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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 10101989 - 1.13 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM: J. MICHAEL WALFORD, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR DATE: OCTOBER 10, 1989 SUBJECT: SIX MONTHNOISE REPORT FROM BUCHANAN FIELD AIRPORT Specific Request(s) or Recommendation(s) & Background & Justification RECOMMENDED ACTION: ACCEPT the attached Six Month Noise Report from the Public Works Director relating to noise monitoring activity at Buchanan Field Airport. FINANCIAL IMPACT: NONE REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION/BACKGROUND: The attached report, BUCHANAN FIELD AIRPORT . SIX MONTH NOISE COMPLAINT REPORT, summarizes the noise complaint activity from January 1989 through June 1989 . It summarizes complaint type, location, number and type of aircraft, as well as includes a caller analysis profile. Y � .Cont'd on attachment: yes Signature: Recommendation of County Administrator Recommendation of Board Committee Approve Other': Signature(s) : Action of Board on: OCT 10 1989 Approved as Recommended__ Other Vote of Supervisors: I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN X Unanimous (Absent ) ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON THE Ayes: Noes: MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF ,Absent: Abstain: SUPERVISORS ON DATE SHOWN. Orig. Div. Public Works - AP Attested OCT .1 0 1989 cc: County Administrator Phil Batchelor, Clerk of the County Counsel Board of Supervisors Aviation Advisory Com. and County Administrator Deputy Clerk HEW:dg 6monois.bo BUCHANAN FIELD AIRPORT SIX MONTH NOISE COMPLAINT REPORT This report summarizes the noise complaint activity for the first six months of 1989, by complaint type, location, number and type of aircraft as well as include a caller analysis profile. The Board of Supervisors has implemented several noise abatement policies aimed at lessening the Buchanan Field's impact on surrounding communities. They instituted a Preferential Runway Use Program, restricted aircraft from using certain runways, established operational procedures, placed a curfew for training activity and prohibited noisy aircraft. More importantly, they commissioned an extensive Part 150 Noise Compatibility Program to measure noise and to identify actions the airport could take to reduce this noise. Upon FAA approval, this study will allow the airport to apply for federal funding for noise mitigation projects. The airport will apply for federal funding for noise monitoring equipment in January 1990. This equipment will measure single event noise occurrences to monitor conformance with airport Noise Abatement Procedures as well as monitor actual community noise levels. The system will also assist with identification of aircraft causing disturbances. We expect implementation in early 1991. NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS Until this year, complaints have steadily increased. The first six months of 1989 show a reduction in overall noise complaints. The reason for this decline can be partially attributed to the adoption of the new Noise Ordinance which restricts certain jet aircraft and the cooperation of FAA Tower personnel with Noise Abatement Procedures, 500TOTAL COMPLAINTS (Jan - June) 436 400 400-- 342 300 200 112 100-- 0_1 1986 1987 1988 1989 YEAR TYPE OF COMPLAINT The most common disturbance reported was the combined category of "Noise and Low Flying." This category is further divided into "Noise" and "Low Flying Aircraft." The remaining types of disturbances cited are "Reckless Flying," "Too Many Aircraft" and "Other." The combined category of "Noise and Low Flying" complaints comprised over 40 percent of complaints and the singular category of "Noise" followed with 34 percent. The third most common reason for initiating a call to the airport was "Low Flying" with 17 percent. Part of the Noise and Low Flying Aircraft complaints can be attributed to training activity. The airport will address this problem by encouraging the use of an alternate runway which will place aircraft over more compatible land areas. When Runways 19 are in use, the airport will make a considerable effort to encourage pilots to request the use of Runway 19L for training patterns. For pilots of high performance single-engine aircraft, it will encourage propeller management techniques that lessen the noise impact. Both of these efforts are elements of the airport's Pilot Awareness Campaign. TYPE OF COMPLAINT 180- 160- 140- 20 80160140120 100-- 80-- 60-- 40-- 20 0080604020 0 NOISE LOW FLYING NOISE and LOU RECKLESS TOO MANY OTHER FLYING FLYING AIRCRAFT LOCATION OF COMPLAINT Aircraft flying over Pleasant Hill generated the majority of complaints with 63.4 percent of total calls. Aircraft flying over Concord attributed 17.2 percent; Martinez, 10.6 percent; and Pacheco, 8.75 percent. Airport operations over Pleasant Hill have increased due to construction activity at the .airport. This construction will be completed - by September 1. This completion along with seasonal wind configurations should decrease aircraft activity over Pleasant Hill during the remainder of the year. COMPLAINTS BY LOCATION OTHER CONCORD PLEASANT HILL 5'75 16.Z5x ® CONCORD 59.75 MARTINEZ ® MARTINEZ 10.00x PACHECO ® PLEASANT HILL PACHECO ❑ OTHER O.ZSx TYPE OF AIRCRAFT CAUSING COMPLAINTS The graph on the following page shows complaints by type of aircraft and further breaks these categories into based aircraft and government aircraft. Affirming the trend of the last four years, jet aircraft continue to generate the largest number of complaints. This category includes both corporate and USAir aircraft. (The graph separates the two categories.) Even so, this number has decreased from last year's statistics by over five percent. USAir complaints for 1988 accounted for 23.5 percent of total complaints. This year the portion was 'reduced to 14 percent. Single engine aircraft produced the second highest number of complaints with almost 120 complaints. This correlates with the Airport's traffic mix of almost entirely single engine operations. The comparison with Based and Government aircraft verifies the notion that transient aircraft unfamiliar with our Noise Abatement Procedures cause the majority of noise disturbances. The airport plans to coordinate a mass mailout of our Noise Abatement Procedures Brochure to all Bay Area general aviation pilots. In addition notices will be posted at area airport information boards. 1Z0 COMPLAINTS BY AIRCRAFT TYPE 100 80 ®GOUT ® 60 BASED AIRCRAFT TOTAL COMPLAINTS 40-- z0__ 0 SINGLE MULTI JETS USAIR HELICOPTER Helicopters is the only category with a trend of increased complaints. The graph below depicts the number of complaints associated with he operations from 1986 to 1989. One probable reason for this increase is the establishment of Helicopter Adventures, Inc. which offers helicopter training. The training patterns for helicopters were established jointly by the FAA, airport management and helicopter operators in an area considered to be most compatible with fixed-wing traffic. The frequency of the training operations are considered to be a problem to nearby residents. The airport management is considering other alternatives such as a possible off-airport site. HELICOPTER ACTIVITY 80 79 70- C Q 60- M 0 M P 50- L A 40 I - N 30- T 18 5 20- 10 0 1986 1987 190U - 1909 YEAR CALLER ANALYSIS Of the 400 complaints the airport received, 51 percent were generated by ten individual households. One time callers contributed 21 percent; and all other callers produced the remaining 28 percent. ONE TIME CALLERS TOP TEN HOUSEHOLDS 21.00% 51.00% ALL OTHER HOUSEHOLDS 28.00%