Helicopter Operations Noise Analysis Report for. Memorial Health System City of Colorado Springs, Colorado USA. Prepared by

Transcription

1 Helicopter Operations Noise Analysis Report for Memorial Health System City of Colorado Springs, Colorado USA Prepared by

2 MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM HELICOPTER OPERATIONS NOISE ANALYSIS REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction Memorial Health System Overview Purpose of the Report Helicopter Operations Memorial Star Transport Helicopter Usage Helipad Design Flight Paths Fly Neighborly Program Noise Study Noise Monitoring Noise Modeling Recommendations Construction Operations Administrative Land Use 30 CREDITS 32 SOURCES 32 As an environmental initiative, this report has been designed for electronic distribution or 2-sided printing. If printed copies are provided by Landrum & Brown, we ensure that this document has been printed on 100% FSC Certified Recycled Paper made with Green-e certified renewable wind energy. Landrum & Brown Page 1

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Memorial Health System (MHS) contracted with Landrum & Brown to conduct this Helicopter Operations Noise Analysis to evaluate existing noise impacts on the communities surrounding Memorial Health System s Central Hospital campus in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and develop recommendations to mitigate those impacts. Helicopter operations increased significantly since Memorial Star Transport began service in In October of 2008, meetings were held with stakeholders to assess operational and noise related issues regarding helicopter operations at MHS. Representative groups included: Memorial Health System staff Memorial Star Transport (MST) pilots and flight crew Boulder Park Neighborhood Association United States Olympic Training Facility City of Colorado Springs Planning Department Helicopter Operations Heliport records were analyzed and categorized into five categories: Reposition 7% Other 1 3% Refuel 22% Public Relations 3% Patient Transport 65% 1 Other includes maintenance, training, and relocation due to weather In 2008, there were 2,805 total helicopter operations. For this report, operations are defined as an arrival or departure for any reason. Of these operations, 22 percent were a result of needing to refuel off-site, and 7 percent were due to repositioning the MST helicopter to make way for another helicopter arriving. Noise Monitoring In January 2008, noise monitoring was conducted at five (5) locations in the vicinity of the hospital to determine background noise levels at various community locations and to determine peak noise levels associated with helicopter operations. Landrum & Brown Page 2

4 Helicopter noise events ranging from 18 decibels (db) to 35 db above the background levels were measured. In the residential areas, the helicopter noise events range from 4 to 8 db louder when they are not using the Fly Neighborly flight paths. This would be a noticeable increase in the loudness of these flights. Noise Modeling Noise contours were developed to compare existing conditions with some of the recommendations. Recommendations Upon completion of analyzing all pertinent data, 20 recommendations were identified where efforts should be focused to minimize the noise impacts on the neighboring community: Construction involving physical modification to helipad/rooftop Operational involving helicopter operations Administrative involving education, awareness, tracking and formalization of procedures Land Use involving notification and/or assistance to nearby homeowners RECOMMENDATIONS Construction Operational Administrative Land Use Refueling Station Non-Emergency Flights Pilot Awareness Property Notices Roll-Off Pad Idle Time Fly Neighborly Officer Building Codes Acoustical Panels Hover Noise Complaint Hotline Avigation Easements Flight Profiles Quieter Aircraft Fly Neighborly Adherence BPNA Workplan Meetings Notifications Website Homeowner Purchase Assurance Conclusion Construction of the refueling station has the potential to reduce helicopter activity by 22 percent, resulting in 40 percent fewer homes affected by 55 DNL and greater. Construction of the refueling station AND the roll-off pad could reduce helicopter activity by 29 percent resulting in 53 percent fewer homes affected by 55 DNL and greater. Additional recommendations could further reduce noise impacts and significantly improve community relations. Landrum & Brown Page 3

5 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Memorial Health System Overview Memorial Health System (MHS) Hospital, 1400 East Boulder Street, Colorado Springs, CO has been in the same location in Colorado Springs for 100 years. With the region s only Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and Level III Neonatal Intensive Care unit, as well as a comprehensive Maternal-Fetal Medicine Center, Memorial Hospital has the technology and experienced team to provide the highest level of care for expecting mothers, neonates and children. Memorial Hospital s Level II Trauma Center has the resources to take care of complex, critical injuries. The hospital has a full complement of specialists, highly skilled providers and state-of-the-art technology for adults and children. Memorial Health System Hospital MHS established its transport service program more than 20 years ago with critical care ground and fixed-wing transportation for critically ill or injured expectant mothers, neonates, and children. In 2005, MHS contracted with Med Trans Corporation for a dedicated helicopter to expand its air transport capabilities and provide Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS). 1.2 Purpose of the Report In 2005, Memorial Health System leased a Bell 407 helicopter operated by Memorial Star Transport (MST) to better serve critical care patients in the region. The addition of a based helicopter providing HEMS support has led to a significant increase in helicopter activity. This large increase in activity has caused the number of helicopter noise events to also rise significantly. Based on concerns from the Boulder Park Neighborhood Association (BPNA), the City of Colorado Springs has required the hospital hire a firm to study the helicopter noise impacts and develop recommendations. Landrum & Brown (L&B) has been contracted to identify existing noise impacts around MHS including the United States Olympic Training Center (USOTC) and develop recommendations to reduce those impacts. Landrum & Brown has a strong understanding for the importance of community outreach in relation to aircraft noise impacts. One of the top priorities was to meet and coordinate with all stakeholders to address operational and noise related issues. Landrum & Brown Page 4

