Community Advocacy for Quiet Skies | Summary of recent Stakeholder meeting with Dallas Aviation Officers.

On February 8, 2024 Department of Aviation met with citizens to discuss updates coming to the Voluntary Noise Program.

Last year, citizen groups fought to get changes to the program made. You can find more information on past actions, meetings and history at DallNoise.com

The 13 approved recommendations from the Dallas Department of Aviation's (DOA) Revised Voluntary Noise Program (VNP) aim to address community concerns about noise from Dallas Love Field Airport. These recommendations reflect the collective input from stakeholders and demonstrate a commitment to mitigating noise impact. Here's a breakdown of the approved recommendations:

1. Voluntary Noise Curfew: Include a voluntary noise curfew at Love Field, precluding the scheduling of passenger airline flights between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. This extends the existing curfew agreements to all aircraft operating at the airport.

2. Regular Communication: The DOA will regularly remind operators of the VNP through various outreach efforts, including meetings, noise brochures at Fixed Based Operators (FBO), and the WhisperTrack planning resource.

3. Improved Stakeholder Communications: Enhance public-facing website updates on ongoing projects and engage in discussions about air mobility services and other technologies at local, state, and federal levels.

4. TRINITY Departure Procedure: Convert the TRINITY Departure into an Area-Navigation (RNAV) departure procedure, in discussion with the FAA and subject matter experts.

5. New Departure Procedure for Runway 13L/31R: Establish a departure procedure similar to TRINITY for Runway 13L/31R, involving a study by consultants and discussions with air carriers and aircraft operators.

6. Noise Abatement Departure Profile Study: Conduct a study to identify the most beneficial Noise Abatement Departure Profile (NADP) and evaluate the implementation of an Optimized Profile Descent.

7. Sound Insulation Program City Resource: Establish a city resource for a sound insulation program, providing an alternative to the Part 150 Study and allowing more control over the process.

8. Sound Insulation Eligibility Study: Conduct a detailed study to determine eligibility for residential, educational, health, and religious structures at or above the 65 DNL noise contour for sound insulation.

9. Noise Barrier Study: Assess the construction of a noise barrier between Denton Ave. and Dallas Love Field for its effectiveness.

10. Develop New DNL Contours: Use 2023 data to develop new Day-Night Average Sound Level (DNL) contours, updating the noise impact assessment.

11. Reverse Thrust Limitation: Add provisional limitations on the use of reverse thrust, dependent on weather and safety conditions, requiring discussions with aircraft operators for feasibility.

12. Quieter Aircraft Models: Encourage air carriers and aircraft operators to use quieter aircraft models, like Boeing’s MAXs or Airbus’ NEOs, during quiet hours.

13. Improve Noise & Operations Monitor System (NOMS): Enhance NOMS with additional technology/software and reporting capabilities, in consultation with noise stakeholders.
    

These recommendations showcase a proactive approach to noise mitigation and community engagement. By implementing these measures, the Dallas Department of Aviation aims to reduce the noise impact on surrounding communities while maintaining operational efficiency at Love Field Airport.