helicopter study · helicopter study davis west neighborhood, san leandro prepared by...

Helicopter Study

Davis West Neighborhood, San Leandro

Prepared by

Noise/Environmental Management Office Port of Oakland

February 27, 2008

Helicopter Flights Study Davis West Neighborhood, San Leandro

The Port of Oakland performed an analysis of helicopter over flights in an area east-southeast of Oakland International Airport. This study area is centered on the 600 block of Tudor Road in the Davis West neighborhood of San Leandro and lies approximately 700 feet west of the Interstate 880 freeway and approximately 1,300 feet east of the extended runway centerline for Oakland’s North Field Runway 27R. In other words, aircraft landing on Runway 27R at Oakland’s North Field will be centered on a final approach path that is located 1,300 feet from the 600 block of Tudor Road. (See Figures 1 and 2 below.) A helicopter study analysis gate, centered over the 600 block of Tudor Road, was used in the Airport Noise and Operations Monitoring System (ANOMS) to identify and record helicopter flights. The data was reviewed for helicopter identification, operator identification, associated airport, flight direction, and flight altitude. The study analysis gate is 3,050 meters or 5,000 feet wide and 2,500 feet altitude mean sea level (MSL) and directed on a 320 degree compass heading. In addition noise data was collected from the ANOMS permanent noise monitor, RMT 10, located almost directly below the center of the analysis gate. Data was collected for the months of December 2007 and January 2008. The analysis gate was located in a direction to capture most of the helicopter flights, which passed over the neighborhood within a one-mile distance either side of the 600 block of Tudor Road. The analysis gate captures all pertinent aircraft ID data and altitude of each helicopter that passes through the gate. Further analysis was conducted using a cylindrical analysis function in ANOMS to provide the total number of helicopters that passed within one mile of the study area. Some helicopters that pass through the cylinder may not pass through the analysis gate but the cylinder analysis does not provide aircraft altitude data. The cylinder analysis was done to provide the total number of helicopter flights that passed within one mile in any direction from the neighborhood during the study period. This exercise provided evidence that 90% of the total helicopter flights penetrated the analysis gate and were analyzed in detail for this study. (See Figure 4.) The helicopter flights that pass through the analysis gate are flights associated with Oakland International Airport (OAK), Hayward Air Terminal (HWD) or with some other unknown airport (UNK). Helicopters flying in a west flow direction are passing through the analysis gate heading toward OAK or north along Interstate 880. Helicopters flying in an east flow direction are passing through the analysis gate heading toward San Leandro or south along Interstate 880.

Helicopter Study – 2008 of 17

Figure 1. Study Area and Extended Runway Centerline

Figure 2. Study Area Reference Points

Study Area

Extended Runway Centerline

Interstate 880

700 feetRMT 10

1,300 feet


Figure 3. ANOMS Analysis Cylinder


Figure 4 below indicates the location of both the analysis gate and the noise monitor, RMT 10.

Figure 4. Analysis Gate and RMT 10 Location

WEST FLOW

EAST FLOW

RMT 10


Figure 5. Analysis Gate in Perspective

Figure 6. Analysis Gate Penetration Graph

RWY 27R Centerline


Figure 7 below shows all helicopter flight tracks that passed through the analysis gate during the study period. Red tracks are those flights associated with OAK, the green tracks are associated with HWD and the blue tracks are over flights or are not associated with a specific airport.

Figure 7. All helicopter flight tracks

Figure 8 below shows all helicopter flight tracks for those flights associated with OAK that passed through the analysis gate during the study period. Note that some of the tracks assigned to OAK were transitioning between HWD and OAK. The flights were associated with one airport or the other but not associated with both airports in the analysis.


Figure 8. Helicopter flight tracks associated with OAK

Figure 9 below shows all helicopter flight tracks for those flights associated with HWD that passed through the analysis gate during the study period. Similarly with Figure 8, some of the tracks assigned to HWD were transitioning between HWD and OAK. The tracks assigned to HWD are not associated with both airports in the study analysis. Note the distinction in traffic patterns between OAK and HWD flights. The HWD flights have a strong relationship with Interstate 880 perhaps as a result of the greater amount of helicopter flights association with commuter traffic monitoring as compared with the OAK tracks.


Figure 9. Helicopter flight tracks associated with HWD

Figure 10 below shows all helicopter flight tracks that passed through the analysis gate during the study period for those flights associated with helicopter over flights or unknown airports.


