live in the impact area.

[CodeToad]

AT Centennial airport (KAPA) 3 people provide 99% of the complaints. They call multiple times a day.

[sparklite2]

Remember the episode of Cheers where Carla bought a home that turned out, they thought, to be haunted? Then, as blazing lights and wall-shaking roars enveloped them, Carla realized why the house was so cheap. It was right under the airport flight path. “We’re home!” she exulted. LOL

[Hulka]

Not to mention separation requirements for jets under ATC control demand at least 2-min between aircraft (wake turbulence issues), and more time if the jet is a “heavy” and requires more time between jets.

[markman46]

still is going over newport beach

[UCANSEE2]

Which Democrat cronies are going to make big bucks off of this ?

[ProtectOurFreedom]

It’s not a ridiculous exaggeration. That’s what we experience over here in the south peninsula. All the traffic from all parts of the US, southeast Asia, Europe, Australia / NZ, China is concentrated right over us on a single GPS guided “superhighway.”

I’m glad you are not bothered over in SC, but lots of your neighbors disagree, especially those on the summit.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

We are 20 miles from SFO as the crow flies. We get the now-concentrated approach traffic from the Next Gen flight paths. Most traffic is at 4k to 6k feet. Crashes are not a huge hazard here, but the insanity from the constant noise is.

[vette6387]

“I remember flying out of a city that had noise abatement in place. As soon as we got off the ground, the pilot took us into a steep climb that became an ever-elevating corkscrew until we got high enough to break out and fly away. Round and around we went.”

Try flying out of John Wayne (Orange County, CA). Planes take off to the west toward the Pacific going right over some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the LA Basin (Newport Beach and Balboa Island). So the pilots are forced to hold the A/C down on the runway until they are traveling quite a bit faster that would be normal, then they initiate a very steep climb to a thousand feet or so, chop the power, push the nose over so quickly you about come out of your seat, and “coast” to the shoreline before adding power and starting a more normal climbout. None of this does much for safety.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Exactly! Follow-the money. This is ostensibly about reducing the carbon footprint of aircraft and being able to increase traffic in/out of metro areas for the next 20 or 30 years. But it’s all about reducing costs for airlines and improving revenue for airport operators — crony capitalism at its worst.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

That’s the departure path out of San Jose to the east. Most often you take off to the north, make a right-turn spiral/corkscrew 360 degree turn, then finally head east. I’ve heard it’s to get enough altitude to get over the eastern hills, but they are only 1,100 feet high or so.

[sparklite2]

I got no problem with reducing costs. Just wish the federal government felt the same way.

[sparklite2]

I don’t remember where it was, but since
I used to live in San Jose, you’re undoubtedly
correct.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

The cost of insanity for the million people in the south bay / Santa Cruz area is not insignificant. It’s FAR higher than a few dollars the airlines save in fuel.

[Regulator]

I may be wrong but the GPS "superhighway" referred to is simply an RNAV arrival: SERFR ONE

The old route still exists of course BIGSUR TWO ARRIVAL but has a small difference in track.

In either case I have been watching that 5 AM arrival come over the Monterey Bay and cross just a bit North of me for going on 15 years. Undoubtedly the same plane, right?! Hah.

It's a mild low frequency rumble usually followed by the sound of the bleeds opening as he throttles back and starts descent into SFO.

Luv that sound. Very mild, very reassuring.

I think the real reason people are calling is that they are new to the sound. It was always over heavily populated areas - just a bit further North. Now some different people are hearing it and it bugs them.

But from my lovely perch overlooking the blue blue Pacific, I hear a lot more objectionable crap: sirens (we're from the government!), motorcycles (we're jerks who think annoying everyone is cool!), trucks (I got a Jake Brake! Ain't I good!), lead footed clowns (burnin rubber at 3 AM! No cops, man!), and the list goes on and on...

The occasional beautiful Boeing or Airbus is waaaay down on the list, and we are almost directly underneath those Arrival procedures.

So sorry, I don't share the sentiment. And as for the people up on the Summit...aging hippies who complain about civilization in general.

U.S. aircraft meet Stage III noise requirements which are incredible. It's amazing that the noise suppression people at Pratt, GE, Honeywell and Rolls-Royce did so great. We have both high speed jet transport and extremely low noise from it, well below the usual sources.

Methinks some people doth complain a bit too much.