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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1976-07-27-GHTF-min.pdf GOVERNOR 'S HANSCOM TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES July 27, 1976 Room G-15 , Lexington Town Office Building MEMBERS PRESENT Chairman R Langdon Wales , Lincoln Representative Thomas P Callaghan , Massport Director of Community Affairs Representative Edward M Dickson, 38th Middlesex District Mike Goulian, Mass Aviation Trades Association Frederick L Hafer, Bedford Representative Maurice J Nolan, Raytheon, A I M ABSENT Representative Carol C Amick, 37th Middlesex District Senator Chester G Atkins , Middlesex and Worcester Districts Arthur Barnes , Norumbega Association Senator John W Bullock, 4th Middlesex District Michael W Christian, Massport Authority Board Representative Lincoln P Cole, Jr , 35th Middlesex District Representative Genevra R Counihan , 40th Middlesex District Allan F Kenney, Lexington Representative Senator Ronald C MacKenzie, 5th Middlesex District Major Donald G Rhoads , USAF Electronic Systems Division Evan Y Semerjian , Citizens ' Aviation Policy Association Jacquie Smith, League of Women Voters David E Stephens , Concord Representative Representative Robert A Vigneau, 34th Middlesex District MASSPORT Albert V Brett, Jr , Chief, Research and Analysis Tim Campbell , Staff assistant John W Coffey, Airport Manager Trainee Frank Hidinger, Hanscom Airport Manager STAFF Rita K Gilbert OTHERS PRESENT Peter P Gallinaro, Burlington Representative David Emerson, Mass Aviation Education Council Manfred P Friedman , Lexington Planning Board Bard S Crawford, Merriam Hill Association Vince Scarano, FAA Anthony Cinquegrana , FAA, Chief Bedford Tower Sam Maddox, Minute-Man Newspapers -2- The meeting was called to order at 7 45 p m NEW Chairman R Langdon Wales opened the meeting and introduced ATTENDEES Peter P Gallinaro who has been appointed by Burlington to attend the meetings of both the Task Force and the subcommittee on noise abatement David Emerson of Concord was introduced as a member of MAEC (Massachusetts Aviation Education Council) , a subdivision of the department of education He explained briefly the functioning of the MAEC It provides liaison with the Air Force ESD; promotes aviation education in the secondary schools, sponsors career days , and is concerned with the broad spectrum of job opportunities , other than flying, within the aviation field MAEC's concern with problems of noise abate- ment is second to concern with the state's economy as affected by aviation Emerson, who is frankly pro-aviation, said he plans to attend future Task Force meetings and will be offering further views relating to the issues MASS AIRPORT Fred Hafer said he had been unable to get any current information NOISE BILL on the status of the Noise Bill , Representative Edward Dickson said that to date no bill had been filed Mike Goulian said he had learned from Lucie Searle that the bill would now specify more aviation representation on RANAC than it had previously Bard Crawford asked about the Task Force position on the bill ; it was included in a letter to Peter Metz on June 28 NOISE The main item of business was a review of noise abatement measures ABATEMENT already taken at Hanscom Field The Task Force Noise Abatement subcommittee had arranged for presentations by Frank Hidinger, airport manager, Anthony Cinquegrana tower chief and Mike Goulian , representing the operators AIRPORT Hafer introduced Frank Hidinger, who gave some background of MANAGER the problems of noise abatement and his efforts toward their solution He pointed out the multi-dimensional characteristics of air transportation and its therefore necessarily larger prob- lems , as compared with ground traffic He explained how vital the flight patterns are for safety and efficiency, further ex- plaining the relevancy of elevation to the other factors involved in flight take-off and landing With efforts toward noise abatement Hidinger cited that the previous limit of 800 ft altitude on inbound flights was now 1200 ft for piston engines and 1500 ft for jets on the downwind leg of the inbound flight On the outbound flight there was a recent change to have the plane reach 200 ft before it makes the turn over Concord Re- cently imposed limits stipulate that there be no "touch and go's" or practise instrument flights after 9 p.m The corporate planes are being asked to observe a no-flight period between 11 p.m and 7 a .m and Hidinger said the response had been cooperative As further efforts toward community comfort, Ridinger added that he had sent out maps like the one he was using to illustrate as he talked, showing the residential areas with the flight patterns and the runways superimposed over them, to nearby airports for posting He has had noise abatement restrictions published in the civilian and military pilots' information manuals He added that the military pilots are trained to approach at a lower angle than are civilian pilots , thereby being a larger cause of ground noise a CONTROL Anthony Cinquegrana, chief of the Hanscom Control Tower, said TOWER noise was second only to safety in importance The tower tries to keep all planes , while at lower altitudes for take-off or landing , within the borders of Rtes 128 and 2, and require planes taking off to hold runway