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[quote=Anonymous]After seeing that others in this forum were also observing the increase in noise, I followed the advice of a PP and wrote to our representatives.  I appreciated receiving a reply, even if it's dismissive.  Here's what it said:

Thank you for your email. I understand you believe air traffic noise has worsened significantly over the last couple of years. This should not be the case. For arrivals, the Federal Aviation Administration published new procedures this past July that shifted noise toward compatible areas on the Virginia side of the Potomac River and dispersed them somewhat. For departures, there have been no changes since early 2021. The 2021 change lessened noise a little bit for communities north of the Bethesda/Potomac line and had no effect on your part of Bethesda. The only reason you may be noticing noise has worsened recently is because Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport ended a nighttime paving project that halted flights between 11pm and 6am so our communities are again impacted by late night and early morning flights. These flights disturb residents throughout the county but unfortunately, under federal law, airlines are allowed to operate 24/7 at DCA.

You also wrote moving flights away from Cabin John and Glen Echo shifted noise from one part of Bethesda to another. This is incorrect. For arrivals, the July change I mentioned above moved the flight path slightly to the west, toward Virginia and away from all Bethesda communities. Your neighborhood of Westmoreland Hills benefited from the July changes because one of the arrival procedures that used to fly inland near your neighborhood is being flown less often. Again, the 2021 departure change did not increase noise for any community in Montgomery County including Bethesda communities.

It is true that DCA operates in northflow about 60% of the time when Montgomery County communities experience departures. This FAA operational decision is due primarily to wind direction, which is a safety issue, but FAA Air Traffic Controller preference is also a factor. For years, DCA Community Noise Working Group members from all political jurisdictions (Maryland, DC, and Virginia) have raised this issue with the FAA. Members have repeatedly asked about the feasibility of a 50/50 split between northflow and southflow. For as long as the Working Group has been meeting, the answer has consistently been no. This is because the FAA is tasked with efficiency, and northflow is more efficient for the controllers. In early 2020, when Montgomery County hired an aviation consultant, we asked him to evaluate a 50/50 split, and if advantageous to all communities, to advocate for that with the FAA. Our consultant substantiated what the FAA Air Traffic Control liaison had been saying for years, namely the FAA is not receptive because the agency will not put community noise concerns before their operational needs. So, this question was asked and answered many times. The FAA even took the time to explain the technical reasons why air traffic controllers prefer northflow during the November 2019 Working Group meeting. It is unproductive for us to continue to ask a question that has been asked and answered many times. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if the question comes up again as part of the south-of-the-airport analysis that will be shared at the January 23rd Working Group meeting. While we don’t expect the FAA’s position to change, we will be listening carefully to that presentation. Should you like to listen in as well, I will share the link to the meeting when it is ready. You be able to click to join the us at 6:00pm.

In closing, I can personally attest every Montgomery County representative to the Working Group cares about and represents all County communities. While it would have perhaps been easier to persuade the FAA to move paths to take some of the noise burden off the most heavily impacted communities while worsening it for others, that option was rejected on principle by all MoCo representatives at the outset.  After 8 years of unrelenting effort, some of our communities got a little relief (not nearly as much as we would like) and others did not. This is due to the nature of dealing with the FAA itself, whose mission is limited to “safety and efficiency of the national airspace” and does not include noise mitigation or other environmental concerns. In short, the FAA eventually agreed to some relatively minor changes that benefit some Montgomery County communities primarily because those changes were good for them. While we continue to advocate for a Fly Quiet program to collect noise data by airline, the contract with our consultant ended some time ago. DCA Community Noise Working Group focus has now shifted to trying to mitigate some of the noise from DCA operations for south-of- the-airport communities.

I’m happy to answer any additional questions you may have.
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