Figure 10. Helicopter over-flight tracks

Flights by Airport and Altitude During the two-month study period (Dec 2007 – Jan 2008), there were 561 total helicopter flights that penetrated, or passed through, the ANOMS analysis gate and were flown in either direction, east or west flow. There were 244 flights associated with HWD, 229 flights associated with OAK, and 88 flights associated with unknown airports or referred to as simply over-flights. For east flow flights, 142 were associated with HWD, 58 with OAK and 37 over-flights. For west flow flights, 102 were associated with HWD, 171 with OAK and 51 over-flights. Average aircraft altitudes, mean sea level (msl), for


east flow flights, were 812 feet for helicopters associated with HWD, 842 feet for OAK flights and 863 for over-flights. Average aircraft altitudes (msl) for west flow flights were 803 feet for helicopters associated with HWD, 542 feet for OAK flights and 799 for over-flights. The larger number of OAK flights in west flow are attributed to the fact that these flights were on a final approach landing at OAK’s North Field. The lower altitudes of these landings are attributed to the trajectory of the approach glide slope path. See Tables 1 and 2 and associated charts below.

Table 1. Helicopter Flights by Airport and Altitude

Flight Direction Hayward Airport

Oakland Airport

Unknown Airport

Totals Averages

Helicopter Flights 142 58 37 237

Average Altitude (ft) 812 842 863 827

Helicopter Flights 102 171 51 324


244 229 88 561

808 618 826 733

Helicopter Flight StudyDec 2007 - Jan 2008

EAST FLOW

WEST FLOW

Total Helicopter Flights

Average Altitude (ft)

Chart 1. Helicopter Flights by Airport and Altitude

Helicopter StudyDec 2007 - Jan 2008

Hayward A irport

Hayward Airport

Oakland Airport

Oakland Airport

Oakland Airport

Unknown A irport

Unknown A irport

Hayward Airport

Hayward Airport

Oakland Airport

Unknown Airport

Unknown Airport

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1,000

Helicopter Flights


Helicopter Flights


EAST

FLO

WW

EST

FLO

W


Table 2. Helicopter Flights by Airport and Altitude (average day)


Oakland Airport

Unknown Airport

Totals Averages

Helicopter Flights 4.6 1.9 1.2 7.6


Helicopter Flights 3.3 5.5 1.6 10.5


7.9 7.4 2.8 18.1

813 624 853 733

Helicopter Flight StudyDec 2007 - Jan 2008 (Average Day)

EAST FLOW

WEST FLOW

Total Helicopter Flights


Air Traffic Flow Direction Chart 2 below indicates the amount of helicopter flights, on an average day during the study period, flown by the direction of flight and the flights’ association with airports. Most of the daily flights associated with OAK are on final approach to the airport.

Chart 2. Helicopter Flights by Airport and Flow on Average Day

Helicopter Fight DirectionAverage Day

East Flow, 4.6

East Flow, 1.9

East Flow, 1.2

West Flow, 3.3

West Flow, 5.5

West Flow, 1.6

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

Hayward Airport Oakland Airport Unknown Airport


Helicopter flights by Hour of the Day Chart 3 below indicates the total number of helicopter flights during the study period that were flown in each hour of the day relative to the airports. Note that the peak level of helicopter flight activity is associated with peak commuter travel periods. This would be expected as many of the helicopters associated with news media traffic reports operate out of HWD.

Chart 3. Helicopter Flights by Airport and Hour of the Day

Helicopter Flights Per HourDec 2007 - Jan 2008

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Hour of the Day

Hayward AirportOakland AirportUnknown Airport

Chart 4 below indicates, on an average day, the number of helicopter flights during the study period that were flown for each hour of the day along with the flights’ association with airports. Although there are 62 days in the study period this chart reflects the total number of helicopter flights averaged over 45 days to account for the fact that most helicopter activity occurs during weekdays (see Table 3).

Table 3. Helicopter Flights by Weekday vs. Weekend

HWD % OAK % UNK % Total %Weekend 20 8% 60 26% 6 7% 86 15%Weekday 224 92% 169 74% 82 93% 475 85%Total 244 100% 229 100% 88 100% 561 100%

Helicopter Flights Comparing Weekday versus Weekend


Since many helicopters flights are associated with freeway traffic monitoring by police and news media, the highest levels of helicopter flights occur during peak commute times.

