Aircraft Noise 101
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Aircraft Noise 101 San Francisco International Airport April 2019 Table of Contents 1. About SFO • Airport and Aircraft Noise • General Aviation Sources • Mission • Fly Quiet Program • Noise Metrics • Historical Firsts 4. Airspace Modernization • Noise Modeling • Accomplishments • Residential Sound Insulation – NextGen • Role and Responsibilities Program and New Initiative • Northern California Metroplex • Stakeholders • Balanced Approach to • NextGen Components and Phases • SFO Airport Community Managing Noise of Flight Roundtable • Noise Law • Implementational Changes • Aircraft Noise Management Structure 3. SFO Aircraft Noise 5. Resources • Aircraft Noise Management Abatement Procedures 6. Glossary System • Major Arrival and Departure 2. Noise Fundamentals Routes • Noise and Annoyance • On-Airport Noise Restrictions • Measuring Sound Levels • Nighttime Preferential Runway Use Mission San Francisco Aircraft Noise Abatement office serves as a Although San Francisco International Airport economic link between the public, airline operators, and federal footprint in the Bay Area is vast, we recognize responsibility agencies. Our goal is to provide clear and accessible as environmental stewards. SFO’s mission “to provide information to our communities. We ensure that SFO meets exceptional airport in service to our communities” includes or exceeds all Federal and State aircraft noise regulations addressing aircraft noise impacts. and that flights operate as quietly as possible. Historical Firsts Noise Compatibility Program Study. In 1983 SFO was the first airport in the country to prepare a Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 150 Noise Compatibility Study, allowing SFO to receive noise compatibility funding. This translated into the Residential Sound Insulation Program which reduced aircraft noise in more than 15,000 homes, 8 churches and 7 schools. Early phase out of noisier aircraft in the U.S. Prior to any federal regulations, SFO formed its own program to phase out older, noisier aircraft by the year 2000. Subsequently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) adopted a similar nationwide policy to completely phase out older and louder airplanes, known as Stage 2 aircraft. First to track aircraft with an Aircraft Noise Management System. SFO installed its first noise monitoring system in 1975. Since that time the system has been regularly updated to incorporate the latest in technology. Accomplishments Nationally recognized collaborative community process. Since successful in working with the local governmental agencies to keep the late 1970s, SFO has been a participant and supporter of the the area along the shoreline north of the Airport an industrial zone. Airport Community Roundtable, a public forum for aircraft noise reduction. The Roundtable develops an annual work plan to Community Noise Exposure Level. SFO has been very establish new noise abatement and mitigation programs and successful in reducing the size of the 65 dB CNEL noise impact monitors existing ones. SFO also provides both financial and staff boundary. Back in 1976, over 35,000 people lived within the 65 support to the Roundtable. decibel CNEL contour. Today, through the Residential Sound Insulation Program, residential dwellings located inside high noise Land use compatibility zoning. For over 30 years SFO has areas are now compatible with airport operations. worked with surrounding communities to help preserve compatible land uses in areas under the flight paths. For example, SFO was Role and Responsibilities Owned and operated by City and County of San Francisco. SFO As a local entity, we are also the closest point of contact with the serves primarily as landlord in the broadest definition of the term. The community and are generally in charge of creating, explaining and airport holds leases with tenants including airlines, concessions and implementing noise abatement programs. Thus, the airport is airport related businesses, and in such capacity can control when and responsible for monitoring noise levels and reporting them to the where certain operations occur on its property. public, as well as taking remedial actions such as soundproofing homes and schools in high noise areas. The airport may advocate for From a noise abatement perspective, this means that an airport can certain noise abatement flight procedures to reduce local impacts, but these must be approved by the FAA. Airports also actively encourages reasonably regulate activities such as engine maintenance run- FAA and Congress to provide noise mitigation funds, and to create ups by controlling where they take place and instituting certain restrictions at night. and enforce stricter noise abatement standards for the aircraft