SJC Just Released Noise Summary Data for January 2017

Post date: Feb 18, 2017 5:17:49 AM

SJC Airport Noise Office (link) just released its summary data from January 2017. Let's take a look.

The data is in a format of spread sheet (link), and it looks like this:

Monthly Noise Summary

* Total Intrusions by time of day is available by clicking on the number of intrusions.

** High Power Engine Run-ups during the Curfew Hours Only

Definitions:

Operation: a takeoff or landing of an aircraft at the airport.

Intrusion: is any operation by an unauthorized aircraft between the hours of 2330 and 0630.

Non Compliant Intrusion: is an Intrusion that did not meet the exemption criteria set forth in the municipal code

Air Carrier: a commercial carrier utilizing aircraft as a means of transport of passenger or freight.

General Aviation: all flights other than scheduled Air Carrier service.

A visualization of the flight operations between 23:30 ~ 6:30 (when residents are more sensitive to the noise):

From this chart, we can see that the night time operations almost doubled from Feb. 2016 to Jan. 2017, and also the intrusions are having spikes last December. And the intrusions are on an increasing trend line.

And the complaint data:

Ever since October 2016, the complaints numbers were exponentially increasing, last 6 months reading:

And we are having more people aware of this issue, and as a result, more people joined to complain about it. Even recently it stays around 376 people, 50 short of the peak (last October there were 420 people complaining, most probably because of the Town Hall meeting). But looking at the complaint number! That means people who are complaining are more persistent, for we know that's the only way to remind the officials and FAA, that our life quality are seriously impacted!

Needless to say, it's an uphill fight.

FAA knows about it, city officials know about it, county leaders know about it, elected Representatives know about it, and of course residents know about it with more feelings and emotions.

But we have no choice, we have to keep it up, until the problem gets fixed.