6 Before any noise study was conducted and recommendations formed, meetings were held with the following groups: Memorial Health System Planning Staff United States Olympic Training Center Staff Boulder Park Neighborhood Association City of Colorado Springs Planning Staff Memorial Star Transport Flight Team Memorial Health System Operations Staff Information gathered at each of these meetings had a direct impact on the understanding of the issues and this report. 2.0 HELICOPTER OPERATIONS 2.1 Memorial Star Transport MST is southern Colorado s most comprehensive and specialized provider of critical care transport services for patients of all ages. MST is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS). MST uses best practices for air medicine and has been found by CAMTS to be exceptional in medical direction and involvement representing all specialty areas; collaboration; level of training and specialization; safety management; and passion. The Memorial Star Transport Helicopter also services Memorial Hospital North approximately nine miles north of the main facility. 2.2 Helicopter Usage Bell 407 on the Helipad at Memorial Health System. Memorial Star Transport operates the Bell 407 helicopter. The Bell 407 is a fourbladed, single engine, helicopter introduced into service in There have been more than 500 Bell 407s produced, making it a common air ambulance helicopter throughout the industry. MST utilizes the Bell 407 to care for and transport more than 700 patients per year. These patients include high-risk expectant mothers, newborns, children, and adults. Memorial Star Transport is the only critical care transport service in southern Colorado that offers the additional expertise, equipment, and processes to care for pre-term infants, as well as other patients Landrum & Brown Page 5

7 who are critically ill and injured. Memorial Health System has established a Memorial Star Transport Policy that outlines the criteria for Memorial Star Transport usage and defines what is an appropriate transport. Operations at the existing heliport consist of flights not only for patient transport, but also public relations trips, refueling trips and repositioning flights when another helicopter needs to land at the helipad. Refueling trips are typically flown to Colorado Springs Airport and back immediately after transporting a patient to MHS. Repositioning flights are flown when guest HEMS providers are inbound to MHS and MST has a helicopter on the helipad. MST departs the helipad, typically to Colorado Springs Airport until the guest HEMS service departs allowing MST to return to the helipad. For this report, operations are defined as an arrival or departure for any reason. A transport typically consists of two operations a departure and an arrival. If fuel is required once the transport is complete, the refueling trip is an additional two operations a departure and an arrival. Table 1 below summarizes the operations for 2008 by Annual Average Day (AAD) and Yearly Total. There were 2,805 operations in 2008 at MHS, averaging 7.7 operations per day. Table Operation Levels Operation Type Patient Transport Public Relations Refuel Reposition Other Total Activity MST Average Day MST Yearly Total 1, ,047 Guest Average Day Guest Yearly Total Average Day Yearly Total 1, ,805 Percent of Total 65% 3% 22% 7% 3% 100% 1 Other includes maintenance, training, and relocation due to weather Note: Totals may not add due to rounding Source: Memorial Health System activity logs and Memorial Star Transport pilot logs, 2008 Landrum & Brown Page 6

8 As shown below in Exhibit 1, 65 percent of total helicopter operations were associated with patient transport, 22 percent consisted of refueling trips, and reposition flights accounted for 7 percent. Maintenance, training and relocation due to weather accounted for 3 percent of the total operations and 3 percent were associated with public relations. Exhibit Operation Level Percentages Reposition 7% Other 1 3% Refuel 22% Public Relations 3% Patient Transport 65% 1 Other includes maintenance, training, and relocation due to weather 2.3 Helipad Design The helipad at MHS is a rooftop helipad located on the northeast corner of Building 11 on the west side of the hospital campus approximately 6,155 feet above Mean Sea Level (MSL), which is approximately 90 feet above the ground. It is a publicly owned, private use helipad consisting of a 55 by 55 foot concrete pad and walkway leading into the elevator penthouse. There is a sign on the west wall of the rooftop facing east to the helipad stating: ATTENTION PILOTS NOISE SENSITIVE AREA TO THE NORTH AND WEST IF CONDITIONS PERMIT PLEASE AVOID APPROACHES AND DEPARTURES TO THE NORTH AND WEST Rooftop Sign Landrum & Brown Page 7

