Noise impact study of a new 2004 noise abatement procedure at the Louisville airport

Abstract

A flight demonstration test in September 2004 at Louisville was a continuation of research conducted in 2002 by a team sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration’s Center of Excellence for Air Traffic Systems. A continuous descent procedure was designed primarily to minimize environmental impacts such as community noise and aircraft emissions, and to maximize savings in fuel and flight time. The test was designed to show the operational suitability of the new area navigation arrival procedure that begins at cruise altitude and which may be used in daily operation on two opposite facing runways. Flyover noise measurements were taken during a two‐week testing period, and a three‐week baseline period. The latest research focused on detailed analysis of aircraft performance, collecting noise data and noise prediction. The noise measurements confirm increased repeatability and predictability of noise levels that resulted from the well‐designed procedure. The Integrated Noise Model was used to compare noise levels of test and baseline flights. And noise predictions using precise flight data confirm that a continuous descent approach reduces noise levels by 4 to 6 decibels which in turn reduces contour area by as much as 30 percent.