01054329

Component

This paper describes how the development of helicopter operations in both Europe and North America is being restricted because of noise objections. The commissioning of new heliports, and changes to services at existing facilities, tends to be controversial and is often rejected as a result of public opposition. At first glance such opposition is difficult to understand because most helicopters generate noise levels considerably below the internationally agreed certification limits and most helicopters also comfortably meet established community noise rating criteria and guidelines. The inference is that even relatively sophisticated noise rating methods based on complex objective measurements fail to account adequately for the disturbance caused by helicopters. It has been suggested that the noise criteria or limits associated with the community rating procedures should be lowered. Although some minor adjustments to the assessment criteria may be helpful, careful analysis of the problem suggests such action will have little or no direct effect on the level of public acceptance. This point is significant because various national authorities and some industry observers believe a reduction in absolute noise levels should be the main focus in finding a solution to the problem of making helicopters more acceptable to society in general. Indeed, it is clear that public acceptance of helicopter noise is not wholly reflected either in conventional community rating procedures or in helicopter noise certification. This may seem odd because these same rating methods are used successfully for controlling the environmental impact of large commercial aircraft and other forms of transportation such as road and rail traffic. The fundamental question addressed by this paper is what is different about helicopters and what should be done in order to improve the level of public acceptance? In reality the problem is two-fold. First, what singles out helicopters for special attention? Second, by what means can helicopter noise levels observed on the ground be made more acceptable?

01054353

English

pp 557-565

2004

Noise-Con 04. The 2004 National Conference on Noise Control Engineering

CD-ROM

Figures (5) ; References (14)

Environmental impacts; Helicopter transportation; Helicopters; Noise barriers; Noise control; Noise sources; Rotors; Sound level; Sound level meters; Sound transmission

Aviation; Environment; Vehicles and Equipment

TRIS, TRB

Jul 25 2007 2:01PM