9 An alternate helipad located away from the hospital property or on nearby MHS property has been considered previously by MHS. It was determined that the increase in transport time and the additional moving of critical care patients would not warrant relocating the helipad. MHS has developed designs for a refueling station directly south of the existing helipad. The refueling station consists of an underground storage tank, fuel pipes to the refueling station and refueling equipment on the roof adjacent to the helipad. With a refueling station available on-site, flights associated with refueling (612 flights in 2008, or 22 percent) would be eliminated. The refueling station is anticipated to be installed at MHS in In addition to the refueling station, a helicopter roll-off pad has been identified as a potential addition to the existing facility. A proposed roll-off pad would be located on the roof of the hospital directly west of the existing helipad. A roll-off pad would be used as an extra parking space for MST when other services are transporting patients to MHS. A roll-off pad would be used instead of a repositioning flight, for the helicopter currently on the helipad. With a roll-off pad, flights associated with repositioning (209 flights in 2008, or 7 percent) would be eliminated. Roll-Off Pad Helipad and Roll-Off Pad Landrum & Brown Page 8

10 2.4 Flight Paths The pilots operating at MHS utilize eight basic flight paths as shown on Exhibit 2 three flight paths to the east (A, B and C), four flight paths to the northwest (E, F, G and H) and one flight path to the south (D). The three flight paths to the east are Fly Neighborly flight paths and are the preferred flight paths. The Fly Neighborly flight paths are currently utilized approximately 85 percent of the time. 2.5 Fly Neighborly Program Helicopter Association International s (HAI) Heliports and Airways Committee (HAC) originally organized the Fly Neighborly Program through its Fly Neighborly Steering Committee. This committee was composed of members of HAI and governmental representatives, including the FAA, members of the military and other associations. Officially launched by HAI in February 1982, the program gained U.S. and international acceptance. Subsequently, the work related to the Fly Neighborly Program was considered sufficiently important by HAI that a separate Fly Neighborly Committee was formed to promote the program and ensure that the Fly Neighborly Guide and associated material are updated as appropriate. Landrum & Brown Page 9

11 In the U.S., the program has gained the full support of helicopter operators, regional associations, manufacturers, pilots and communities throughout the country. Federal, state and local government agencies have embraced the program, and taken an active part in sponsoring Fly Neighborly presentations in conjunction with safety seminars and other activities. Worldwide, the helicopter industry and its related communities are kept informed on the Fly Neighborly Program. Companion programs have been developed in a number of countries including Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. The Fly Neighborly Program addresses noise abatement and public acceptance objectives with guidelines in the areas of pilot and operator awareness, pilot training and education, flight operations planning, public acceptance and safety, and sensitivity to the concerns of the community. The Fly Neighborly Guide is published by HAI to promote helicopter noise abatement operations. These guidelines are intended to assist pilots, operators, managers, and designated Fly Neighborly officers to establish an effective Fly Neighborly Program. The concepts and flight operations are tailored to suit local needs, and to ensure local or regional organizations cooperate to develop a strong, well-organized and disciplined approach to achieving Fly Neighborly objectives. Memorial Star Transport pilots are currently following the Fly Neighborly Program unless winds and/or weather dictate otherwise. The designated MHS Fly Neighborly flight paths are to the east of the MHS hospital, and in general can be used under the following conditions: Winds are calm (0-10 knots) Winds above 10 knots: o For arriving helicopters, winds have a westerly component o (W, SW, NW) o For departing helicopters, winds Memorial Star Transport have an easterly component o (E, SE, NE) Based on detailed discussions with pilots and other stakeholders, the MHS Fly Neighborly flight paths are currently utilized approximately 85 percent of the time. As wind speeds increase, it becomes more important for pilots to take off and land with the front of the helicopter positioned into the wind. For example, with a 15 knot wind from coming from the west, a helicopter could land using the Fly Neighborly paths, arriving from the east, but would more than likely need to depart to the west (into the wind). When these higher wind speeds occur, the pilots will decide for operational safety reasons, to forgo the Fly Neighborly flight paths and depart to or arrive from the north, west, or south, depending on the wind direction. Other factors can also affect the ability of a pilot to utilize any particular route to and from the heliport, such as localized weather events, other aircraft activity in the airspace, security restrictions, and emergencies. Landrum & Brown Page 10

12 Memorial Health System 3.0 NOISE STUDY Sound is a complex vibration transmitted through the air which, upon reaching our ears, may be perceived as desirable or unwanted. It is the unwanted sound which people normally refer to as noise. Sound and noise are thus physically the same, the difference being in the subjective opinion of the receiver. Noise can be defined in terms of three components: Loudness (amplitude) Pitch (frequency) Duration (time pattern) Exhibit 3 Comparison of Sound While the pitch and duration of a noise are readily understood, the loudness and its measure are often found to be confusing. Furthermore, environmental variables such as wind direction and speed, temperature, temperature gradients and Landrum & Brown Page 11

