MONITORING AIRCRAFT NOISE LEVELS TO THE SIDE OF FLIGHT PATHS

Assessment of aircraft noise levels near to the main flight paths has been successfully implemented at many airports and a good indication of the aircraft noise levels at those locations is obtained. Monitoring of aircraft noise levels away from the main flight paths is sometimes required to meet community demands and is more challenging as the aircraft noise may not be clearly defined above the background noise level in the area. This paper reviews the recommendations for monitoring aircraft noise in such 'acoustically unfavourable' locations with particular reference to the findings from analysis of data from such a placement. The outcomes indicate that more sophisticated analysis is required for such placements to achieve a fair and accurate assessment of the aircraft noise levels.