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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 02251992 - 1.36 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM: J. MICHAEL WALFORD, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR DATE: FEBRUARY,18, 1992 SUBJECT: ACCEPT OPERATIONS AND COMPLAINT ACTIVITY REPORT FOR BUCHANAN FIELD AIRPORT SPECIFIC REQUEST(g)OR RECOMMENDATIONS) &BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION I. Recommended Action: ACCEPT the attached 1991 Annual Operations and Complaint Action Report for Buchanan Field Airport which summarizes the noise complaint activity and community concerns regarding aircraft operations. This report summarizes complaints by type, time, and aircraft. Also included is a caller location analysis. H. Financial Impact None IH. Reasons for Recommendations and Background. The attached report,Annual Operations and Complaint Activity Report January -December, 1991, summarizes the noise complaint activity and community concerns regarding Buchanan Field Airport aircraft operations. It summarizes complaint type, location, type of aircraft, and caller analysis. ,i Continued on Attachment: SIGNATURE• _RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRAWR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON F R 1j92 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS V UNANIMOUS (ABSENT AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: i hereby Certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the TLW:rs Board of Supervisors on the date shown.g c:bo\18.t2 ATTESTED: FEB 2 5 1 92 PHIL BATCHELOR,Clerk of the Board Orig Div: Airports of Supervisors and County Administrator cc: County Administrator Public Works Director By �Q� rna^ ,Deputy Aviation Advisory Committee Federal Aviation Administration . • t 1991 ANNUAL OPERATTONS AND COMPLAINT ACTPIM REPORT The purpose of this report is to summarize community concerns regarding Buchanan Field Airport aircraft operations for the year 1991. This report further analyzes the nature of complaints by time and type of aircraft triggering the complaint. A caller location analysis is provided to offer perspective to the report. The total number of complaints regarding aircraft activity associated with Buchanan Field for the year 1991 fell to 687, a decrease of approximately 35% compared to the previous year. Several factors contributed to the decrease in the number of complaints, and include the following: ANNUAL OPERATIONS DECREASED The total number of annual operations during 1991 decreased 8% compared to 1990. According to Federal Aviation Administration reports, in terms of operations, Buchanan Field Airport ranked 41st busiest in the Nation and eighth busiest in the State of California. There are approximately 17,400 airports in the United States and 262 in California. The decrease in operations can be directly tied to the decline in the economy. Much of the activity at Buchanan Field is recreational or training related. END TO SCHEDULED AIR SERVICE There were 28 complaints, 4% of the total, during 1991 relating to scheduled air carrier operations, compared to 146 or 13% of the previous year. Between January 1 - March 1, there were 11 complaints on the British Aerospace 85-passenger jet flown by USAir. Primarily because of its size and visual impact, the general perception of the complainants were that the jet was "too low and too noisy". Between March 2 - May 1, this jet service was replaced by the DeHavilland Dash-8, a smaller,,quieter, 37-seat turbo prop aircraft, flown by StatesWest as USAir Express. During this time, there were ten complaints filed by four households. On May 2, StatesWest further downsized to a 19-seat turbo prop aircraft,while American Eagle introduced new scheduled commuter service, also utilizing a 19-seat aircraft. Between May 2 -December 31, 1991, there were a total of seven complaints regarding scheduled air service. INCREASED PILOT COOPERATION Airport staff began publishing and distributing monthly pilot newsletters. Each month, these well received newsletters provide current specific noise and safety information to over 700 pilots. In addition, she makes regular reports at monthly pilot meetings to keep them abreast of the latest issues and community concerns regarding aircraft noise. Local pilot clubs and flying organizations express continued interest in complying with recommended noise abatement procedures and operating their aircraft as quietly as possible. This effort demonstrates that responsible pilots can, and do, make a difference. IMPROVED COMMUNITY RELATIONS The entire airport staff and general aviation community has worked as a team to promote the airport's image, create good will, and improve relations with the surrounding community. Airport staff has become more responsive to community concerns, increased the availability of written'information in the form of newsletters, brochures, and pamphlets regarding aircraft and airport activity. Airport staff has also become more active in the surrounding community, speaks at service groups, and .homeowner association meetings. Flying clubs and pilot organizations have donated their time, energy, and resources to projects such as awarding scholarships, visiting classrooms, and participating in the Eagle Flight