13 inversions, terrain, and humidity can all affect the propagation of sound. Personal subjective variables dramatically affect a person s reaction to sounds of a particular loudness, type or frequency. Not everyone reacts the same way to the same sound. How much time a person spends outdoors, or with the windows open, or the type of work they do, or how they feel about the importance of the source of the noise, are all personal variables that can dramatically affect an individual s reaction to a particular sound. However, when a group of local citizens forms a cohesive, consistent position relative to a change (positive or negative) associated with aircraft activity, it is important to acknowledge and attempt to address their concerns. Efforts among all stakeholders to assist in a prudent and practicable manner to evaluate, educate and potentially abate and mitigate the noise impacts will usually result in improved conditions for all stakeholders. The most common measuring unit of noise pressure is the decibel (db). The human ear has an extremely wide range of response to noise amplitude and because the waves of noise typically heard by the human ear may vary through a wide range from 1 to 100 trillion units (bels), a logarithmic scale (decibels) is used to compress the scale to make the number more manageable. Thus, the decibel scale allows people to describe loudness using numbers ranging from zero to about 140. Most everyday sounds range from 40 to 100 db. The use of the logarithmic decibel scale requires different arithmetic than used with linear scales. The sound pressures of two separate sounds are not directly arithmetically additive. For example, if a noise of 80 db is added to another noise of 74 db, the total is a one decibel increase to 81 db, not an addition to 154. If two equally loud events occur simultaneously, the noise pressure level from the combined events is only 3 db higher than the level produced by either event alone. Logarithmic addition gives greater weight to the higher noise levels compared to quieter levels. Similarly, logarithmic math also returns counterintuitive results when averaging noise levels. Again, the loudest noise levels are the dominant influence in the averaging process. For example, two noise levels of equal duration are averaged. One is 100 db, the other 50 db. Using linear arithmetic, the result would be 75. The logarithmic result for decibels is 97 db because 100 db contains 100,000 times the noise energy as 50 db. Humans perceive a 10 db increase in sound energy over a given frequency as a doubling of loudness, while a 10 db decrease seems only half as loud. A 3 db increase in loudness, which is equivalent to a doubling of noise energy, is detected by the ear as a barely perceptible increase in loudness in an outdoor environment. For the purpose of this report, the following noise metrics were used: Lmax Peak Noise Levels DNL Day-Night Average Sound Level TA Time Above Landrum & Brown Page 12

14 3.1 Noise Monitoring A helicopter noise test was conducted on January 14, The MST helicopter flew eight (8) selected flight paths consisting of one arrival and one departure for each path identified in Exhibit 2. Noise measurements were taken at five (5) sites in the vicinity of Memorial Health System. The sites were selected with the assistance of BPNA, USOTC and MHS. The five noise monitoring locations are shown on Exhibit 4. Each site utilized Type 1 Noise Monitors and recorded: background noise levels approach and departure noise of actual helicopter operations Noise Measurement Site Locations Site 1 was located approximately 0.16 miles west of the helipad just south of Vrain Street in Boulder Park. Site 1 experienced ambient or background noise levels of approximately 52.3 db, typical of a quiet urban daytime environment. The peak noise level during the test occurred during the Flight Path F arrival, which was approximately 5.7 db louder than the Fly Neighborly flight path levels (see Tables 2 and 3). Site 2 was located on the rear deck of a residence on North Sheridan Avenue approximately 0.16 miles to the northwest from the helipad. The site experienced background noise levels of approximately 50.1 db which is typical for a quiet urban daytime environment. The loudest residential flight path was the Flight Path F arrival, recording a peak noise level of 85.0 db, 4.0 db louder than the Fly Neighborly flight path levels (see Tables 2 and 3). Site 3 was located in the back yard of a residence approximately 0.30 miles north of the helipad on the corner of Dale Street and Logan Avenue. Site 3 recorded background noise levels of approximately 49.1 db, typical of a daytime urban environment. The majority of contributors to the overall ambient noise level were street traffic on Dale Street. The loudest peak noise level recorded during the test occurred during the departure of Flight Path H, which was approximately 4.0 db louder than the Fly Neighborly flight path levels (See Tables 2 and 3). Site 4 was located within the United States Olympic Training Center (USOTC) complex in a parking lot approximately 0.23 miles east of the helipad. Site 4 recorded background noise levels of approximately 54 db and a peak noise level of 79.6 db during the arrival leg of Flight Path B. Noise measurement location at the U.S. Olympic Training Center Site 5 was located in a residential area approximately 0.20 miles southeast of the helipad on Farragut Avenue. Site 5 recorded background noise levels of Landrum & Brown Page 13