manufacturers. Stakeholders Federal Agencies Elected Officials Airlines Aviation Industry Airport Communities Community Roundtable SFO Airport Community Roundtable Meeting SFO Airport Community Roundtable One of the oldest and most respected airport community forums. The Roundtable monitors a performance-based noise mitigation program implemented by airport staff, interprets community concerns and attempts to achieve noise mitigation through a cooperative sharing of authority among the aviation industry, the FAA, SFO management and local government. • Voluntary, informal committee of appointed and Membership elected officials from the City and County of San • Cities and Towns in San Mateo County (18) Francisco, the County of San Mateo, and the cities and • County of San Mateo towns in the County of San Mateo. • City/County of San Francisco • Created by a Memorandum of Understanding; no local, state, or federal mandate to exist • Board of Supervisors • Airport Commission • Forum for the public to address the responsible parties for noise issues related to aircraft operations at SFO • San Francisco Mayor’s Office • Considered by the FAA and General Accounting Office to • City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo be a national model for intergovernmental cooperation to County (C/CAG) Airport Land Use Committee (ALUC) address aircraft noise issues Advisory Members Brief History FAA • 1981 Creation of the roundtable consisting of two counties Airline Representatives and nine cities • 1982 First Work Plan Introduced • 1997-1998 Nine additional cities joined the Roundtable • 2001 Adoption of the SFO “Fly Quiet” Program Meetings • 5 to 6 meetings per year, held first Wednesday of the meeting month • Meetings are recorded; written meeting summaries are prepared by Roundtable staff; meeting summaries are available to the public • All meetings are open to the public • Special meetings and workshops as needed Annual Work Program • Address key issues / identify responsible agencies • Schedule items for discussion / action • Allocate resources • Work Program items are recommended by the Roundtable’s Work Program Subcommittee Funding • provided by its members; majority of annual funding provided by Airport • Staff support (Part Time Planner, SFO Airport Noise Abatement Staff, Technical Consultant) SFO Cities C/CAG County SFO Aircraft Noise Management Structure Quieter Planes Quieter Procedures Advocating for future quieter Developing noise mitigation procedures technology to ensure that residents that benefit communities share in the benefits. Working with Communities Land-Use Planning and Open and transparent communication, Mitigation educating and leading to a constructive Reducing environmental impact dialog. Understanding community through compatible land use and concerns and providing information. planning through Residential Sound Insulation Program Noise Program Monitor existing flight operations and follow up with the airlines if there are deviations from the program, Fly Quiet Program. Aircraft Noise Management System Input Analysis Output Air Traffic Control Audio Weather Data Airport Director’s Report Single Integrated Real-Time Flight Operations Fly Quiet Program Reports database Community Noise Reports Aircraft Noise Monitoring Report Noise Monitor Levels Website Information Automated Contour Generation Noise Fundamentals What is NOISE? Noise is unwanted sound and it is subjective. For some a distant aircraft can be a pleasant sound while for others it is considered noise. Even sounds that are pleasant at one volume can become noise to us as they get louder. Noise, then, has both an objective, physical component; as well as a subjective component that takes account of a person's individual perception, or reaction, to a sound. We can not measure perception of noise, we can only measure sound levels. Noise Levels vs Annoyance We can relate sound levels to percent annoyed and activity interference. Percentage of persons highly annoyed by aircraft, road, and rail traffic noises. The curves were derived for adults on the basis of surveys (26 for aircraft noise, 19 for road noise, and 8 for railways noise) distributed over 11 countries. Source: Munzel T.,Gori T.,Babisch W.,Basnel M. Cardiovascular Effects of Environmental Noise Exposure; License: CC BY-NC 3.0 Measuring Sound Levels Sound pressure is any variation pressure that human ear can detect Decibel (dB) is a ratio of measured sound pressure to a reference sound pressure. In sound, decibels measure a scale from the threshold of human hearing, 0 dB, upward towards the threshold of pain, about 120-140dB. Because decibels are such a small measure, they are computed logarithmically and cannot be added arithmetically. • Outside of the laboratory a change of 3 dB is barely perceptible. • A 6dB increase requires