I just got a rather long email from a representative of Park Slope Quality of Life Committee They are trying to organize a productive dialog with the FAA and the NY/NJ Port Authority. 

Their aim is, in their words, "to address the persisting noise pollution that’s generated from the low altitude aircrafts as they fly too frequently over Park Slope and other Kings County communities on their final approach into La Guardia airport.   We now have a golden opportunity to meet with representatives from both, the FAA and the Port Authority at the upcoming CB6 meeting on June 19." 
   
Here is a summary of issues, that are important to them:

LaGuardia airport opened in 1947 with only 4 runways and was built on 680 acres, a bit larger than our 526 acres Prospect Park.    Since it is situated in the midst of dense clusters of residential communities, it was meant to accommodate only small fleets of regional aircrafts with fewer than 50 seats.  Until 1998, LGA gradually expanded to handle up to 600 operations a day, however, in September of 2000; the FAA bowed to pressures from the airline industry and lifted previous caps and regulations to allow unrestricted number of regional flights into the smallest of the Tri State airports.    This new FAA regulation immediately added 600 flights a day into LGA.   Today, LGA airport handles over 1194 flights per one day with up to 88 operations in one hour.

…With the obvious limitations of runway space, the air controllers are under tremendous pressure from the airline industry and the FAA to land this ridiculous volume of traffic as fast as possible in order to limit congestion, delays and negative publicity, as we all remember the cover story article last summer in the NY Magazine that most likely had a direct effect on re-routing the majority of the air traffic over our area to limit the effects of the congestion and delays into LGA. 

As per The Port Authority official docs, the increase in aircraft volume created the necessity to use runway 4 and 13 as often as possible for arriving aircrafts.     As a result of this practice, 80% of approaching air traffic into LGA now pass over Kings County’s densely populated residential areas as early as 5:30 AM and as late as 1:00 am the following morning.     During peak hours they fly as low as 1800 ft altitude and at one minute intervals.   

We see very little evidence that the Air Controllers Organization is in compliance with the FAA guidelines to show “sensitivity” to residential areas.    As we all experience too often, the air traffic tends to fly over our homes on a single ground tracks for 20 hour flight rotation.    We often wonder why it’s not directed over commercial zones as the predominant flight-route.  Also, we see no evidence that the air controller’s exercise any sensitivity during curfew hours and instead, direct many flights over predominantly residential communities as late as 2 AM during the summer schedule.

The other issue that exasperates an already unbearable situation is that of  the more affluent Westchester Counties seem to receive preferential consideration in flight rotation patterns; whereas, Brooklyn communities such as Windsor Terrace, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Fort Green and Clinton Hill, the less affluent/ influential and maybe somewhat more tolerant residents are getting screwed.    We found Internet documents going back to 2006 that confirm lobbying efforts and meetings between the FAA and Connecticut/ Westchester communities that were represented by lawyers and a hired Aviation engineer from Colorado, arguing to reduce the Ocean approach into runway 22 via the Northern communities.  As far as we could tell, they’ve succeeded to reduce the rotations over their communities by half.

When aircrafts cross Brooklyn into runway 4 or 13 they fly at a much lower altitude and pass predominantly residential areas; affecting the well-being of over 4 million people.  However, with approach to runway 22 via the northern counties they fly over the Hudson River, cross over Westchester, and fly down a cluster of highways with the final descent occurring over the ocean.  This route is by far the least disturbing to residential areas since the low altitude occurs over the water.   Nevertheless, the fewer but wealthier northern counties campaigned vigorously against this approach route, and being as well connected and organized as they are, they got what they’ve asked for.

This should be a good incentive for us to have a formal representation and voice our concerns to the FAA and the Port Authority at the upcoming meeting on June 19 2008.   

Since August 1, 2007, at the time that the HDR expired, the FAA remains in litigation over the redesign of the NY/NJ/PH airspace and it seems that many of the concerns are related to the proposed congestion pricing and the delays at LGA.   It seems obvious to us that no matter how they slice it, congestion will remain a serious issue as long as the volume of traffic remains at present operations.   Required by law, the FAA has a site where anyone can submit comments reflecting interest or concern with the future airspace redesign.   We will have the link to that site on our website and the deadline to submit comments is June 16, 2008.  We should all submit comments about the environmental issues because so far, the majority of the submissions are from the airline industry and related interest groups that only push for policy that will increase the air traffic.

The Agenda for the meeting:

Request to immediately shift flight routs via less populated areas such
as the Gowanus Expressway, the 6 lane 4th Ave, Prospect Park during
late night hours, across Staten Island, the East River and across
Brooklyn Heights.

Request to install noise monitors or InFLIGHT Passur monitoring system
to record accurate decibel point levels. We need to verify if the
current flight altitude corresponds to FAA guidelines.  Also, to record
the precise number and altitude of aircrafts that passes over our homes
during a full rotation cycle.

Request official FAA Docs that outline permissible noise levels
appropriate for designated Historic Landmark Preservation Community
with 39 schools, 26 churches, a major hospital, a historic Library (
they fly over our library at Grand Army Plaza) the landmark Prospect
Park and the Brooklyn Museum.

Request for specific FAA documents with regard to recent environmental
studies that particularly address; the short and long term impact,
particularly on young children exposed to noise and aviation fuel from
low altitude air traffic for 20 hours a day.

Request for data pertaining to the number of Kings County residents
that live on the path of the air traffic, including; accurate data of
altitude and number of aircrafts that cross over those counties during
a busy rotation cycle into runway 4 and into runway 13, as the approach
to both runways is identical up to where the traffic flies over I-495
when planes land on runway 13.

Request consideration during off hours and eliminate low altitude
aircrafts from passing our residential communities after 10 PM.

Request an equitable rotation schedule that will allow our neighborhood
longer relief periods, especially during weekends.   So far, we seem to
be on the flight schedule every weekend.

Request to consider a rotation schedule based on the ground track of
passing planes, not based on the runway that they’re directed to
land.   Park Slope is on the flight path to both, Runway 4 & 13
with aircraft passing at almost same flight altitude.  So far, it looks
like the Port Authority schedules flight rotations based on the runway
that they land, not based on the ground track they fly over,
consequently, we get double rotation shifts and less relief time.