15 approximately 56.9 db, with major contributors originating from street traffic on Farragut Avenue, East Platte Avenue and East Boulder Street. The site recorded a peak noise level of 83.1 db during the arrival leg of Flight Path D, which was 8 db louder than the peak noise levels for the Fly Neighborly flight paths (See Tables 2 and 3). The results of the noise monitoring at each of the five monitoring locations are shown in Tables 2 and 3. Background noise measurements are displayed as averages of the recorded noise levels during non flight times. The residential flight path peak helicopter noise levels are the highest recorded decibels during the flight test caused by the MST helicopter. The Fly Neighborly flight path peak noise levels are the averages of the peak noise levels for the three Fly Neighborly flight paths, A, B and C. Helicopter noise events ranging from 18 db to 35 db above the daytime background levels were measured. Nighttime background noise levels are typically quieter than daytime background noise levels. In the residential areas, the helicopter noise events range from 4 to 8 db louder when they are not using the Fly Neighborly flight paths. This would be a noticeable increase in the loudness of these flights. Landrum & Brown Page 14

16 At the USOTC, the helicopter noise events were about 1 db louder when using the Fly Neighborly flight paths compared to using the residential flight paths. Table 2 Noise Monitoring Results Location of Noise Monitoring Sites and Corresponding Peak Noise Levels (db) Site Number Site Location Background Residential Flight Paths Fly Neighborly Flight Paths 1 Boulder Park Residential Residential USOTC Residential Source: January 14, 2009 Noise Monitoring Results Table 3 Noise Monitoring Results Single Event Peak Noise Levels (db) Site Number Fly Neighborly Paths Residential Paths Operation A B C D E F G H Arrival Departure Arrival Departure Arrival Departure Arrival Departure Arrival Departure Source: January 14, 2009 Noise Monitoring Results Landrum & Brown Page 15

17 3.2 Noise Modeling The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Environment and Energy developed the Integrated Noise Model (INM) to assess aircraft noise impacts. The most recent version of INM (version 7.0a) was used for this analysis. The INM calculations are based on data produced by regulatory agencies, aircraft and engine manufacturers, engineering firms and research institutions. The INM can output exposure, maximum level and time-based noise contours, as well as levels at preselected locations. The input data required for the INM includes many operational components specific to the heliport. These inputs include the following: Aircraft fleet mix Aircraft flight track geometry Flight track utilization Number and type of aircraft operations (departures and arrivals) by aircraft type Number of daytime (7 a.m. to 10 p.m.) aircraft operations Number of nighttime (10 p.m. to 7 a.m.) aircraft operations. Day-Night Average Sound Level (DNL) is the metric of choice in the aviation world. People are normally more sensitive to intrusive sound events at night, and the background sound levels are normally lower at night because of decreased human activity. Therefore, noise events during the nighttime hours are likely to be more annoying than noise events at other times. To account for these factors, the DNL adds a 10 db penalty to sound levels occurring between 10:00 PM and 6:59:59 AM. This 10 db penalty means that one nighttime sound event is equivalent to 10 daytime events of the same level. The DNL has been identified by all Federal agencies as the principal metric for airport noise analysis. DNL = Total Daytime Sound Energy + 10 times Total Nighttime Sound Energy divided by Time (in seconds) Exhibits 5, 6 and 7 show Annual Average Day (AAD) DNL Noise Contours. Noise contours are shown for 2008 operation levels, and operation levels with the refueling station and refueling station combined with the roll-off pad. The 65 DNL noise contour decreases in size by 21 percent with the addition of the refueling station and decreases in size by 28 percent with the addition of the refueling station and the roll-off pad. Exhibits 8, 9 and 10 show time contours for 65 db. Time above contours are a method of identifying the number of minutes in a day which exceed a certain noise level. Each contour represents time in minutes that helicopter noise levels are 65 db and greater on an annual average day. For example, a location may experience Landrum & Brown Page 16

18 10 minutes a day when the noise level exceeds 65 db. The five (5) minute time contour decreases in size by 25 percent with the addition of the refueling station and decreases in size by 35 percent with the addition of the refueling station and the roll-off pad. Noise exposure contours generally require large changes in the number of flights, type of flights, or time of day (when using DNL with the nighttime penalty), to show significant changes in the size or area of the noise contour. This is due to the logarithmic nature of noise analysis as described earlier in this document. People often describe their reaction to noise events not only in terms of the loudness of an event, but also the number of times a noise event occurs, or frequency. For this reason, it is also important to consider the reduction in the number or noise events caused by any action (see Section 2.2 Helicopter Usage and Table 1). Table 4 below summarizes the noise impacts and associated reductions anticipated with the construction of the refueling station and roll-off pad. As shown in the table, based on 2008 activity, there were 15 homes within the 55 DNL noise contour. With the refueling station, the number of homes drops to 10, a 33 percent reduction. With the refueling station and the roll-off pad, the number of homes within the 55 DNL noise contour drops to 7, a 53 percent reduction. Table 4 Noise Impact Summary 2008 Refueling Station Refueling Station & Roll- Off Pad Impacts Change (%) Impacts Change (%) 55 DNL 65 DNL 5 Minutes 25 Minutes Acres % % Homes % 7-53% Acres % % Homes 0 0 NC 0 NC Acres % % Homes % 17-47% Acres % % Homes % 1-83% NC no change Source: Landrum & Brown Analysis, 2009 Landrum & Brown Page 17