heading to 2000 ft altitude before turning , except where there might be conflict with flight patterns out of Logan The tower can enforce this as they can interrogate planes ' altimeter readings directly He further stressed the need for dealing with both take-offs and landings in effecting any changes , in order to maintain a smooth flow of traffic which is vital to the airport's function OPERATORS Mike Goulian commented that in a comparison with other airports Hanscom Field would rate as a very quiet one, and commended Hidinger for the very effective efforts he has made to make it so He noted that the aviation community itself had been sensitive to noise problems for many years and had brought about many reforms to reduce ground-level annoyance Some of the steps he himself had been active in included setting the minimum for Logan-headed flights at 2000 ft in that sector of the 20 mile ring that includes Hanscom Field, to help separate lighter aircraft from the heavier equipped planes This ring is one part of a pattern that is somewhat like an inverted wedding cake , with ever smaller concentric circles toward the center, where each circle determines the altitude minimum for specific types of flights Goulian recommended three further measures Adding another taxi -way to 29 would permit earlier start of take-offs and reaching higher altitudes while still over Hanscom Field He also recommended requiring all 29 take-offs to be full length Wales noted that although adding another taxi-way was not in accord with the no-growth policy in effect, it should be considered if it offered some noise reduction Goulian said that getting planes to move faster in take-offs and landings would also be a step toward less noise at the ground level Manfred Friedman asked if the speed to the higher altitudes didn ' t mean greater engine push and therefore more noise, and the response was affirmative, but the higher noise level would be offset by being confined to a smaller area Goulian also suggested that jets be confined to 11 and 29 AVIATION AND Hidinger spoke of the adverse business climate which has been THE ECONOMY considered a factor in some industry leaving the area, Northern Electric for example He sees the need to be sensitive to the economic well-being of the area Sentry Insurance location in Concord depends on Hanscom Field Emerson noted that big busi- ness doesn 't get involved until the issue grows to large pro- portions , e g the proposed curfew at Logan, and by then it's often too late Goulian said he would like to see other facilities made available for large jets, and Hanscom kept as a general aviation airport He further suggested that S Weymouth airport could be developed as a reliever airport, serv- ing that area in the same way that Hanscom Field serves west of Boston Vince Scarano added that as soon as restrictions are imposed at one airport those restricted will go elsewhere; the problem simply shifts to another site, so that such limitations are not necessarily the best answer The area airports must be 9 considered as a system Maurice Nolan pointed out that many companies were located in the area because of accessibility to Hanscom Field and their needs should be of concern MASSPORT The subcommittee will develop a proposed Task Force response to NOISE Dick Mooney's proposal for a Hanscom Field Noise Abatement ABATEMENT Committee as part of its continuing work COMMITTEE MILITARY USE The question was asked as to how heavily the Air Force used Hanscom Field, and Hidinger said their traffic constituted about 200 operations a year Wales asked how a jet ban or weight limit would affect the military, and Hidinger said he didn' t think the military would be controlled by such restrictions If the military is not bound by restrictions then what is the value of evaluating the affect on the military of such restrictions They normally comply with the restrictions that are published for an airport Bard Crawford felt that the question needed an answer, and Wales agreed that he would send a letter of inquiry to the FAA legal department WEIGHT Crawford questioned the fact that he had noted a plane being QUESTION manufactured with a weight of 12,499, and wondered if the figure, just one pound short of 12,500 bore a relationship to airport conditions The reason given in response is that a plane weigh- ing 12,500 requires 2 pilots NEXT MEETING Wales set August 10 for the next meeting and plans to review the consultants ' revised scenarios for the Master Plan R Dixon Speas ' revised "Supplementary Report to the Master Plan for Hanscom Field" has been received by Massport who is sending copies directly to Task Force members Manfred Friedman ' s letter of July 2 posed several questions relative to the Master Plan and the Task Force role A copy of the letter is enclosed and discussion is on the agenda for the meeting The meeting was adjourned at 7 45 p.m Enclosures Letter to Peter Metz 6/28/76 from the Task Force Letter from Peter Metz 7/19/76 to the Task Force Letter from Manfred Friedman 7/2/76 to the Task Force AIM Report 6/3/76 on "Logan Airport Curfew Impact Survey Results (TF only) Clipping Sunday Globe 7/18 on Lexington plane crash (TF only) Clipping from "Transportation", "A Study of Attrition in the Domestic General Aviation Fleet" (TF only) Letter CPPA to Massoort 7 '3017A re VASI -5-