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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 10051993 - 1.18 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM: J. MICHAEL WALFORD, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR DATE: OCTOBER 5, 1993 SUBJECT: Buchanan Field Airport Semi-Annual Noise Complaint Report SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) &BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION I. Recommended Action: ACCEPT the attached report from the Public Works Director relating to noise complaint activity at Buchanan Field Airport. II. Financiallmpact: None III. Reasons for Recommendations and Background: The attached report summarized the noise complaint activity and community concerns regarding Buchanan Field Airport aircraft activity. It includes a caller analysis, complaints by type of aircraft analysis, and staff follow up procedures. Continued on Attachment: SIGNATURE: _RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON an APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS UNANIMOUS (ABSENT ) AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of JMW:rs an action taken and entered on the minutes of the c:5.t10 Board of Supervisors on the date shown.ATTESTED: nrT PHIL BATCHEMA,Clerk of the Board Orig Div: Airport (Contact-H. Wight (510),646-5722) of Supervisors and County Administrator cc: County Administrator Public Works Director Public Works Accounting By '` deputy Auditor/Controller (via A/P) Aviation Advisory Committee (via A/P) Federal Aviation Administration (via A/P) BUCHANAN FIELD AIRPORT SEMI-ANNUAL NOISE COMPLAINT REPORT The purpose of this report is to summarize community concerns regarding Buchanan Field Airport aircraft operations for the period January 1, 1993 through June 30, 1993. Factors which appeared to influence the number of complaints were reviewed to categorize concerns expressed by some airport neighbors. For the complaint analysis, a description of these factors, including a complaint time of day, type of aircraft, and activity involved which may have contributed to the number and nature of complaints were reviewed. Current and proposed complaint mitigation efforts to revalidate the airport good neighbor policy are also addressed in this report. Complaints relating to other types of aircraft which use Buchanan Field Airport continue to decline crediting pilot cooperation with out aggressive noise management program. COMPLAINT ANALYSIS During this reporting period, the Manager of Airports recorded 904 complaints regarding aircraft activities. 485, or more than half, of the 904 complaints were phoned in by one person. Not all of the complaints responded to were necessarily associated with Buchanan Field operations. Some of these operations were from Concord Naval Weapons Station, traffic watch helicopters, Byron airport, and other aircraft transitioning the area. Most complaints result from.neighbors who live fairly close to the airport, under or near the busy airport traffic pattern. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published reports, Buchanan Field Airport ranks 39th busiest in the nation, in terms of airport operations, of 401 airports with FAA-operated towers.l Most complaints resulted from helicopter training operations. Some airport neighbors disturbed by helicopter over flights indicated that they didn't like the noise and had some safety concerns. In response to community concerns, the Board of Supervisors has directed County staff and solicited help from others to identify possible remote sites for helicopter training activities. More details of this effort are addressed later in this report. There are also a number of other airport neighbors annoyed by other type of aircraft operating out of Buchanan Field. TIME OF COMPLAINT Most complaints are grouped by time of day into categories of DAY(7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.), EVENING(7:00 p.m, - 10:00 p.m.), and NIGHT (10:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m.). The vast majority , 86%, of all aircraft complaints originated during daytime, 2% evening, and 1% nighttime hours. The remaining 11% were from the category , ALL TIMES. Nearly all of the complaints in this category identified one caller who complained that the helicopters were bothersome almost all of the time. TYPE OF AIRCRAFT Of the complaints received in which the type of aircraft was identified, approximately 84% of all complaints recorded during this period were regarding helicopter operations. 8% were on small 2-4 seat single engine airplanes, followed by 4% jet related complaints. Less than 1% were multi-engine airplanes. Some airport neighbors may perceive that all types of aircraft are bothersome. This accounted for 3% of the complaints. TYPE OF ACTIVITY During this reporting period, there were 117,576 aircraft operations2, and 410 complaints (Less the one caller who contributed 485 complaints). This equates to about 287 operations per complaint. Of the operations, more than 60% involve light airplanes, 35 % helicopters, and less than 5%jet aircraft. Buchanan Field Airport is home to over 600 aircraft. There are four businesses that offer flight training, and at least ten flying clubs and organizations, some of which offer flight instruction. 1U. S. Department of Transportation,FAA Air Traffic Activity Report,FY 1992. 20ne operation is a departure or an arrival. A touch-and-go is two operations. + to TYPE OF COMPLAINT The general perception frequently expressed by neighbors who complain about airport operations is that the aircraft are, "TOO LOW," "TOO NOISY," or a combination of perceptions usually triggered by noise. For example, a complainant may offer that "...since it is too noisy, it must also be too low." This type of complaint would be logged as NOISE AND LOWFLYING. Other type of complaints are grouped into categories of TOO MANY AIRCRAFT, RECKLESS FLYING,,AND "OTHER." Substantiated claims of identified low flying and/or reckless flying aircraft are appropriately referred to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for investigation. The FAA is the agency with regulatory authority over aircraft in flight. The County's control over aircraft in flight is limited. COMPLAINT MITIGATION CURRENT During normal business hours, County staff records noise complaints, via the Noise Compliant Hotline. During non-business hours, or when Staff is unavailable, complaints are more likely to be recorded on an answering machine for later investigative follow-up actions. The airport recently took delivery and acceptance of a sophisticated airport noise monitoring system, which cost almost $500,000. This management tool will assist the County to respond to noise complaints. It consists of 8 permanent noise monitors, 1 portable monitor, along with hardware and software to generate various noise level reporting and mapping functions that comply with the California Airport Noise Regulations.3 The system allows for the correlation of noise level information with aircraft ownership and complaints. It also includes a data base of callers and a graphical geocoded mapping system for viewing complaints and noise monitoring sites simultaneously. PROPOSED As indicated earlier in this report, the Board of Supervisors have been responding to the helicopter issue since'1989, when complaints regarding helicopter over flights began to increase. The best acceptable solution appears to be to identify an off-airport remote site for helicopter flight training. The helicopters would remain based at Buchanan Field, commute to the nearby training pads and return to the airport, avoiding residential areas. Although there would still be a certain amount of helicopter over flights utilizing the existing helicopter flight pattern, the repetitive touch and go operations would be moved. In recent weeks, a joint committee made up of users and citizens around the area has been hosted by the Concord Chamber of Commerce and the Aviation Advisory Committee. The committee has been studying all possible sites and alternatives. A status report was made to the Board of Supervisors on September 21, 1993, 3CCR Title 21, Subchapter 6 2