19 Exhibit 5 DNL Noise Contours 2008 Operation Levels 65 DNL = 4.3 acres, 0 homes 55 DNL = 29.3 acres, 15 homes Landrum & Brown Page 18

20 Exhibit 6 DNL Noise Contours Refueling Station 65 DNL = 3.4 acres, 0 homes 55 DNL = 24.2 acres, 10 homes Landrum & Brown Page 19

21 Exhibit 7 DNL Noise Contours Refueling Station and Roll-Off Pad 65 DNL = 3.1 acres, 0 homes 55 DNL = 22.4 acres, 7 homes Landrum & Brown Page 20

22 Exhibit 8 65 db Time Above Contours 2008 Operation Levels 5 minutes = 32.2 acres, 32 homes 25 minutes = 13.0 acres, 6 homes Landrum & Brown Page 21

23 Exhibit 9 65 db Time Above Contours Refueling Station 5 minutes = 27.6 acres, 21 homes 25 minutes = 9.8 acres, 3 homes Landrum & Brown Page 22

24 Exhibit db Time Above Contours Refueling Station and Roll-Off Pad 5 minutes = 25.2 acres, 17 homes 25 minutes = 8.4 acres, 1 home Landrum & Brown Page 23

25 4.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 4.1 Construction The construction of the following rooftop enhancements will cause a decrease in helicopter noise in the surrounding communities Refueling Station A refueling station will consist of an underground storage tank containing aircraft fuel, refueling equipment off the south end of the helipad on the rooftop and fuel pipes carrying the fuel from underground to the rooftop. Memorial Health System has plans on file for the refueling station. The addition of the refueling station reduces the heliport operations by more than 612 operations per year representing a 22 percent reduction in helicopter flights, resulting in about a 40 percent reduction in noise impacts. It is also recommended that Memorial Health System not refuel any aircraft not already at the heliport. In other words, no new helicopter operations to the heliport should occur exclusively for refueling purposes Roll-Off Pad A roll-off pad is essentially a helicopter parking space. The addition of the roll-off pad reduces the heliport operations by more than 209 operations per year representing a 7 percent reduction in helicopter flights. Approximately 820 fewer operations per year would be reduced by adding a refueling station and a roll-off pad representing a 29 percent reduction in helicopter flights, resulting in about a percent reduction in noise impacts. See Table 5 below. Table 5 Estimated Operation Levels with Recommendations Operation Type 2008 Activity Levels Refueling Station Roll-Off Pad Refueling Station & Roll-Off Pad Memorial Star Transport Guests AVERAGE DAY TOTAL YEARLY TOTAL 2,805 2,193 2,596 1,984 Average Day Difference Yearly Difference Percentage Decrease 22% 7% 29% Source: Memorial Health System activity logs and Memorial Star Transport pilot logs, 2008 Landrum & Brown Page 24

26 Exhibit 11 Operation Level Percentages with Recommendations Refueling Station 22% Roll-off Pad 7% Remaining 71% Acoustical Panels Acoustical panels designed specifically for aircraft noise reduction should be installed on the west wall of the rooftop facing east toward the helipad. Acoustical panels on the south wall and rooftop surface could also be considered. The addition of acoustical panels would decrease the noise from the helicopter, given that current MST procedures require a two minute warm-up and cool-down at the helipad. Acoustical panels absorb and attenuate noise and have been proven to reduce aircraft noise on a variety of aircraft types including helicopters. Acoustical Panels Helipad and Roll-Off Pad with west wall highlighted Landrum & Brown Page 25

