September 2024 Impacts of the new approach procedures at DCA, and a "Fly Quiet" Program for DCA?
We are all eager to see data and analysis of noise mitigation from the new DCA approach procedures that went into effect on July 11th -- including how many flights are flying alternative paths, where they are flying, and what the change in noise is for different neighborhoods.
Until we can get data (which we hope for later this year or early in 2025), the best way to get a sense of what is happening is to go to Webtrak and watch arrivals/approaches to DCA over different days and times. We recommend that you speed up the playback. Looking at Webtrak to see where the airplanes are flying is helpful because it’s nearly impossible for any of us to appreciate what we are not experiencing.
To recap what has changed for communities north of Glen Echo:
On July 11th, the beginning of the approach procedure was moved over 2 miles southeast to the “DARIC” waypoint, which was relocated to the CIA campus in Langley, VA.
Because of that change, Air Traffic Controllers can now bypass the FERGI waypoint and send some arriving aircraft to the new DARIC waypoint. This results in some welcome track variability, which was one of the primary goals of the new procedures.
Instead of every arriving aircraft flying the exact same southeasterly path from Potomac and then across Carderock Springs and Cabin John to Glen Echo, some aircraft now fly to the CIA (new-DARIC) waypoint over different places. For example:
Near (but not exactly over) FERGI-DARIC,
Near the Carderock Naval Surface Warfare Center,
Over the Potomac River,
East of the Cabin John Parkway over some Bethesda neighborhoods, and
Over McLean, Virginia.
In short, for any group of arrivals heading to new-DARIC that we hear, there are 1 or 2 others which we probably do not hear because they are flying elsewhere.
This is consistent with the DCA Working Group request for a more equitable sharing of noise.
Still, it’s important to understand that shortcutting fights is voluntary for Air Traffic Controllers, and we are told it takes time for controllers to get used to a new tool. That’s why we need to wait for data collection to happen until this has had more time to become established and familiar to controllers.
It’s also important to understand that when the airspace is busy, which is a lot of the time, controllers will continue to direct aircraft on the published procedure to FERGI and then on to new-DARIC. Therefore, although some times of day should be better, there are still significant periods each day when communities experience relentless noise.
To recap what has happened for Brookmont, Glen Echo Heights, and communities south of Glen Echo:
Shortcutting/track variability/dispersion is unfortunately not possible due to FAA flight standards.
However, those communities should be experiencing modest improvements already, because the new GPS procedure is being flown and flights are approaching DCA from the new-DARIC waypoint on the Virginia side of the river.
Furthermore, the low visibility procedure that used to fly inland over these communities (LDA-Z) is expected to fly on the Virginia side of the river when it is back in use in late September.
Even after it is back in use, the LDA-Z will be used much less frequently than before, because aircraft that have the necessary on-board equipment will follow the new GPS procedure in low visibility conditions. We are told that over 90% of aircraft at DCA are so equipped.
All of this will keep aircraft further from these communities than before the changes.
At the same time, because the river is very narrow in this area, the noise reduction is unlikely to be dramatic, particularly for communities that are right next to the river.
We are eager to learn the extent of the track variability and the impacts on noise - only data can give us this.
Meanwhile, the new GPS procedure at DCA has been in the news:
New flight path reduces noise for residents near Reagan National airport. (MSN.com)
Some DC neighborhoods will experience quieter skies thanks to an FAA rule change (Washingtonian Magazine)
What about the future? Are there any more opportunities for noise mitigation?
We hope so! So-called “Fly Quiet” programs exist at other busy, commercial airports around the country. They involve collecting data to identify opportunities for noise mitigation and using the data to encourage voluntary efforts by airlines, air traffic controllers, and airport authorities to reduce noise. Examples of such actions are substituting quieter aircraft during nighttime hours and following noise mitigation procedures such as the new track variability concept for arrivals at DCA.
In April, the DCA Community Working Group recommended unanimously that the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) provide funding for a Fly Quiet Program at DCA. You can read the recommendation, which includes information about how Fly Quiet programs can help, here.
In August, Senator Chris Van Hollen and Congressman Jamie Raskin supported this effort by sending a letter urging Jack Potter, President of MWAA to provide funding for such a program. The letter is attached to this update. We greatly value the steadfast support we continue to receive from our Congressional delegation!
We hope that MWAA will soon start to use a portion of its healthy revenue to fund an ongoing Fly Quiet program at DCA. We note that MWAA’s revenue is projected to be $313M in 2024, about $66M of which is earmarked to be refunded to the airlines.
