A citizen overview of the FAA's proposed implementation of Area Navigation (RNAV) at MSP airport in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The document provides a brief overview of airport operations and RNAV, and evaluates the impact of a proposed new departure track that flies planes directly over heavily populated areas of Minneapolis and Edina. It balances that impact against the benefits the FAA claims will accrue to the local community, and discusses some initial options that the community might consider relative to noise mitigation. A narrated version of the presentation is available on Brainshark and www.mspFairSkies.org

1. RNAV Flight Paths and
Noise over Minneapolis +
Edina
Kevin Terrell
Katana Consulting
February 2013
Katana Consulting

2. Agenda
1. Basics on flight operations from MSP airport
2. RNAV (Area Navigation)
1. Alternatives
2. Summary and action plan
Katana Consulting

3. 1 | MSP has 3 main runways. Runways 30L and 30R are used for departures
that fly over Minneapolis and further west.
30R
30L
12L
12R
17
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4. 1 | The Metropolitan Airport Commission tracks the path of each flight.
2012 Departure
2012 Landing
Key road
SOURCE:
•www.macnoise.com/flightrac
for Tuesday, July 10th
2012 6am + 8 hours
France Ave •Runway 30L/R RNAV
departure tracks
•Katana analysis
50th Street
Penn Ave
Xerxes Ave
Katana Consulting

5. 1 | The noise level of each flight is tracked by a network of Remote
Monitoring Towers (RMT) that are scattered across the Twin Cities.
2012 Departure
2012 Landing
Key road
1 SOURCE:
•www.macnoise.com/flightrac
2 for Tuesday, July 10th
2012 6am + 8 hours
France Ave •Runway 30L/R RNAV
departure tracks
•Katana analysis
50th Street
3
27
Penn Ave
Xerxes Ave
Katana Consulting

6. 1 | The RMTs are used to validate where airplane noise on average exceeds
60 decibels over the course of 24 hours.
2012 Departure
2012 Landing
Key road
1 SOURCE:
•www.macnoise.com/flightrac
2 for Tuesday, July 10th
2012 6am + 8 hours
France Ave •Runway 30L/R RNAV
departure tracks
•Katana analysis
50th Street
3
27
Penn Ave
Xerxes Ave
Katana Consulting

7. 1 | Departing flights are typically louder than arriving flights.
Departure
Landing
SOURCE: MAC Flight Tracker Katana Consulting

8. 1 | Departing flights are typically louder than arriving flights.
Departure
Landing
SOURCE: MAC Flight Tracker Katana Consulting

9. Agenda
1. Basics on flight operations from MSP airport
2. RNAV (Area Navigation)
1. Overview
2. Impact on SW Minneapolis and Edina
3. Benefits
3. Alternatives
4. Summary and action plan
Katana Consulting

10. 2.1 | RNAV uses GPS and other technology to guide planes on tighter flight
paths. Off Runways 30L/R, it would focus ~30 departure tracks into 7.
Today’s flight paths
1 RNAV flight paths
1
SOURCE: MSP 2020 Appendix G; Katana analysis Katana Consulting

11. Agenda
1. Basics on flight operations from MSP airport
2. RNAV (Area Navigation)
1. Overview
2. Impact on SW Minneapolis and Edina
3. Benefits
3. Alternatives
4. Summary and action plan
Katana Consulting

12. 2.2 | The FAA and MAC say RNAV is designed to minimize noise.
“The procedures are being designed to maximize noise
reduction where possible …”
“>>>
1 | How many flights 2 | How much noise 3 | Net impact
? ? ?
SOURCE: MAC 2011 Annual Report to the Legislature Katana Consulting

13. 2.2 | Large parts of SW Minneapolis and Edina have historically had few
flights overhead.
2012 Departure
2012 Landing
Key road
Proposed
departure track
# daily RNAV
98
17% flights
% of daily total
SOURCE:
•www.macnoise.com/flightrac
for Tuesday, July 10th
France Ave 2012 6am + 8 hours
•Runway 30L/R RNAV
departure tracks
•Katana analysis
50th Street
Penn Ave
Xerxes Ave
Katana Consulting