27 4.2 Operations The formal adoption of the following operational procedures has the potential to reduce noise impacts on the areas surrounding the hospital. The following operational techniques will assist flight crews to fly helicopters in the quietest manner possible, however, they are intended as advisory only. As always, if flying according to these noise abatement flight techniques conflicts with operating the aircraft in a safe manner, then all safety-related procedures take precedence Limit Non-Emergency Flights MHS should limit public relations and other non-emergency flights to the greatest extent possible. In 2008, there were 980 of these types of operations (including refueling and reposition operations), representing 35 percent of the total operations Idle Time Minimize the duration of warm-up and cool-down periods. Restrict idling at the helipad for extended periods of time, by formally limiting all helicopter idle times to helicopter/engine manufacturer recommendations. Idle times longer than the manufacturer recommendations should be forbidden Hover Restrict helicopter in-flight hovering over residential areas and the Olympic Training Center. If a guest helicopter is at the helipad, incoming helicopters should not hover in the surrounding areas. If pilots are unable to land at the helipad, they should fly away from the immediate hospital area until the helipad is available. Areas of compatible land use should be identified, formally adopted and location maps provided to pilots utilizing the MHS helipad Flight Profiles Helicopter pilots flying to MHS should operate the helicopter in modes which limits the engine torque. Increased engine torque leads to higher noise levels. Whenever possible, turns should be made by keeping the turn rate as slow as possible and turn in the same direction as the main rotor rotation. This minimizes the antitorque thrust required, and therefore minimizes the level of noise generated by the anti-torque system. Reduced noise profiles vary by aircraft type. It is recommended that all helicopters using the MHS helipad follow HAI recommended profiles for reducing noise Support and Encourage Quieter Aircraft Technologies The use of quieter helicopters represents an effective method of reducing noise impacts. Memorial Health System should formally encourage all operators to use newer, quieter helicopters and refrain from using older, louder helicopters. In Landrum & Brown Page 26

28 addition, many manufacturers and research agencies are currently researching noise reduction techniques to reduce noise at the source such as: Reduced engine noise, including the design of air intakes and tail pipes Reduced main rotor noise Reduced tail rotor noise Quieter flight procedures MHS should follow these studies and as new industry-accepted techniques and technologies become available, implement into their daily operations and encourage guest operators to do the same. 4.3 Administrative The following administrative recommendations have the potential to improve awareness, implementation and tracking of the Fly Neighborly Program, with the intent of enhancing adherence to the procedures. These recommendations will also improve the level of information collected and shared regarding helicopter activity at MHS Pilot Awareness Develop a formal pilot awareness program. Pilot awareness programs can be designed to provide current, precise, and consistent information to the pilots utilizing the MHS helipad in an effort to reduce noise impacts. The pilot awareness program should include: Pilot outreach and education including a follow-up process (MST and Guest Pilots) Pilot handouts with graphics, mapping and operational procedures It is important to not only establish the education process, but implement a followup process with all pilots utilizing the MHS facility. For ease of use, maps and other handouts should be presented to pilots in a pilot-friendly form, including consistency with aeronautical navigation charts and sized in order to easily include and reference within their current navigation binders Fly Neighborly Officer MHS should designate a person as a Fly Neighborly Officer. The Fly Neighborly Officer will be responsible for coordinating the Fly Neighborly Program and attending all meetings with stakeholders. All stakeholders should know who the Fly Neighborly Officer is and how to contact them for information and questions. The Fly Neighborly Officer needs to be an individual that understands the importance of the program and can clearly convey those messages to all stakeholders. A dedicated, single point-of-contact person with customer service qualities will add value and help to establish and maintain an effective Fly Neighborly Program. Landrum & Brown Page 27

29 4.3.3 Noise Complaint Hotline MHS should designate and advertise a dedicated 24-hour noise complaint hotline. An automated answering system with instructional information provided to the caller would be preferred. This allows for consistent and recorded gathering of community concerns. The Fly Neighborly Officer, described above, could then be responsible for reviewing the noise complaint information, conducting research and follow-up as necessary, and providing summary reports for inclusion in the Fly Neighborly Adherence Report, described below Fly Neighborly Adherence Develop a Fly Neighborly Adherence Report and present to the public on a regular basis (monthly, quarterly, etc.). The report should include: Complaint Call Totals Operational counts by provider Flight Path Compliance Wind Speed and Direction Complaint call tracking can assist in identifying trends and improvements or deficiencies in Fly Neighborly adherence. It is important for MHS to track and report on operational counts at the helipad. Operational counts will give all stakeholders the ability to quantify total noise events over time. Monitoring flight path utilization and compliance will give all stakeholders the ability to quantify the noise events by location. For example, if residential flight path utilization increases, all stakeholders will be aware and investigative, and possibly corrective action can be taken. Through pilot outreach, flight logs can include the flight path flown for each flight. Specific follow-up with guest pilots should be included. Wind speed and direction can be collected from existing sources. This information could be summarized and presented to provide information to the stakeholders for comparisons to the flight path adherence. The USOTC, located directly east of the Hospital campus, plans to add additional married athlete housing to their existing complex. The proposed housing will comprise of three three-story buildings containing a total of seventy units. Due to Landrum & Brown Page 28

