A study of how to reduce the impact of airplanes on Fairfax and nearby communities has found that it would help to have fewer planes flying over Fairfax and nearby communities.
Two years after getting hired to identify strategies to reduce the noise impact from Reagan National Airport (DCA) on nearby localities, the consultant Vianair has reported back with findings that basically mirror what local governments have been saying for years.
The bottom line is: noise can be reduced with a combination of moving departing aircraft more toward the center of the Potomac River where possible and spreading out the impact over areas along the shore.
“The recommendations include moving the departing aircraft towards the center of the Potomac River where possible, moving arriving aircraft over less populated areas and over the Potomac River where possible in accordance with the design philosophy,” the report said in its executive summary.
The study faults the Federal Aviation Administration’s “Metroplex” project at DCA for streamlining flights along specific, concentrated routes — exponentially increasing the noise affecting communities beneath those routes.
The designs proposed by Vianair would move approximately 43% of the westbound aircraft departing Runway 19 closer to the center of the Potomac River.
Its changes would shift flights that currently pass over Hybla Valley and Lorton toward less densely populated parts of southern Fairfax County, like a creek bed, the edge of Fort Belvoir, and the Mason Neck area.
In general, the report calls for aircraft to “overfly the Potomac River as much as possible.”
The study includes a design philosophy aimed at providing goals that can transcend “what’s the effect on my house,” anecdotal concerns.
“We can’t define success on a ‘my house’ level, this has to have a regional approach,” Jim Allerdice, a director at Vianair, told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors during a land use policy committee meeting on June 17.
When developing its recommendations, Vianair’s priorities were:
- Maximize flight paths over the center of the Potomac River and “compatible” areas, including industrial areas, major highways, utility corridors, etc.
- Maximize altitude – Use Optimized Profile Descent to reduce noise over noise-sensitive areas.
- Increase track variability – Reduce concentration over noise-sensitive areas.
- Avoid disproportionate impact to any single entity (county, city, town, neighborhood, etc.).
- Minimize overhead flights of noise sensitive areas (schools, hospitals, churches, historic sites, parks, etc.).
Now, leaders from Fairfax County and other localities face the task of not only getting support from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), but from local residents who might see more flights over their homes to alleviate the impact on neighbors.
“It would be great at some point to get MWAA to support this,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay. “We’re not pushing for any more capacity, [we’re] trying to steer more traffic into Dulles, if anything.”
Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck said it may be difficult to convince residents who aren’t currently affected by airplane noise to accept discomfort to benefit others. Storck also noted that he currently lives in a flight path and hears planes typically around midnight and 1 a.m.
“We have a big challenge with this,” Storck said. “In general, I think the community will be supportive. I know there are impacts from some of the areas and some individuals who may not perceive that they should have any additional flights over their neighborhood.”
The design team is currently reviewing public input and finalizing recommendations before submitting the plans to the FAA sometime in late summer or fall.
