January 2021 MCQSC Update: Relief is In the Air! How much? TBD…
The skies above our neighborhoods are much quieter these days with airplane activity out of Reagan National Airport (DCA) down approximately 70 percent from pre-Covid levels, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). But that’s not the only reason for the decrease in airplane noise.
This summary includes information about:
● A recent noise-mitigating change to westerly departure tracks,
● Future work to attempt to mitigate noise from easterly departures, and
● An expected test of noise-mitigating procedures for approaches (arrivals).
Westerly Departures from DCA
As of Jan. 1, when airplanes depart from DCA to the north, the roughly 65 percent of flights heading to western and southern destinations are now being directed to fly over non-residential areas adjacent to the Potomac River rather than over Montgomery County residential communities. (See before and after maps below.) As we shared previously, these
changes should provide some noise relief to inland communities like Potomac and Carderock Springs. Parts of Cabin John could also benefit from this shift in the flight path. Our aviation consultant concluded that no community in Montgomery County should experience increased noise due to this change.
This procedure change is cause for celebration, as it is the first time the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has adjusted a flight path over Montgomery County to mitigate noise. It comes after more than five years of intense effort by the Montgomery County Quiet Skies Coalition and the DCA Community Noise Working Group (CWG).
Westerly Departures over Montgomery County on Dec. 7, 2020
New Flight Paths for Westerly Departures over Montgomery County on Jan. 2, 2021
Easterly Departures from DCA
Airplanes departing DCA over Montgomery County that are heading to northeast locations constitute about one-third of departures and are called “easterly departures.” For years, the FAA has told our members on the DCA Working Group that the airspace is very constrained in the areas over Brookmont, Mohican Hills, Glen Echo, Bannockburn and parts of Bethesda because it is bounded by flight paths for BWI and Dulles. Our consultant has verified this.
Nonetheless, the aviation consultant hired by Montgomery and Arlington counties in 2020 is exploring the feasibility of two flight paths for these departures instead of just the one, so that the noise burden could be shared more equitably. Realistically, publication of an additional easterly departure path, should one be identified, is at least two years away. MCQSC will provide updates on progress.
Approaches to DCA
Close to 40 percent of the time, DCA operates in what is called a south-flow configuration, meaning planes are landing at the airport from the north and departing to the south. For over four years, MCQSC and our DCA Working Group representatives have asked the FAA to either disperse approaches arriving in the south flow configuration or move the flight path over the Potomac River between the American Legion Bridge and the Maryland/D.C. line. The FAA has consistently maintained -- and our consultant has verified -- that given the existing metroplex design for all three airports (DCA, IAD and BWI) and a variety of other technical constraints, it isn’t operationally feasible to move the flight path to the Potomac River at this time.
It also has become clear that the FAA and the airline industry are loath to make changes to their decades-long, $35+ billion airspace modernization effort and investment in NextGen satellite-based technology. One of the byproducts of NextGen is the concentration of flights into narrow tracks for purported efficiencies such as lower air traffic controller workload, shorter flight times, and fuel savings. MCQSC leaders continue to work with other groups around the country to challenge these assumptions, which are currently embedded in federal legislation and regulations. In the meantime, we must focus on what we can do here and now to improve our situation.
Our immediate goal is to have the FAA test a new way of managing approaches from the north that would allow for some dispersion of aircraft over Montgomery County. Our aviation consultant, Jim Allerdice of abcx2, has used his extensive procedure design and operational experience to develop a proposal for the FAA to start a Terminal Arrival Area (TAA) Concept test for data collection purposes in spring 2021.
The Terminal Arrival Area (TAA) Concept Test
The TAA Concept test, if successful, is expected to result in a 20% or more reduction in the number of flights approaching DCA which fly the FERGI to DARIC segment over Montgomery County communities. In other words, if the test is successful, the TAA Concept will create some dispersion.
Here’s how it would work:
Step 1
●When the airspace is not too busy, air traffic controllers will verbally direct pilots “direct to DARIC,” resulting in an approximately 20% or more reduction in the number of flights which fly the FERGI to DARIC flight segment on approach, as opposed to the current situation where 100% of approaches fly the FERGI to DARIC segment.
●Sending some flights “direct to DARIC” will create some dispersion as illustrated in the map below. The test will last 180 days. The longer the test, the more comfortable controllers will become with “shortcutting” flights to DARIC and the better the resulting track variability is expected to be.
Under the TAA concept test, air traffic controllers will verbally direct flights to turn toward the DARIC way point, for their final approach to DCA. The blue lines represent the various ways planes might be told to pass over DARIC, resulting in some aircraft dispersion.
●Data will be collected throughout the period of the test in order to determine whether it has been successful.
●Success of the test will be determined by three factors: whether there is an increase in track variability (aka a decrease in track concentration), increased flexibility for Air Traffic Controllers, and maintenance of safety in the airspace.
Step 2
If the TAA Concept test is successful according to the measures mentioned above, sometime in the later half of 2021 or early in 2022, we expect that:
●Waypoint DARIC will be moved from the Maryland side of the Potomac River near Glen Echo to a location on the CIA property in Langley, VA.
●The practice of Air Traffic Controllers directing pilots off of the arrival flows early before they reach waypoint FERGI will become standardized in published FAA procedures.
●Flights will approach new DARIC (labelled DARIC-PCT on the map) from all directions, creating track variability.
●Aircraft should be better dispersed over Montgomery County, Fairfax County and the Potomac River as they approach waypoint DARIC-PCT, instead of having 100% of all approaches fly in a channelized manner over residential areas between FERGI and (old) DARIC.
TAA CONCEPT TEST
Note: Immediately south of (new) DARIC, discussions are underway to better center the track between residential areas on each side of the Potomac River. If the FAA agrees to this change,the flight track may shift slightly west which could lessen approach noise in the Brookmont neighborhood.
We believe the TAA Concept for approaching flights could lead to notable improvements for over 7 miles of Montgomery County neighborhoods. Nonetheless, Montgomery County will still have approaching flights, and things will not be the way they were pre-2015. We would not be on the verge of these improvements without the multi-year and steadfast commitment to this effort by Montgomery County Regional Director, Ken Hartman-Espada, Congressman Jamie Raskin, Senator Chris Van Hollen, and their brilliant and dedicated staffers. Also, the air traffic controllers in our area have worked in good faith with our consultant to try to help. If and when you have the opportunity, please thank them too!
Thank you all for your continuing support of our efforts, and Happy New Year 2021!!!
Your MCQSC Leadership Team,
Anne Hollander, Bill Noonan, Gretchen Gaston, Janelle Wright, Paul Janes, Susan Shipp