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Public Noise Associated with Commercial Aircraft and Helicopters Arriving and Departing from the Bert Mooney Airport
Michael Faroni
Abstract
Introduction: The issue of noise associated with helicopter traffic from Silver State Helicopters industries in Butte, Montana has received considerable attention in the Montana Standard. On 2/26/2006 a front page article in this paper presented views from people living in the residential areas near the Bert Mooney Airport. Residents complained that the noise associated with helicopter traffic was “huge difference” between them and commercial jets, since this article. There have been several opinions expressed by the public in the readers speak editorial section of the paper1. Many of these opinions here focused on the positive economic impact that the helicopter flight training program has on our community. In reading these articles, it is my opinion that a major factor missing from this debate is science.
Objective:
The objective of my research is to characterize the noise associated with aircraft traffic coming arriving and departing the Bert Mooney Airport for twelve hour periods in these separate public and or residential areas. The areas selected for my study includes 1) the Queen’s Court neighborhood 2) the new Butte rodeo ground 3) the Mountain View Cemetery. Noise associated with both commercial aircraft and helicopters was evaluated.
Methodology:
Flight patterns (arrival, departure) were gathered from the two commercial airlines servicing Butte, MT. Similar information was attained from Silver Star Helicopters. Sampling was conducted during February and March of 2007.
A quest Sound Pro DXL real time analyzer was used to measure the sound pressure level. In addition this instrument will also evaluate the acoustic spectrum of each source in 1/3 octave levels. This information, along with duration recorded for each source, will be used to compare the overall sound pressure level associated with aircraft/helicopter traffic at these locations along with the acoustic signature for each source.
Information gathered was compared against public noise standards. And also information gathered by other noise studies that were conducted by the state and Silver Bow County at Butte Mooney Airport.
Benefits of Research: This research provides methodology for quantitative analysis of noise associated with aircraft/helicopter traffic. This information will be valuable in making science based judgments regarding these sources.
Biography
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I was born in Missoula and raised in a small western Montana town called Dixon on the Flathead Indian Reservation in the beautiful Mission Valley. I lived on a small ranch house just out side Dixon, with my younger brother, and step sister. My father is the principal of Dixon Elementary School and a hunting and fly fishing outfitter in the summer and fall time.
I went to Dixon Elementary K through the eighth grade were I graduated with 3 other students. While attending school I participated in school sports such as basketball, wrestling and track. After attending Dixon, I went to Charlo High School in Charlo Montana. Charlo is a small ranching community about 15 miles from Dixon. At Charlo I participated in football, wrestling, and track. I was also in the C Club, Spirit Club, and Indian Club. Then I continued with my education and was accepted to Montana Tech. I am currently a senior here at Montana Tech. I’m majoring in the Occupational Safety and Health in applied Science. I also play outside linebacker for the Montana Tech Orediggers. I also am apart of the OSH club and the Fly Fishing Club here at Tech.
I’m an avid hunter and fly fisherman. Living here in Montana I’ve had an excellent opportunity to enjoy these two sports. I’ve been on the rivers here as long as I could cast a fly rod and been in the woods as long as I can remember. I also enjoy cross country skiing, down hill skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, hiking, riding horses, and trapping.
My love for fly fishing leads me to my first job as a wrangler for an outfitting company called Spotted Bear Ranch in the Bob Marshall Wilderness when I was 16. Which lead into a fly fishing guide when I was old enough to guide at 18. While working there I became an Orvis Endorsed Guide and a Simms Endorsed Guide. After my first year of college in the summer of 2004 I received my first internship with Hensel Phelps Construction in the sunny state of California. There I was a summer intern as a Safety Engineer over seeing the construction of a 300 million dollar project. Then after my second year of school I went back guiding for Spotted Bear ranch and my fathers outfitting business Triple-M-Outfitters. Last summer I took another internship with Jordan Contracting in Anaconda Montana. There I was Safety Engineer intern over seeing the clean out of the super fund site near Opportunity Ponds and in Mill Creek southwest of Anaconda. And as for this coming summer I have accepted a internship with Asarco Inc. in Tucson Arizona again as a Safety Engineer.
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