Rickenbacker Noise Information

The Airport Authority is committed to monitoring aircraft operations at Rickenbacker to minimize aircraft noise exposure for the community while maintaining its responsibility to the nation’s aviation system. The Airport Authority has implemented a variety of noise-reduction efforts such as installing a state-of-the-art noise and flight track monitoring system and developing arrival and departure procedures during nighttime hours to minimize flights over residential areas. It is also a priority of the Airport Authority to encourage compatible land use planning, which involves developing measures to minimize the noise impact on existing land uses and promoting compatible development in undeveloped areas in the vicinity of the airport.

FAR Part 150 Noise Compatibility Study

Landrum and Brown, a well-respected aviation consultant, has been hired by the Airport Authority to conduct an FAR Part 150 Noise Compatibility Study at both Rickenbacker and Port Columbus airports. Part 150 refers to the section of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) that sets forth regulations and guidelines for airports desiring to undertake airport noise and land use compatibility planning. Through FAR Part 150, the FAA established regulations governing the technical aspects of aircraft noise analysis and the public participation process for airports choosing to prepare the airport noise compatibility plan.

A Part 150 Noise Compatibility Study involves six major steps:

• Identify airport noise and land use issues and concerns;
• Define current and future noise exposure;
• Evaluate alternative measures for abating noise (e.g., changing aircraft flight paths), mitigating the impact of noise on existing land use (e.g., sound insulation), and managing local land uses (e.g., airport compatible zoning);
• Develop a noise compatibility plan;
• Develop an implementation and monitoring plan; and
• FAA review and approval of the recommended noise compatibility program, including an analysis of noise and land use alternatives, the compatibility plan, and the implementation and monitoring plan.

The purpose for conducting a Part 150 Study at an airport is to develop a balanced and cost-effective plan for reducing current noise impacts and to limit additional impacts in the future on the surrounding community. The Part 150 Study at Rickenbacker International Airport will establish noise exposure maps (NEM) and analyze existing noise abatement measures and recommend noise abatement and land use management strategies for the existing and future forecast condition.

Public Information Workshop

One of the key components of a Part 150 Study is the inclusion of the public who live in the communities near the airport. Throughout the course of the study, the Airport Authority will hold public information workshops that will provide an opportunity for interested citizens to present comments on the process, the input data, and the resulting noise exposure contours. The first public information workshops were held on October 11, 2005, and the second was held on April 20, 2006. The third and final public information workshop and public hearing was held on November 14, 2006.

The final Noise Compatibility Study documents, submitted to the FAA on December 21, 2006, are available for download from the links below. To increase download speed of the files, right click on your mouse and save to your desktop.

Cover Page (1.7 MB)
Table of Contents (36 KB)
Chapter 1 Background (2.8 MB)
Chapter 2 Affected Environment (10.9 MB)
Chapter 3 Baseline Noise Exposure (2.3 MB)
Chapter 4 Noise Compatibility Plan (3.3 MB)
Appendix A FAA Policies, Guidance, and Regulations (80 KB)
Appendix B Field Noise Measurements and Noise Complaints (2.3 MB)
Appendix C Noise Modeling Methodology (21.8 MB)
Appendix D Land Use Assessment Methodology (5.2 MB)
Appendix E Noise Abatement Alternatives (23.9 MB)
Appendix F Land Use Alternatives (2 MB)
Appendix G Public Involvement
-AppendixG pages 1-42 (14.1 MB)
-AppendixG pages 43-60 (17.1 MB)
-AppendixG pages 61-89 (10.3 MB)
-AppendixG pages 90-146 (44.6 MB)
-AppendixG pages 147-193 (28.9 MB)
Appendix H 2022 Baseline Noise Exposure Contour (1.2 MB)
Appendix I Noise-Sensitive Facilities Grid Points (2.2 MB)
Appendix J Forecast (116 KB)
Glossary (64 KB)
NEM Submission (2.5 MB)