January 25, 2008 ►
Fed Up with Jet Noise, Couple Raise Roof "Fed Up" Article
December 17, 2007 ►
Senate Appears to Have Overcome Stumbling Blocks to FAA Reauthorization FAA Reauthorization Article
October 24, 2007 ►
NOISE Executive Director, Dennis McGrann, testified before the
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Subcommittee on Aviation. Read
the opening statement of Committee Chair James Oberstar.
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Press Release
September 19, 2007 ►
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announces
a $3 million plan to partner with GE on research into the potential use of
crop oils as alternative fuels for aircraft.
GAO, "GE Partners with DARPA for New Fuel Research"
September 17, 2007 ►
The National Petroleum Council recently released a
report commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy on ways to "go green."
As worldwide demand for jet fuel continues to grow, research into alternative
fuels for aircraft has taken off.
Aviation Week, "Alternative Fuels for Jet Engines"
August 28, 2007 ►
USA Today highlights UPS's use of new
technologies for air traffic control and operations.
UPS Captain Bob Hilb was a featured presenter at the
2005 NOISE Conference and
Aviation Noise Symposium where he discussed the freight
carrier's implementation of Continuous Descent Approach, the arrival
method described in the article. The paper details
technologies and procedures that offer several benefits for
communities, airports and operators, including less noise creation,
greater pilot awareness of area traffic, less fuel burn, and
increased airport/runway efficiency.
USA Today, "Airport radar soon a blip in history"
July 26, 2007 ►
Implementation of the airspace redesign near New
York City has been cleared to proceed by the U.S. Congress. An
amendment that would have delayed the changes until quality of life
issues were studied and addressed was overwhelmingly defeated during
debate on the FY2008 transportation funding bill.
Greenwich Time, "Flight paths face renewed fight"
July 25, 2007 ►
Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands
is studying alternative "green" aircraft design - including "flying
saucers" - to reduce emissions and noise from commercial airlines.
LiveScience, "Flying Saucer Designed for Greener Air Travel"
June 11, 2007 ►
"Performance-based navigation", a capability that will be available
across the country with the proposed NextGen air traffic control (ATC)
system, can help to reduce noise, fuel-burn and aircraft emissions,
improve airport efficiency, and boost safety for the traveling
public.
Boston Globe, "Friendlier skies for airlines, airports"
June 13, 2007 ► The
FAA today released a draft five-year "flight plan"
outlining the agency's goals through 2012. The document calls
for an, "overhaul [of] our aviation system," including the
implementation of the NextGen air traffic control system, increasing
capacity and reducing environmental impact. A timetable of key
goals is on the 5th page of the document; environmental goals and
initiatives are discussed on pages 23-24. Reduced noise
exposure is a stated benefit of many of the proposed practices and
initiatives.
Draft FAA 2008-2012 Flight Plan
May 9, 2007 ►
American,
Delta, and
Southwest Airlines have
recently committed to significant investments to update their
aircraft and operations to use "required
navigation performance" (RNP). Southwest plans to upgrade
their entire fleet, while American and Delta expect to make the
improvements in about 70%-75% of their planes. RNP-enabled
aircraft use flight management systems and GPS to fly very precise
approaches into certain airports and can result in benefits
including noise reduction, lower fuel consumption and emissions,
safer operations at night and in poor weather, and improved airport
efficiency.
Aviation Week, "Major Carriers Commit To RNP Upgrade Investment"
►
The Seattle Times looks at
an implementation of tailored approach and how it may be used to
improve air traffic efficiency in the United States. The
article focuses on a recent 757 test landing at a very remote and
inaccessible airport in the Tibetan Himalyas.
Seattle Times, "Kent company bringing a navigation revolution"
October 20, 2006
►
The Philadelphia Inquirer
reports that Delaware County, PA officials are contesting changes
proposed to Philadelphia International Airport flight paths.
The concerns expressed by the County Council Chair during a recent
hearing in Washington include provided inadequate notice for
hearings on the FAA's draft environmental impact statement, the
distribution misleading noise data, and dividing the airport
expansion into three projects to obscure its cumulative effect.
Philadelphia Inquirer, "Delco urges FAA to ditch flight plan"
October 17, 2006
►
The San Jose Mercury News reports on research into "Tailored Arrivals", in which air traffic control
computers calculate an ideal descent pattern which is then flown on
autopilot. Because the process economizes the use of spoilers, flaps
and landing gear, researchers say the procedure will result in
cleaner, quieter and more fuel-efficient landings. Tailored
arrivals are currently being tested at the
San Francisco
International Airport and other locations around the world. San Jose Mercury News, "As jetliners descend, so will their volume" Illustration of procedure
►
The New York Times reports on a recent study which
suggests that the
Airbus A380 superjumbo jet could worsen congestion
at major airports. The study indicates that the wake vortex
created by the A380 may remain dangerous for 2-3 minutes longer than
turbulence caused by jets currently in operation.
The New York Times, "Study Says Airbus Super Jet Poses Airport
Traffic Problem"
September 28, 2006
►
According to USA Today, cuts in
NASA aeronautics
research funds will have ripple effects across the industry,
including delaying the implementation of a next-generation air
traffic control system. The paper credits
Congressman Mark
Udall (D-CO) as a leader in efforts to restore funding for NASA
research programs.