30 the location of these proposed units, within the footprint of Fly Neighborly Track B, it will be important that the Fly Neighborly Track Adherence Program be monitored and adjusted to ensure the majority of operations are conducted over compatible land use as much as possible. In addition, we recommend a liaison from the USOTC be appointed to review the Adherence Report and provide the Hospital with feedback BPNA Workplan BPNA should work to develop an annual Work Plan that includes helicopter noise issues, that should, at a minimum: Oversee implementation of the 20 recommendations, included herein. Review of the Fly Neighborly Adherence Reports. Assess the viability of conducting a public forum workshop to educate the general public about MHS activities and the need for helicopter transports, BPNA goals and objectives, and progress on implementation of the recommendations Meetings Hospital/Community meetings should be set on a regular basis (such as quarterly) with a specific agenda shared at least a week in advance. The agenda should include at a minimum: Comprehensive hospital/community topics (Public relations events, parking, traffic, etc.) Heliport Fly Neighborly Adherence Report o Complaint Calls Review o Activity Reports o Flight Track Compliance o Patients served Meeting details should be set well in advance to give local residences or other interested parties advance notice, also making for a more productive meeting. Attendees should include: Memorial Health System City of Colorado Springs U.S. Olympic Training Center Boulder Park Neighborhood Association Meetings should be conducted in the evening when residents are more able to attend. Meeting minutes including any Landrum & Brown Page 29

31 action items, responsible group and due date should be provided. High level, active participation is encouraged by all parties, but it is particularly important that MHS representatives have some level of decision-making authority. We recommend that the meetings are sponsored and conducted by MHS, with invitation to all interested neighborhood groups, stakeholders, as well as the general public. One meeting per year could be conducted as a Special Meeting or Open House for additional participants. For example, it could include a neighborhood appreciation related event involving a social event or a hospital tour with MHS senior management or elected officials. A helicopter-related guest speaker such as a chief pilot, manufacturer, or industry expert could be invited to make a presentation Notify Citizens When Changes in Helicopter Operating Procedures Occur This action involves developing a public information mechanism that would inform the public of anticipated short-term or long-term changes in helicopter operating procedures. Changes would include any new helicopters or services utilizing MHS to changes on the rooftop that would affect helicopter operations or noise Heliport Website A dedicated website specific to heliport activity, Fly Neighborly Adherence Report information, meeting schedules, meeting agenda and helicopter operational changes should be available to the public. The website should serve as a reference and information source for all stakeholders. 4.4 Land Use Property Noise Notices The development of a Property Noise Notice would give notice to prospective home buyers near the hospital that the home is located in a noise-impacted area. Development of a Property Noise Notice should include input from the BPNA Building Codes Develop or modify community building code regulations to require new building construction within a defined area to incorporate sound insulation techniques to minimize interior noise levels. The building codes can be written to specify a particular type of construction or may allow any type of construction that results in a particular interior noise level reduction. This information can also be provided to the public in general, that may be outside of the defined area in case they would be interested in sound insulating their home themselves. This sound insulation booklet can be placed on the dedicated heliport website. Landrum & Brown Page 30

32 4.4.3 Avigation Easements An avigation easement is a property right acquired from a land owner that grants aircraft the right to fly, land, or take off in unobstructed airspace above a parcel of property. Such an easement often prohibits the property owner from installing structures that exceed a specified height. The purchase of an avigation easement typically entails a one time payment to the homeowner in exchange for the permanent right to expose a property to aircraft noise. The homeowner otherwise maintains full use of the land. In developing easement language, the hospital should secure legal counsel and confirmation that the easement is sufficient to provide the intended property rights Homeowner Purchase Assurance The development of a Homeowner Purchase Assurance Policy would provide a guarantee that if a homeowner within a defined area is unable to sell their property for fair market value due to aircraft noise impacts; the homeowner would be paid the difference between the appraised value and the amount the owner is actually able to get on the market. This program could also involve acquisition of the property by the hospital which could then be converted into a compatible use or an avigation easement could be acquired from the new owner. Landrum & Brown Page 31

33 CREDITS Landrum & Brown would like to formally thank the following stakeholders for their participation in the conduct of this analysis and the development of this report. Boulder Park Neighborhood Association Memorial Health System Memorial Star Transport United States Olympic Training Center City of Colorado Springs Planning Department City of Colorado Springs GIS Department SOURCES City of Colorado Springs Planning Department and GIS Team. Boulder Park Neighborhood Association Working Group. Fly Neighborly Guide, Helicopter Association International s Heliports and Airways Committee. Integrated Noise Model version 7.0a, Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Environment and Energy Memorial Star Transport, Monthly Flight, Log Memorial Health System, Transport Log, Memorial Health System, Helicopter Noise Complaint Log, August 2007 through August Memorial Health System, Memorial Star Transport Policy. Memorial Star Transport, Quality Management Committee Utilization Review (UR) Indicators. Memorial Hospital Helicopter Refueling Facility, Leigh Whitehead & Associates, INC. Memorial Hospital Concept Plan, City of Colorado Springs Planning Commission. United States Olympic Training Center Complex Schematic Master Plan, NES, INC. September END OF REPORT - Landrum & Brown Page 32

34 8755 West Higgins Road Suite 850 Chicago, IL Phone: Fax: