Navy Says Runway Closure, Construction Cause of Louder Helicopter Noise

Due to runway closures and repairs to take place at the Naval Outlying Landing Field (NOLF) Imperial Beach, more helicopter operations have been concentrated closer to neighborhoods bordering the training facility, said Angelic Dolan, a Navy Public Affairs Officer.

All flights were moved to the northern runway in Feb. 2011, which constrained hundreds of daily touch-and-go operations to helicopter pads on the smaller 2,500-foot long northern runway, she said.  

Construction was scheduled to begin on the 5,000-foot long southern runway in Dec. 2010 but Navy crews discovered a clay base below the runway that had to be completely dug up and removed.

A lack of funding to excavate the clay further delayed construction and will prolong flights from the northern runway, according to Lieutenant John Peters, Air Traffic Control Officer for Naval Base Coronado.

"That's why this runway has been in limbo, and that's why you're starting to hear a whole lot more noise," he said.

Once the south runway is repaired, the Navy will not "be doing as many operations on the north runway, and will shift activity onto the repaired south runway," Peters said.

Residents should notice a marked reduction in helicopter noise when construction concludes later this summer, Dolan said. 

Several residents in nearby Seaside Point and Oneonta contend that noise and flight path violations .

The Navy wants to increase helicopter flight activity in the area by 30 percent by 2016. Commanding Officer Captain Yancy Lindsey who oversees operations at Naval Air Station North Island and NOLF IB .

"We have adjusted our pattern, but even with that, at times they are going to be riding pretty close [to resident's homes], because you're talking about student pilots who are flying in a tightly scheduled training loop," Peters said.

While one pilot is taking off, another is landing, or executing maneuvers like heli-pad touchdowns.

Use of the north runway, "requires [pilots] to make a strong left turn to get back on course, just to stay away from the fenceline," Peters said.

High winds from the southwest can also push helicopters northward, he said, further complicating basic training maneuvers.

A Pilot's View

According to Lieutenant Matt Sevier who has flown Navy helicopters for six years, an aggressive sidestep requires a pilot use both arms, both legs and a cool head to fly a 65-foot-long MH-60 helicopter, with a 15,000 lb. base weight in the standard oval training path at NOLF.

"An airplane wants to fly. A helicopter, you have to make it fly," he said.

When "the bird" does what it's told, anti-torque peddles steer left or right as the collective control provides lift or drop and the cyclic controls tilt, Sevier said.

As pilots execute training maneuvers at NOLF, they are required to pay close attention to the aircraft instruments indicating altitude, compass baring and torque, air traffic control reminds pilots to fly according to course rules.

Upon NOLF approach, air traffic control will advise pilots, "report to river mouth," south of Seacoast Drive, then assign the aircraft to a pad where they land.

When lifting off from pad three near the control tower, the tower reminds pilots, "No further right of [north runway] 2-6, for noise abatement," according to Sevier. This path takes them further away from IB city limits.

A windsock indicates the end of runway 2-6, at which point pilots perform "an aggressive maneuver to sidestep for the noise abatement," Sevier said.

When disembarking NOLF to head westward towards Seacoast Drive, the tower will recommend, "avoid overflight of the beach-houses, 800 feet or above," according to Sevier. 

Weather, safety, or construction, in this case, "are reasons why pilots would not follow the course rules," Angelic Dolan said.

"We talk to these guys [pilots] constantly," said Captain Yancy Lindsey, Commanding Officer at Naval Air Station North Island who also oversees operations at NOLF IB. 

"They know to try as much as you can to stay away from the houses, and I think they do a dang good job of that." 

"They fly close, but not overhead," he said.

Captain Lindsey notes that Federal Aviation Administration Code 91 says “General Operating and Flight Rules” do not put any restrictions on helicopters flying over a city, as far as altitude is concerned, however fixed wing aircraft are required to fly 500 feet or above terrain, and 1000 feet above populated areas. 

"Any restriction that we have is self-imposed," Lindsey said. 

For decades, said Imperial Beach Mayor Jim Janney in City Council meetings earlier this year, course rules have been orally agreed upon between the city and North Island's Commanding Officer.

Concerning NOLF helicopter operating hours, Lindsey said that the base needs the option to be open 24/7, however to maintain a good neighbor policy, current activity stays within the following self-imposed schedule:

Monday - Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. (or to 11:00 p.m. in Summertime), with Friday shutdown at 6pm, and weekends off.

"Those hours are palatable for the residents," said Lindsey.

According to Lindsey, the Navy does not see the need to expand beyond current operating hours with the increase in helicopter operations to take place by 2016, but "if for some reason we do, then I will come down and talk to the Mayor [of IB] and the City Council, and talk about expanding hours either in the evenings or on the weekends."

"We've been flying helis here for years and years. We know what they do here. Now, we are flying new helis here. Are they quieter? We don't know," Lindsey said.

An environmental assessment prepared by the U.S. Navy and presented to the public earlier this year concluded that there would be no significant impact to nearby residents, however it failed to conduct specific noise tests in neighborhoods just over the fenceline. 

Since then Navy officials have agreed to conduct tests in Seaside Point and Oneonta neighborhoods as well as at Oneonta Elementary School and the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve Visitors Center.