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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-10-23-HFAC-min Hanscom Field Advisory Commission Minutes October 23, 2007 Prepared by Massport Staff 1. Minutes: Hank Manz called the meeting to order. There were no substantive comments/corrections for the September Minutes. As requested by Richard Canale at the September meeting, Dorothy Steele provided two CDs of the Airport Layout Plan (ALP) and said she would deliver hard copies the next day. 2. 2006 Annual Noise Report: Sara Arnold presented the 2006 Annual Noise Report by summarizing key points. The following was discussed:  John Williams noted that some Hanscom pilots speculate that Hanscom is losing its market share of small aircraft activity to other airports. S. Arnold noted that a consultant for Hanscom’s Environmental Status and Planning Report (ESPR) found that the downward trend in small aircraft operations at Hanscom generally reflects the national experience. Other small airports do not collect the detailed data that Massport collects for Hanscom therefore, it would be difficult to know if Hanscom is losing its market share of small aircraft activity in the region without such historical data.  In response to questions/comments, S. Arnold explained that The military activity level is based on the FAA Tower count. The FAA o Tower is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Massport has a shift manager on duty between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. who is o responsible for collecting data on operations during that time period. EXP is based on the same principles used in developing the DNL (Day-Night o Noise Level) contours that are used at airports internationally. Massport produces DNL Contour maps every five years in the ESPR, while EXP is calculated monthly and annually. Massport produces Time Above (TA) contours every five years in the ESPR. o Some residential community members noted that TA is easier to understand and appears to more closely characterize the community experience than DNL contours.  J. Williams noted that the current 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. nighttime fee hours may not be consistent with today’s standard for regular business hours. He believes that pilots want to respect the nighttime fee hours by not flying during that time, but could do so more consistently if the hours ended at 6 or 6:30 a.m. Residential community members commented that towns have noise restrictions that are in place until 7 a.m.  S. Arnold noted that Hanscom has seen a doubling of jet activity in the last five to ten years, but o the Stage 2 jet operations have decreased 54% since 2000, resulting in a decrease in noise levels for the civilian component. Stage 2 jets are the older, noisier aircraft in the U.S. jet fleet. As a result of the Stage 2 decrease, civilian aircraft departure noise levels in 2006 were comparable to 1978, 1987 and 1996. Massport is an active member of Sound Initiative, a national organization that o is sponsoring federal legislation to phase out the use of Stage 1 and 2 aircraft in the United States.  Richard Canale noted that the noise levels being reported in the noise report are based on computer models. He said Tony Galaitsis, an acoustician who was a member of the Noise Working Group that met in the late 1990s, believes that the communities need a metric that takes the ambient noise levels into account. He theorized that a person who lives in an area with a low ambient noise level will be more impacted by a noise event than someone who lives in an area with a high ambient noise level and hears the same noise event. Therefore the metrics being presented do not reflect an individual person’s experience.  R. Canale commented that the data from the noise monitoring system include community noise as well as aircraft noise, making it difficult to understand the noise experience from aircraft. S. Arnold noted that the new noise monitoring system (which is still being implemented and tested) will be more advanced and an effort will be made to use them to differentiate aircraft noise from non-aircraft noise.  J. Williams said that when someone chooses to live at a certain location there are a variety of potential noise sources that may exist, and he doesn’t believe that the person is necessarily entitled to create limits on those noise sources. He said that Hanscom is an important transportation and economic resource for the region, and that needs to be considered in these discussions. 3. Community Concerns:  Hangar 24/ALP: R. Canale said that he would like to understand how Massport and the FAA envision Hangar 24 as it is depicted in the recently FAA-approved ALP. Dorothy Steele explained that the ALP reflects the information that is included in the 2005 ESPR. R. Canale asked to see copies of all communications between the FAA and Massport regarding the development of the ALP, including the approval letter that the FAA presumably sent Massport. He originally made this request to Michelle Ricci at the FAA who said that he needed to file a Freedom of Information Request (FOIA) to get this information from the FAA. She recommended he go to Massport first. D. Steele said that she will look into this request, suggesting that a FOIA request may not be necessary.  Nightime Landing Fee: Margaret Coppe asked about the status of the nighttime field use fee issue (AOPA has contacted the FAA and has objected to the fee being based on weight since it is a noise mitigation fee). M. Coppe is concerned that this issue will open up all of the “grandfathered” rules at Hanscom and suggested that HFAC invite the FAA to an HFAC meeting. R. Canale asked at what point Massport plans to seek advice from HFAC on this issue. D. Steele explained that the Massport Aviation Planning staff and the FAA are still discussing the matter, and once there is a plan, it will be presented to HFAC. 4. Monthly Noise Report / Capital Projects: S. Arnold presented the monthly noise report and reviewed the capital programs report. In response to questions, Massport staff reported:  Staff are preparing responses to comments triggered by the notice in the Environmental Monitor of the Memorandum of Understanding regarding Hangar 24.  Linear Air has not started using its Very Light Jets for its air taxi service at Hanscom. 5. Other: J. Williams noted the community’s concern about current and future changes in the fleet mix and discussed Massport’s recent increases in rates and charges. He expressed concern that these increases are driving the operators of small aircraft to other airports. He also reported that fuel at Hanscom is 20-30% higher than at other airports, including Logan, and that pilots of small aircraft rarely buy fuel at Hanscom. He commented that everyone loses economically when this happens, and it also affects the fleet mix at Hanscom. He suggested that the community may want to consider advocating for non-aviation related development that could support economic growth at the airport and address this community concern. He explained that 1) by bringing in more revenue for Hanscom, Massport would not need to keep increasing fees, which should result in a more palatable fleet mix because small aircraft operators would not be pushed out by high costs, and 2) members of the surrounding communities might use some of the services, such as a good restaurant. Jeanne Kreiger commented that Lexington is only interested in economic development that brings revenue into Lexington. H. Manz thanked J. Williams for his comment and suggested that this be an agenda item for the next HFAC meeting. In response to questions about Massport having any discussions with commercial or cargo carriers, D. Steele reported that the cargo carrier DHL is visiting New England airports and asked for a tour of Hanscom, which was provided. HANSCOM FIELD ADVISORY COMMISSION DATE: 10/23/07 HFAC MEMBER ATTENDEES CATEGORYNAMEIN ATTENDANCE ********************** Contiguous Towns (4) BedfordGordon Feltman Bedford Alt. ConcordAnne Shapiro Concord Alt.Charles Blair LexingtonHank ManzX Lexington Alt.Michael Barrett LincolnSara Mattes Lincoln Alt.Sarah Cannon-Holden Local Citizen Groups (2)********************** So. LexMargaret CoppeX No. LexGraydon WheatonX ********************** Area Wide Organizations (2) LWVMelodee Wagen LWV Alt. VACANT ********************** Other Area Towns (2) CarlisleSteve Lerner WalthamRep. Tom Stanley Waltham Alt.Michael Squillante Businesses Basing Acft at Hanscom (2)********************** VACANT RaytheonMichael Burke ********************** Aviation/Aviation Related Businesses (2) Jet AviationFrank Diglio Signature Flight SupportRick Blaze Signature Alt.Jim Phelps ********************** Business Aviation Organization (1) MBAAJohn WilliamsX NBAA (Alt. Org.)Ken Heider General Aviation Organization (1)********************** Hanscom Pilots AssociationThomas HirschX Ex-Officio Members********************** MassportSara ArnoldX MassportBarbara Patzner MassportCedric DanielX MassportDorothy SteeleX MassportTom Ennis HAFB FAABarry Morgan MMNHPNancy Nelson ***********************************************