Airport Operations and Noise Information
Serving aviation demand while managing aircraft noise within the airport’s environment is a challenge for all airports. Annoyance by aircraft noise is a very personal issue. One individual can be greatly bothered by an aircraft passing overhead, while another individual may hardly notice the same noise.
To monitor and better understand aircraft noise in the vicinity of the airport, MVY utilizes Casper Airport Solutions as its Noise and Operations Monitoring System (NOMS), which comprises 1 mobile noise monitor in the community. This allows MVY to measure the noise and impacts of airport operations and compile noise data and operational statistics for analysis and reports.
A New Generation of Quieter Aircraft
In the late 1960s, the Federal Government established regulations (FAR Part 36 and Part 91) which resulted in the phasing out of the older, noisier aircraft from the nation's fleet and replacing them with newer, quieter, and more fuel-efficient aircraft.
The reduction of aircraft noise, through the development of quieter engines, has been a key goal of the FAA. Aircraft are classified in different noise “Stages”, with Stage 1 being the noisiest and Stage 4 being the quietest. As of Dec. 31, 2015, the FAA prohibits airplanes with a maximum weight of 75,000 pounds or less from operating within the 48 contiguous states in the U.S. unless they meet Stage 3 noise levels. These regulations include all aircraft operating at Dallas Love Field.
The Federal Government Regulates Airport Operations, Airspace, and Aircraft.
The Airport is owned by the County of Dukes County and operated under the care and custody of the Martha's Vineyard Airport Commission; however, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates virtually all aspects of airport operations.
- The FAA requires that this Airport be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- MVY cannot ban any specific type or size of aircraft from operating at the airport, based on noise levels.
- MVY cannot establish any type of mandatory curfew without FAA approval. No mandatory airport curfews have been approved by the FAA in many years.