New Piston Engine Curfew - Essendon Airport

[CitationJet]

DIRD are proposing to extend the curfew at Essendon airport to apply to ALL aircraft, abolishing the current exemption for non-jet aircraft below 8600 kg.

Curiously they are also proposing to increase the MTOW limit at YMEN to 55,000kg from 45,000kg and allow jet aircraft with landing configuration noise signature of 90dB or below to land during the curfew.

So you won't be able to land your Cessna 172 during curfew hours, but you can land your Global Express or G650. How convenient for some.

Smart move DIRD.

http://www.ef.com.au/uploaded/Aviation%20/Curfew/1709%20Public-Consultation-paper-Essendon-Airport.pdf

[Jabawocky]

Just another step closer to redevelopment into retail or commercial property. :ugh:


I wonder if i could get the -10 to meet the noise requirements. I bet I could :E

[unexplained blip]

Just another step closer to redevelopment into retail or commercial property. :ugh:


Seems to me that it is more like: (i) a strong statement than YMEN is here to stay (Proposal 1); (ii) throwing a tiny part of GA under a bus (Proposal 2), as a ceremonial sacrifice to the public in exchange for bizjet services landing at any time of night (Proposal 3).

I am a pprune lurker, not a pilot, but I do live at the highest point about 1km from the eastern threshold of the 08-26 runway, and so get much of the landing noise. I especially support the right of the DC3 to fly over any time it likes. :E

But bizjet landing movements at any time? ... hmm. The late evening bizjets, o/head and then using reverse thrust on landing, are the least desirable element.

From the document, for helicopters and piston a/c "In the quarter ending November 2016, there were a total of 607 movements of which 584 were emergency movements and 23 movements were non-emergency". So, actually sweet FA going on. When standing outside on a quiet night, for the little piston a/c (about as loud as someone mowing a lawn two blocks away), the main noise concern is in it actually giving up the ghost this side of Pascoe Vale Road.

Somewhat looking forward to the possibility of 717s during the day (Proposal 1). Might ruffle some feathers across the road - the elderly homeowners still claim to have some cracked windows from when 727 ops were introduced prior to Tullamarine opening.

[Captain Garmin]

One less night alternate in the Melbourne basin for piston aircraft. YMEN has been useful when Lilydale fogs in at night.

CG.

[zanthrus]

I wouldn’t give a **** about a curfew. If I needed YMEN as an alternate for whatever reason I would use it! Better to be down safe and filling out paperwork than crashing somewhere else because you are too afraid to use a suitable alternate airport.

[TwoFiftyBelowTen]

Why isn't the noise footprint the determining factor?
I remember when Queenairs were doing night freight because higher-performance types were banned... nothing makes more noise than a Queenair....ok, maybe the BAC-111

[Capt Fathom]

I wouldn’t give a **** about a curfew There's always one! :rolleyes:

[josephfeatherweight]

The point is, the limitations should be predicated on a noise level - not a MLW or MTOW or whatever rubbish they are using at YSSY. The issue is the NOISE - not the weight they took off at at Honolulu!!!! Try convincing the pollies of that (yes, even the Minister for Transport - who should have educated advisors!!!).

[TBM-Legend]

let's give them four KC-135 tankers followed by 16 F-4's off the Reef runway at HNL for a bit of nice noise...

[no_one]

I wouldn’t give a **** about a curfew. If I needed YMEN as an alternate for whatever reason I would use it! Better to be down safe and filling out paperwork than crashing somewhere else because you are too afraid to use a suitable alternate airport.

I agree that in an emergency you do what you have to and deal with the paperwork later. What this proposal will mean though is that YMEN won't be able to be used as a planned alternative for piston aircraft during curfew hours. They will have to plan to use somewhere else, leading to potential inconvenience and cost.