Lengthening Southern Runway 3-0-L/1-2-R
Let’s start with what lengthening the runway WILL NOT DO:
· Allow larger aircraft to operate on it.
· Create a means for increased traffic.
· Push more traffic off on other areas.
· Widen the existing 3-0-L/1-2-R Runway.
· Increase existing tensile & compressive strength on 3-0-L/1-2-R Runway.
What lengthening COULD PROVIDE is:
· Less crosswind turns over neighborhoods.
· Higher flight elevations over neighborhoods, thus reducing noise.
· Better ingress and egress opportunities for flights over neighborhoods affected by ingress & egress to the North.
· Increased ability for Ingress & egress to the South.
What lengthening will do is to give pilots the ability to climb to higher altitudes sooner for T&G operations, greatly reducing noise as they can engage in the crosswind turn before getting to the airspace above residences in Superior and Westminster.
Lengthening could help with the noise in the skies above all communities represented in the CNR.
Understand this for what it is. One option worth looking into and seeing if there is any validity in it and if it is worth pursuing. This is a long range plan, probably 5-10 years out and dependent upon several areas of approval.
COMING SOON: Proposed Daytime T&G Flight Path
On Monday November 27th, I met with officials at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The purpose of my visit was to learn more about the Airport Noise Compatibility Planning, or as it’s known as the Part 150 study, that RMMA has recently announced that they will undertake.
Admittedly, I wasn’t initially optimistic about how a Part 150 can remedy the issues that face the Town of Superior. Critics of the Part 150 will say that it is too limited in scope to create any real change. Putting my doubts aside, I decided to see if there was anything more to the Part 150.
What is a Part 150?
The Part 150 is a collaborative process to address noise near airports. There are two parts to a Part 150. The first is creating noise exposure maps while the second is the Noise Compatibility Program (NCP).
Part 1: Noise Exposure Maps
The first part is the creation of maps are used to identify compatible and non-compatible land uses around the airport. You may have heard them called noise contour maps. They are used to identify the 65-decibel noise contour around the airport. One thing to keep in mind is that noise at airports is only ever modeled. It is never measured.
The software used by the FAA is AEDT – (V3E is current version with v3F expected late 23/early 24.) The software is updated every 1.5 years.
Data used for modeling includes:
· Type of aircraft
· Radar Tracts
· ID of All Aircraft at Airport
· Time
· Elevation
· Weather
· Terrain
· Patterns
Airports can provide typical data. Airports pull up Tower and Flight Tracking Data for modeling. Any discrepancies between Tower, Radar and FAA are studied to determine a correct metric.
Part 2: Noise Compatibility Program (NCP)
The NCP identifies measures that the airport operator can propose to take in order to reduce and/or prevent noncompatible land uses. In our case this would allow the airport to become eligible to receive Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant funding that would provide noise mitigation for our homes.
Utilizing the noise contour maps created in Part 1 of the Part 150, neighborhoods can be identified where buildings are eligible for sound insulation due to noise level outside. In order to be eligible to meet the requirements for sound insulation, the interior must have a specific noise level and be of a construction type that can be successfully sound insulated.
The AIP grant has federal requirements and has requisite matching from the airport or other grant recipients.
Is There Anything Else a Part 150 Can Do?
I asked the question that, while the FAA is creating a noise contour at 65-decibels, would it be possible for them to create a contour at 60-decibels, or even as low as 55-decibels? Initially I was informed that the noise contours are commonly done at 65-decibels, but after further discussion, I discovered that there is a possibility to create a noise contour at 55-decibels. Please bear in mind that this noise contour demarcation comes at an added cost as it creates the need to study a bigger area. In addition, any area that falls within the 55-decibel contour would be considered noncompatible.
What Can Residents of the Town of Superior Do?
A requirement of the Part 150 is community engagement and direct participation in the process through public hearings, public meetings and providing comment to required public notices. The Part 150 also creates opportunities for residents living in noise impacted areas to participate on general and technical committees.
What Can Residents Expect From Me?
I will continue to work diligently to find solutions. I plan to work with the FAA, Air Traffic Control, RMMA and the flight schools to enact change that will benefit our residents.
SUMMARY:
I believe that we should be optimistic as RMMA moves towards the Part 150 study. I look at this as one facet of the many options we are considering in order to mitigate the noise issues faced by Superior. Coupled with the Voluntary Nighttime Flightpath and the potential positive impacts of the proposed modifications to the daytime T&G pattern and other means, I can envision much quieter skies over the Town of Superior in the future.
Meeting with Representative Joe Neguse
I met with Representative Neguse in his D.C. office on Monday, November 27th. Joe and his staff were very gracious hosts as we discussed a number of solutions to noise as it relates to Superior.
We discussed how the FAA models noise rather than measuring it. This method for evaluating noise makes undertaking the Part 150 study by RMMA rather important. If we can determine what a 65-decibel noise contour looks like and where it is in relation to the neighborhoods affected by airplane noise, we can begin working towards mitigation.
While I had previously sent the Voluntary Nighttime Flight Path maps to Joe, we had a chance to discuss their merits and how they came about. After sharing the positive numbers that our study has collected, we both feel confident that the nighttime efforts towards mitigation are moving in the right direction.
We next talked about how the success of the nighttime maps has led me to create a proposal for daytime flight paths that could create some relief for our residents. This solution can be coupled with a potential lengthening of thew southern runway by up to one thousand feet (1,000’). Mr. Neguse agreed that these are proposals worth looking into and he was optimistic about their potential success.
Mr. Neguse was very enthusiastic about the efforts taken thus far. He has looked into available means that might be available to us in the future. I found Joe to be very interested in the issues that face us and he demonstrated a willingness to help us in any capacity.
Meeting with Representative Brittany Pettersen
I met with Representative Pettersen in her D.C. office on Monday, November 27th. Brittany and her staff, like Joe Neguse and his staff before, were very gracious hosts. We discussed a number of solutions to noise from RMMA and how the solutions undertaken have been beneficial not only to Superior residents, but also to constituents in her district in the areas of Westminster contiguous to the airport.
Brittany was pleased to know that the Voluntary Nighttime Flight paths were working and offering some relief to the residents in her district. I brought her up to speed with our efforts to implement potential adjustments to the daytime T&G flight paths that could allow airplanes to turn after the Town of Superior, thus reducing the noise in our skies during busy periods of the day.
We discussed the opportunities that lengthening the southern runways could provide. She was optimistic that operations towards Westminster could benefit form earlier take offs and planes climbing to higher altitudes before entering the airspace above her residents.
As with Representative Neguse, Representative Pettersen was very optimistic about our efforts and was willing to support our undertakings in any way she can.
The Nighttime Flight Paths that move flight traffic away from Rock Creek and communities in Broomfield and Westminster, while voluntary, are working. We predicted a 17% compliance rate at rollout on September 19th, and were cautiously optimistic to hopefully get to 50% overall. Now, nearly three months later, we are at an overall compliance of 36% with a compliance rate of 56% since October 13th. These things take time, change takes time and any number higher than 17% means that it’s moving in the right direction. Slowly, yes, but its working and will continue to improve.
Copyright © 2023 Jason Serbu, Trustee for the Town of Superior - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.