Chart 4. Average Weekday Helicopter Flights by Hour of the Day

Helicopter Flights Per HourAverage Weekday (45 days)

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Hour of the Day

Hayward AirportOakland AirportUnknown Airport

Noise Measurements and Levels Helicopter flight noise measurements were collected at RMT 10. Helicopter flights associated with both HWD and OAK created the same number of noise measurement correlations (210). Also, the average maximum noise levels (Lmax) and the average sound exposure level (SEL) were the same for both HWD and OAK, 70 dBA and 79 dBA respectively. The noise event durations were 20 seconds for HWD and 19 seconds for OAK. For the Unknown Airport flights, the average Lmax was 68 dBA and the average SEL was 80 dBA, attributed to the longer average duration (25 seconds) than the average noise measurements for helicopters associated with HWD and OAK. See Table 4 below.


Table 4. Helicopter Flights by Airport and Noise Events


Oakland Airport

Unknown Airport

Grand Totals

Noise Events 126 55 30 211

Average Max Level 70 69 69 70

Average SEL 80 79 80 79

Average Duration 22 20 26 22

Noise Events 84 155 36 275

Average Max Level 70 71 68 70

Average SEL 79 79 79 79

Average Duration 18 18 24 19

Total Noise Events 210 210 66 486

Total Average of Max Level 70 70 68 70

Total Average of SEL 79 79 80 79

Total Average of Duration 20 19 25 20

EAST

WEST

Helicopter Flight StudyDec. 2007 - Jan. 2008

Helicopter Owners Table 5 below provides a list of the helicopter owners for all flights evaluated in this study along with the number of flights and the percentage of aircraft flights associated with OAK. Table 6 below provides a list of the helicopter owners along with the number of flights associated with each airport. The appendix provides a complete listing of all helicopter flights evaluated in this study.


Table 5. Listing of Helicopter Owners for OAK Flights

Oakland Airport Percentage

SEA ISLANDS AIR LTD 77 34%SILVER STATE HELICOPTERS LLC 77 34%SPITZER MATTHEW L 26 11%UNKNOWN 18 8%ROBINSON HELICOPTER CO INC 7 3%WARRIOR AIR INC 6 3%LOBODOS AVIATION LLC 4 2%MILLER HERMAN F 2 1%NATIONAL HELICOPTER SERVICE & EN 2 1%SANDS PERRY 2 1%CARTER RICHARD K DBA 1 0%CONSORCIO AVIAXSA, S.A. DE C.V. 1 0%DICKSON ROBERT 1 0%GENEVA TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT CORP 1 0%HELI FLITE INC 1 0%MEDIPLANE INC DBA 1 0%PETROLEUM HELICOPTERS INC 1 0%SKYMARK AIRLINES 1 0%TOTAL 229 100%



Table 6. Listing of Helicopter Owners for All Flights

Hayward Airport

Oakland Airport

Unknown Airport Totals

AIR SANSONE LLC 21 11 32ASU SECURITY INC 1 1CAPITAL TRADING AVIATION LTD 3 3CARTER RICHARD K DBA 1 1CLOUGH LELAND U 2 2CONSORCIO AVIAXSA, S.A. DE C.V. 8 1 6 15DICKSON ROBERT 1 1DOUGLAS W ANDREWS INC 1 1F1 HELICOPTERS INC 1 1GENEVA TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT CORP 32 1 10 43HALL THOMAS K 6 1 7HELI FLITE INC 1 1HELICOPTERS INC 1 1 2HELIPRO INC 1 1INGRAM JEFFREY C 1 1LOBODOS AVIATION LLC 1 4 5MARTIN RICHARD A 2 2MEDIPLANE INC DBA 1 1MILLER HERMAN F 2 2MORGAN CHARLES E 1 1MORRIS DAVID C 1 1NATIONAL HELICOPTER SERVICE & EN 37 2 22 61NATIONAL HELICOPTER SERVICE AND 41 10 51PETROLEUM HELICOPTERS INC 1 1ROBINSON HELICOPTER CO INC 7 7SABINO ANTONIO M 1 1SANDS PERRY 2 2 4SEA ISLANDS AIR LTD 18 77 95SIERRA BRAVO AVIATION INC 1 1SILVER STATE HELICOPTERS LLC 4 77 81SKYMARK AIRLINES 35 1 12 48SPITZER MATTHEW DBA 1 1SPITZER MATTHEW L 26 26SUN WEST INC 2 2SUNCOAST HELICOPTER LEASING LLC 1 1SZE ALEXANDER 2 2UNKNOWN 24 18 5 47WARRIOR AIR INC 6 6ZAHRADNIK ROBERT J 2 2TOTAL 244 229 88 561



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