Program. The purpose of the Eagle Flight Program is to bring aviation and space resources to the classroom. Airport businesses finance the Eagle Flight Program, provide tours, and support the noise management program. NATURE OF COMPLAINTS BY TYPE, TIME, AND AIRCRAFT Type Time Aircraft 69% Noise 83% Day 42% Helicopter 16% Noise/Low Flying 8% Evening 21% Jet 9% Low Flying 9% Night 18% Single Engine 4% Too Many Aircraft 7% Multi Engine 2% "Other" 6% "Unknown" 5% All Types TYPE Most of the complaints in 1991 were concerning noise and/or low flying aircraft. During this time the question of"How noisy is it?" went unanswered. An acoustic consultant has since been retained to assist the airport staff in establishing design parameters for an Airport Noise Monitoring System (ANMS). The system will provide noise level data for individual aircraft overflights in addition to reporting hourly and daily noise levels. ANMS will allow correlation of measured noise levels with complaint records and locations in the affected communities. The system will include eight permanent monitoring sites plus one portable unit. "Other" type of complaints refer to misconceptions or misinformation regarding acceptable aircraft activities. Airport staff has endeavored to better educate the community of airport procedures. TIME The California Airport Noise Standards recognizes CNEL (Community Noise Equivalent Level) daytime hours as between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.; evening hours as between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.; and nighttime hours as between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. AIRCRAFT Helicopter activity contributed to approximately 25% of the total number of annual operations at Buchanan Field Airport during 1991. The largest percentage of complaints were regarding helicopter training overflights. Airport staff has been continually working with the helicopter operators, air traffic control, and other agencies to identify a new off- airport remote site for helicopter training activities. The site must be acceptable from safety, aeronautical, and environmental standpoints. Establishing a new site would keep the helicopters away from residential areas as much as possible, thus further reducing the total number of complaints. 63% of all complaints regarding helicopter training were made by two callers. Increased pilot awareness and participation with the recommended noise abatement procedures has helped to significantly reduce the number of complaints regarding single- engine operations. 38% of all complaints regarding single-engine aircraft operations were made by two callers. Complaints regarding jet and turbo prop activity is expected to continue to decline without scheduled air service. 53% of all complaints regarding jet and turbo prop operations were made by four callers. CALLER LOCATION ANALYSIS 55% of all complaints received in 1991 were made by 10 callers. PACHECO - 253 complaints/28 callers The area from which the greatest number of complaints received was Pacheco. 151 or 60% of the complaints from Pacheco were from one individual strongly opposed to any helicopter training activity. Another caller from the same general area also called frequently, irritated by helicopters. This area is fairly close to the airport and subject to overflights as helicopters follow the recommended training routes. Three callers made up approximately 81% of all complaints in Pacheco. PLEASANT HILL - 181 complaints/72 callers 40 complaints were received from one caller who does not want any aircraft activity in the area south of Sun Valley Mall.Approximately 34% of all complaints from Pleasant Hill were made by three callers, triggered primarily by jet noise. CONCORD - 163 complaints/46 callers A resident one and one half miles from the airport, contributed approximately 30% of all complaints from Concord residents. There was no specific pattern to these complaints, as they included all types of aircraft, including military operations not associated with Buchanan Field. Two other callers, approximately a quarter mile from the airport, lodged 20% all complaints, mostly on jet activity. Approximately 56% of all complaints from Concord residents were made by four callers. MARTINEZ - 72 complaints/27 callers 36% of all complaints were from one caller northwest of the airport. These complaints were usually called in on weekends, resulting from single engine aircraft departures off Runway 32 Left. The type of operation likely to trigger a complaint was if the pilot turned the aircraft crosswind prior to reaching the railroad tracks, to reach the pattern altitude of 1000 feet. OTHER This category (5% of the total) included complaints from the Byron area, military, and other operations not associated with Buchanan Field. COMPARISON OF TOTAL COMPLAINTS BETWEEN 1990 AND 1991 COMPLAINT 1990 1991 PERCENT TOTAL TOTAL 1990/1991 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . January 75 46 61.3% February 71 59 83.1% March 85 60 70.6% April 79 68 86.1% May 125 78 62.4% June 120 58 48.3% July 98 68 69.4% August 104 77 74.0% September 119 54 45.3% October 118 46 38.1% November 74 42 56.7% December 38 48 126.3% TOTAL 1106 704 63.70% ❑ 1990 COMPLAINTS 140 ® 1991 COMPLAINTS 120 100 80- 60 40 20- 0- 2�` 2:` Cr xn