Orange County NC Website
'. <br /> - �»��g <br /> ��� <br /> Mr. Matthews: <br /> The typical FAA approved traffic pattern altitude for small air- <br /> ports will bring an airplane in roughly half a mile off the side of <br /> the runway at an altitude, and this can be set by the airport owner; <br /> typically it's 800` above ground level. Some airports have chosen to <br /> raise that altitude to a 1000' to 1200''.. Primarily for noise. There <br /> are some airports that have a mix of high performance of jot traffic — <br /> lm, performance propeller' They'll put the props low and the jets high <br /> to separate them. <br /> The airplane typically would continue at this point about a half a <br /> mile off the center of the runway. Till it reaches a point roughly one <br /> half to three quarters nƒ a mile beyond the end of the runway at which <br /> point it would make a Q0v left turn and begin descending, it would actually <br /> begin descending at a point about udjooeot to the end of the runway. <br /> Na would begin a descent, torn another 90v left turn to line up with <br /> the runway, approximately 2500 to 3000` nut' At that point the airplane <br /> would be maybe 300' above ground level as it turned its final approach. <br /> The FAA specifies for all airports that a left torn pattern is standar& <br /> Which means essentially that in turning into a runway the airplane is <br /> always making a left turn; in taking off and turning away from the airport <br /> it's always making left turns. The problem with.-is, and HHA has u right <br /> hand pattern, on runway 20, being the approach from the East over NC 80. <br /> MN8 has adopted n right hand pattern for runway 26; a left hand pattern <br /> would have aircraft flying down here which of course 1y u very heavily <br /> developed residential apartment area, So HNA has a right pattern yu that <br /> when aircraft are operating back to the Nest they will make right turns <br /> landing and right turns taking off. This 1s one of the things we do for <br /> noise abatement. We would possibly raise the traffic pattern altitude; <br /> we might have preferential runways; you might decide, for example, that <br /> there are areas around the airport that are noise sensitive that should <br /> not have traffic over them either at any time or during specific times <br /> during the day in which case we might say between the hours of B P.M. and <br /> 7 A.M. land and take off only on a certain runway' <br /> There are several different things we could do to alter that traffic <br /> pattern if necessary. <br /> Mu. Crawford: Asked if there was any reason Mr. Matthews was aware of <br /> that would preclude its /�|dway'x7 using a left hand pattern. <br /> - - <br /> Mr. Matthews: Responded that he didn't know of any now. But that was an <br /> option that was completely up to the owner of the airport to choose to "imple- <br /> ment a right handed pattern or a higher or lower altitude" under FAA standards. <br /> Mr' Irvin: Referred to the public hearing of July 8 (nn this same request) <br /> ° and said that some people had said noise was not u ^ nblem around airports. He <br /> ° <br /> continued saying that now Mr. Matthews was indicating that it was a problem, citing <br /> "shifting air approach patterns" and acoustical standards for buildings near <br /> , <br /> airport zones. <br /> , Mr' Matthews: Agreed that noise was afactor for "some o 'eratiuns" and some <br /> , airports. He added that noise, he thought, would have been more of a consideration <br /> , <br /> in the Midway initial proposal because it would have had "virtually unrestricted <br /> , <br /> operations of jet aircraft." Now that won't be a problem, Mr. Matthews, said, <br /> ° because the owner indicated he would not allow regular operations of jet aircraft <br /> | <br /> .. <br />