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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-10-17-HFAC-min Hanscom Field Advisory Commission Minutes October 17, 2006 Prepared by Massport Staff 1.September Minutes: The September Minutes were accepted without corrections. 2.Tour: Hank Manz thanked Massport for the tour of the airfield and for food afterwards. He noted that attendance for the tour was lower than expected. 3.Monthly Noise Report: Sara Arnold presented the Monthly Noise Report. In response to questions, S. Arnold commented: a.Total operations to-date for 2006 indicate there will be a decrease for the year as compared to last year, but jet activity will increase. b.Time of day, type of aircraft and number of operations are all factors that determine noise levels for Hanscom Field noise reports. c.Hanscom staff count all noise disturbance reports and log them into the computer system. The noise office researches them and minimally determines if they are civilian or military. There is no method to correlate daytime complaints with type of aircraft, but it is expected that the new noise monitoring system will be able to provide additional information for most flights that cause disturbances. Depending on the frequency of calls from individual residents, the number of monthly noise complaints can vary considerably. 4.Annual Noise Report: S. Arnold presented the Annual Noise Report. Tom Hirsch commented that the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is concerned that student pilot numbers are down nationally; this is consistent with the decline in touch- and-go traffic at Hanscom. In response to a question regarding the number of helicopter operations used in the report, S. Arnold commented that helicopters are usually flown VFR, making it necessary to estimate the level of activity. Slight adjustments to the helicopter estimate will not change noise levels because jet activity is the main factor that drives noise levels. The purpose of the EXP noise model is to show changes in noise levels year-to-year. EXP was created in the 1980s in response to the community’s request for a mechanism to track noise. The methodology was created by Harris Miller Miller and Hanson (HMMH), a highly respected noise consultant, and HMMH reviews the data and report each year. S. Arnold noted that EXP calculations are based on the FAA’s Integrated Noise Model (INM). Tom Ennis said that the noise data that is collected at Hanscom is used in the Environmental Status and Planning Report (ESPR). He noted that both reports are highly professional and provide the communities with valuable information. In response to community questions, S. Arnold said that Massport’s two main recent initiatives to reduce noise are to more aggressively encourage nationwide sponsored fly friendly techniques and to support Sound Initiative, a national organization that is working to phase out Stage 2 aircraft nationally. 5.Hanscom Projects: S. Arnold reported that side-by-side testing of the new noise monitors is completed and the evaluation is being conducted. Installation of the monitors should begin in the near future. T. Ennis reported that Massport plans to file the 2005 ESPR in late November and will hold public comment meetings in January. He noted that copies will be distributed to the Commission as well as to HATS, community town halls and the town libraries. Gordon Feltman expressed community dissatisfaction with the MEPA process. T. Ennis noted that the ESPR is a planning document that many state agencies beyond Massport use for planning. T. Ennis reported that Massport plans to reissue the RFP for the development of the Hangar 24 site. In response to questions about the old t-hangars, T. Ennis noted that Massport would consider relocating that t-hangar area to the east ramp if there were third party development interest in that area. This is reviewed in the 2005 ESPR. The Commission asked Massport if there had been any discussions with new commercial carriers and/or cargo operators. D. Steele responded that there have not been any. 6.Other: H. Manz noted that as of late many questions at the meetings are coming from the aviation community. He thanked Massport, Barry Morgan and Tom Hirsch for their contributions to the tour. Barbara Patzner noted that Massport is willing to present a brief report on the New England Regional Airport Study Plan at a future HFAC meeting. Hank Manz agreed that this is a good idea. Massport will look into presenting the report at the next meeting, which is scheduled for November 21, 2006. HANSCOM FIELD ADVISORY COMMISSION DATE: 10/17/06 HFAC COMMISSIONER ATTENDEES CATEGORY NAME IN ATTENDANCE ********************** Contiguous Towns (4) Bedford Gordon Feltman X Bedford Alt. Mark Siegenthaler Concord Anne Shapiro Concord Alt. Charles Blair Lexington Hank Manz X Lexington Alt. Michael Barrett Lincoln Sara Mattes Lincoln Alt. Sarah Cannon-Holden ********************** Local Citizen Groups (2) So. Lex Margaret Coppe No. Lex Graydon Wheaton X ********************** Area Wide Organizations (2) LWV Melodee Wagen LWV Alt. VACANT ********************** Other Area Towns (2) Carlisle Steve Lerner Waltham Rep. Tom Stanley Waltham Alt. Michael Squillante ********************** Businesses Basing Acft at Hanscom (2) VACANT VACANT ********************** Aviation/Aviation Related Businesses (2) Jet Aviation Frank Diglio Signature Flight Support Rick Blaze X Signature Alt. Jim Phelps X ********************** Business Aviation Organization (1) MBAA John Williams NBAA (Alt. Org.) Ken Heider ********************** General Aviation Organization (1) Hanscom Pilots Association Thomas Hirsch X ********************** Commission Advisors Massport Sara Arnold X Massport Barbara Patzner X Massport Cedric Daniel X Massport Dorothy Steele X Massport Tom Ennis X HAFB FAA Barry Morgan X MMNHP Nancy Nelson