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What is being done in your area?

Developing Programs That Minimize Noise Impacts On Surrounding Communities

For more than 40 years, the Port of Oakland has endeavored to develop programs that minimize noise impacts on surrounding communities. Noise abatement procedures (NAP) at Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK) are based on the voluntary actions that air traffic controllers and pilots may take to help reduce the impacts of aircraft noise on communities adjacent to the airport. The airport has no authority over the movement of aircraft or the direction of flight. The authority to regulate flight patterns of aircraft is vested exclusively in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The following are general guidelines and techniques we ask operators to follow to help minimize the noise impact produced by aircraft in your area.

Preferential Departure Runway Use

Large Aircraft Restrictions on the North Field Runways

The North Field Preferential Runway Use noise abatement procedure program states that the following aircraft should not depart from Runways 28R/L except during emergencies, whenever Runways 12/30 are closed, or by any cause beyond the control of the Airport.
• Turbo-jet and turbo-fan powered aircraft.
• Turbo-props over 17,000 pounds.
• Four-engine reciprocating powered aircraft.
• Surplus military aircraft over 12,500 pounds.
*A corporate jet is defined as a jet aircraft whose typical activities are associated with the North Field facilities and services. This could include jet aircraft weighing over 75,000 lbs.

Please be aware that the pilot in command makes the final decisions relative to runway use; therefore, pilots may request to use any available runway. Neither the Airport nor the FAA air traffic controllers may restrict a pilot’s access to an available runway.

North Field Departure Procedures

A small general aviation aircraft turns in uncontrolled airspace

North Field VFR Take Off Residential Avoidance

The North Field VFR (visual flight rules) noise abatement procedure is designed to minimize flights over residential areas of Alameda caused by departures from the North Field Runways.

Pilots are instructed to make a right turn over San Leandro Bay until reaching Interstate 880. A non-compliant departure is a VFR departure from Runways 28R/L or 33 that flies over specified residential areas when it may have been safe to follow the VFR noise abatement procedure.

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North Field Nighttime Take Off Residential Avoidance

The North Field Quiet Hours Procedures were designed to minimize aircraft noise in residential areas adjacent to the North Field from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily.

If the procedures are flown as intended, aircraft departing from Runways 28R/L or 33 will avoid flying over nearby residential areas on Bay Farm Island, the Fernside area of Alameda, and the Davis West/Timothy Drive area. Pilots are requested to follow these procedures when safety, weather, and ATC instructions permit.

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South Field Departure Procedures

South Field Departures Residential Avoidance

Turbojet aircraft should not make a right turn on departure from Runway 30 and pass over Bay Farm Island. This noise abatement procedure is historically referred to as the “No Right Turn Climb-out Departure Procedure”.

South Field Departures Altitude Minimums

In addition, Runway 30 turbojet departures should not turn right over Alameda residential areas until reaching 3,000 feet above airport ground level.

South Field Nighttime Take Off Residential Avoidance

The HUSSH departure is an FAA (RNAV) departure procedure at OAK established to reduce noise in residential communities at nighttime. The HUSSH departure procedure is described as a turbojet aircraft take-off from Runway 30, climb heading 296 degrees to at or above 520 feet, then turn left direct to HUSSH. This departure procedure is assigned between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. for Runway 30 turbojet aircraft departures.

Please note that safety always takes precedence over noise abatement procedures and pilots must follow air traffic control instructions and other safety considerations caused by weather, potential air space conflicts, or emergencies.

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What Type of Aircraft Operations Affect You?

Are you affected by overflights? understand what these overflights are and why they are in your area.

The term “overflight” refers to the flight of an aircraft over a particular area. In today’s modern age, overflights can be common in all areas, but they are especially common near airports. The San Francisco Bay Area is home to 3 major airports, including Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK) and the San Francisco International Airport (SFO), as well as many small airports, so overflights are common throughout the region. If you are affected by overflights in your area, it is important to understand what these overflights are and why they are in your area before we can work together to come up with helpful solutions to aircraft noise issues.

What affects your area on a standard weather day?

OAK and SFO Airline Departures at Medium-to-Low Altitudes.

On a standard weather day, OAK departures take off facing north towards Alameda, Bay Farm Island, and Oakland. It is common to see larger jets just off the coast of these cities over the bay and (depending on their destination and when they are cleared by Air Traffic Control to turn) some may turn eastbound and overfly these cities.

In addition, SFO departures heading north or east can commonly fly over these cities as they head toward their destinations.

What about on a non-standard weather day?

OAK and SFO Airline Arrivals at Medium-to-Low Altitudes.

In non-standard weather, when the winds shift to the south or southeast – about 10% of the year, you may find that your area is affected by a very different set of aircraft operations. Aircraft need to land and take off into the wind for safety reasons, which requires a change in aircraft flow at OAK and other nearby airports that may be affected. Often, this change results in a flip of the standard airspace flow. So, instead of being affected by departures, you will be affected by arrivals.

In the case of your area, OAK jet arrivals commonly travel in a precise, straight line over the bay to land facing south. In addition, SFO arrivals that are affected by the non-standard weather may traverse your area as well as they turn south over Berkeley, Oakland, and Alameda to line up for landing at SFO.

Want to see more?

View live flight tracks and noise levels using our WebTrak Flight and Noise tracker.

WebTrak
Posted on

What Type of Aircraft Operations Affect You?

Are you affected by overflights? understand what these overflights are and why they are in your area.

The term “overflight” refers to the flight of an aircraft over a particular area. In today’s modern age, overflights can be common in all areas, but they are especially common near airports. The San Francisco Bay Area is home to 3 major airports, including Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK) and the San Francisco International Airport (SFO), as well as many small airports, so overflights are common throughout the region. If you are affected by overflights in your area, it is important to understand what these overflights are and why they are in your area before we can work together to come up with helpful solutions to aircraft noise issues.

What affects your area on a standard weather day?

OAK and SFO Airline Departures at Medium-to-High Altitudes.

On a standard weather day, OAK Airline departures take off over the bay facing the north, then eventually are directed to turn toward their destinations when approved by an Air Traffic Controller. SFO aircraft can also take off towards the bay in standard weather and are similarly directed as the OAK departures. It is common to see OAK and SFO departures that head south or west to fly over the San Francisco Peninsula and those that head north or east to fly over most of the East Bay area.

What about on a non-standard weather day?

OAK and SFO Airline Arrivals at Medium-to-Low Altitudes.

In non-standard weather, when the winds shift to the south or southeast – about 10% of the year, you may find that your area is affected by a very different set of aircraft operations. Aircraft need to land and take off into the wind for safety reasons, which requires a change in aircraft flow at OAK and other nearby airports that may be affected. Often, this change results in a flip of the standard airspace flow. So, instead of being affected by departures heading away from the Bay Area, you will likely be affected by arrivals heading into the Bay Area Airports.

Want to see more?

View live flight tracks and noise levels using our WebTrak Flight and Noise tracker.

WebTrak