USA TODAY, "Big cuts at NASA threaten aviation"
► The New York Times reports today on another "air
taxi" startup company,
Magnum Jet. Magnum Jet plans to begin offering service in
early 2007, initially in Texas and the Southwest. Magnum has
placed orders for 50 of
Adam Aircraft's
A700 AdamJet, one of two Very Light Jet (VLJ) models set to
enter service soon. Magnum Jet indicates that it will expand
its fleet to include the
Embraer
Phenom 100 when it becomes available (early 2009.) New
York Times, "Big Battle in Small-Jet Skies"
► The "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" (PBS)
provides a detailed examination of several issues relating to the
introduction of Very Light Jets (VLJ), including air traffic control
congestion. The article also cites a
NASA estimate of 20,000 VLJs in service by 2010, significantly higher than estimates made by
the FAA and other stakeholders.
NewsHour Extra, "Micro Jets Debut in U.S. Airspace"
July 27, 2006
► The Associated Press reports on the rush to develop Very Light Jets
(VLJ), as well as upcoming FAA certification of the aircraft type.
The FAA officially predicts that 4,500 VLJs will enter service in
the next ten years, operating from runways as shorts as 3,000 feet.
AP (via Eclipse Aviation), "FAA Clearing the Way for Mini Jets"
► USA Today reports that demand is rising from airlines for
winglets, upturned extensions of airplane wings which help to reduce
drag, improve fuel efficiency and reduce takeoff noise.
USA Today, "Get Used to Seeing Turned-up Wing Tips"
Pratt Kit Provides A Quieter
Approach
Enable Its Engines On MD-80 Jets To Meet New Noise Rules
By PAUL MARKS
Hartford [CT]
Courant Staff Writer
Pratt & Whitney has won federal approval to sell an $850,000
noise-reduction kit designed to bring
MD-80 jetliners into
compliance with new federal noise standards.
The QuietEagle kit is designed for Pratt-made JT8D-200 engines,
which power more than 1,000 MD-80s around the world, company
officials said.
The Federal Aviation Administration and its European counterpart
began enforcing stricter noise standards on Jan. 1, but only new
planes are required to comply.
The so-called
Stage 4 standard requires planes entering service
to be at least 10 decibels quieter than planes operating under
the old Stage 3 standard adopted on Jan. 1, 2000.
Pratt, the East Hartford-based division of United Technologies
Corp., has not yet landed an initial customer for the QuietEagle,
said Bill Boll, JT8D installation manager.
He said the company expects to sell the noise-reduction system
to airlines with large fleets of MD-80s.
Those include American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, the Italian
airline Alitalia and the Swedish airline Scandinavian Air
System.
Certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency is expected
soon, Boll said. Europe is seen as particularly fertile
territory for sale of the noise-reduction system, he said,
because major airports in London, Copenhagen, Frankfurt and
other cities impose penalties in the form of stepped-up landing
fees on jetliners that exceed noise limits.
During late-night hours, Boll said, some European airports might
even force an inbound jetliner to divert to another landing site
if it exceeds noise limits.
The $850,000 price tag for the QuietEagle system covers noise
reduction for both of the engines on one of the midsize
airliners, which usually seat 143.
Unlike the transition to Stage 3 noise standards six years ago,
when airlines were forced to install "hush kits" on every engine
in service, the Stage 4 standard does not require retrofitting
of aircraft already certified to fly, Boll said.
But meeting that standard will be necessary if a plane is sold
to a new owner. Installing noise reduction on the JT8D-200 would
then extend the useful life of the engine, which can run for 30
years or more with proper maintenance, Boll said.
The engine, which entered service in 1980 and was manufactured
through 1997, is the exclusive powerplant for the popular MD-80
series aircraft. Pratt has sold more than 2,900 of the engines.
The QuietEagle system treats inlet and exhaust air to reduce
noise levels by as much as six decibels, said Kimberley
Sullivan, JT8D program manager at Pratt, although that margin
varies, depending on the takeoff weight and engine configuration
of the specific aircraft.
"As more and more European Union countries and airports
implement more stringent noise restrictions that result in
landing charges for the MD-80, we have a solution," she said.
Typically, installation can be done without removing the engines
from the aircraft.
To market the QuietEagle system - whose name refers to the Eagle
emblem used on Pratt's engines since 1925 - the company has
formed a partnership with Aviation Fleet Solutions of Renton,
Wash.
That company, formed in 2003, specializes in jet engine noise
control and had independently begun developing a noise-reduction
system for the JT8D-200.
Kevin Bartelson, president of the Washington company, said
engineers from Aviation Fleet Solutions and Pratt flight-tested
various configurations of the noise-control system, and some of
his company's innovations were incorporated.
Although the market for QuietEagle is limited initially,
Bartelson said he thinks sales will be driven by increasingly
strict airport noise standards.
"We feel ... that MD-80s will need to eventually meet these
requirements as airports, communities and regulators will
continue to increase noise fees and restrictions for non-Stage 4
or Chapter 4 aircraft. Eventually, we expect many airports will
not allow [such] aircraft to land at their locations - period."
He said that in time he expects some kind of noise control to be
installed on more than half of the 1,000-plus MD-80s now in
service worldwide.
April 24, 2006
► The Wall Street Journal reports on
DayJet, one of the first "air
taxi" services in the country. The company plans to begin
service in late 2006 to several cities in the Southeast with very
light jets, or "microjets". The five-seat jets are capable of
operating at many airports which currently have no regular passenger
service.
Wall Street Journal, "DayJet to Launch Flying Taxis To Small Cities
in the Southeast" (pdf)
This document was last updated:
Monday, June 09, 2008 07:47 AM
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