Reports & Statistics
Noise and Flight Path Monitoring System
Airservices Australia has established a Noise and Flight Path Monitoring System at Australia 's major airports, including Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
This NFPMS is the world's largest, most geographically-spread system of its type.
Around each of the airports is a number of noise monitoring terminals (NMTs). The NMT consists of a microphone atop a 6m mast and an electronics box. The noise level to which the microphone is exposed over the range of 30 to 130 dB(A) is continuously measured and transmitted via a data line to the NFPMS central computer where it is processed and stored for later analysis. The NMT also continuously monitor the background noise.
The system is also connected to the secondary surveillance radar at each airport to acquire flight track information on aircraft operating into and out of the airport.
When the level and duration of noise generated by any noise source in the vicinity of the NMT location exceed the threshold level and duration that have been set for the detection of aircraft noise, a noise event is recorded. The time at which the noise event is recorded, and the NMT location where the noise event is recorded, is checked against movement times and radar tracks of aircraft operating in the vicinity. If the time and NMT location of the noise event match the movement time and radar track of any aircraft, the noise event is attributed to that aircraft. Otherwise it is regarded as part of the background noise.
Regular NFPMS quarterly reports that contain tabular and graphical summaries of noise and aircraft movement data for each airport are produced. These reports include aircraft movement statistics such as runway usage by the various categories of aircraft and movement profiles.
It compiles track density plots consisting of a map of the airport and its surrounds, displaying with colour coding the number of aircraft movements over the area surrounding the airport, over selected time periods.
The NFPMS is a valuable tool to assist in the environmental management of aircraft operations in the vicinity of airports. ln a more general sense, data from the system benefits air traffic control planning and traffic analysis and enhances planning for the use of airspace and runways.
The NFPMS collects noise and flight path data 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It also accumulates flight plan and weather data.