14. 2.2 | Under RNAV, SW Minneapolis and Edina would have a 5x increase in
noise and number of departures, with 23% of ~580 daily departures.
70 2012 Departure
100 2012 Landing
12% 98
17% 17%
Key road
3
1% Proposed
departure track
4 # daily RNAV
98
1% 17% flights
% of daily total
SOURCE:
•www.macnoise.com/flightrac
for Tuesday, July 10th
2012 6am + 8 hours
•Runway 30L/R RNAV
135 departure tracks
23% •Katana analysis
50th Street
27
RMT
173
30%
Penn Ave
Xerxes Ave
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15. 2.2 | Delta has ~75% of all flights at MSP. It has the 2nd largest fleet of MD-80
planes - the loudest and least fuel efficient of any modern medium aircraft.
MD-80: 86 dBA
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16. 2.2 | MD-80s and other departing planes are still very loud as they approach
the Edina-Minneapolis line.
11 1 1
An MD80 directly over
RMT #27 has a max
noise level of 87.4 dB.
It exceeded 65 dB for
36 seconds.
1
1
SOURCE: MAC website; Katana analysis 3 Katana Consulting

17. 2.2 | MD-80s and other departing planes are still very loud as they approach
the Edina-Minneapolis line.
11 21
An MD80 directly over The same plane was 81
RMT #27 has a max dB at RMT #3 – 0.7
noise level of 87.4 dB. miles away from the
flight track.
It exceeded 65 dB for
36 seconds.
2
2
1
1
SOURCE: MAC website; Katana analysis 3 Katana Consulting

18. 2.2 | MD-80s and other departing planes are still very loud as they approach
the Edina-Minneapolis line.
11 21 31
An MD80 directly over The same plane was 81 The RNAV path goes
RMT #27 has a max dB at RMT #3 – 0.7 thru the heart of SW
noise level of 87.4 dB. miles away from the MPLS.
flight track.
It exceeded 65 dB for Noise will be similar to
36 seconds. RMT #27 – 135 times a
day.
2
3 2
1
1
SOURCE: MAC website; Katana analysis 3 Katana Consulting

19. 2.2 | MD-80s and other departing planes are still very loud as they approach
the Edina-Minneapolis line.
11 21 31 41
An MD80 directly over The same plane was 81 The RNAV path goes 87 dB is nearly as loud
RMT #27 has a max dB at RMT #3 – 0.7 thru the heart of SW as a lawnmower at 1M.
noise level of 87.4 dB. miles away from the MPLS.
flight track. “Quiet” planes such as
It exceeded 65 dB for Noise will be similar to the A319 are louder
36 seconds. RMT #27 – 135 times a than a vacuum cleaner.
day.
2
3 2
1
1
4
SOURCE: MAC website; Katana analysis 3 Katana Consulting

20. 2.2 | Property values decline when subjected to runway traffic.
1
On average, home prices decline by an average of
0.83% for every decibel of sustained noise over 40 dB
=
SOURCE: Frankfurter Neue Presse, German Federal Ministry of the Environment, January 2012 Katana Consulting

21. 2.2 | The only mitigation for this noise is to add air conditioning, insulation
and new windows to reduce interior noise by 5 decibels.
SOURCE: www.macnoise.com Katana Consulting

22. 2.2 | The effect of RNAV is far different than what the FAA claims.
“The procedures are being designed to maximize noise
reduction where possible …”
“yet...
1 | Many more flights 2 | More noise 3 | Lower values
5x the flights Up to 87 dB Up to a
for 20+ seconds 10%+
135x a day drop?
SOURCE: MAC 2011 Annual Report to the Legislature, Katana analysis Katana Consulting

23. Agenda
1. Basics on flight operations from MSP airport
2. RNAV (Area Navigation)
1. Overview
2. Impact on SW Minneapolis and Edina
3. Benefits
3. Additional facts
4. Summary and action plan
Katana Consulting

24. 2.3 | The benefits of RNAV at MSP.
“The procedures are being designed to maximize noise
reduction where possible and increase airspace efficiency,
and reduce airport delay, fuel burn, and emissions”
1 | Improved capacity 2 | Improved efficiency 3 | Reduced emissions
SOURCE: MAC 2011 Annual Report to the Legislature Katana Consulting

25. 2.3.1 | The FAA states that RNAV will help create additional capacity.
However, flight volume at MSP is down considerably from historic levels.
SOURCE: MAC 2011 Annual Report to the Legislature Katana Consulting

26. 2.3.1 | The MAC’s projection of future volume indicates flight operations
would not surpass the 2004 peak before 2030.
In 2030,
volume
at MSP
will still
be below
the 2004
high
Current trend
SOURCE: MAC 2010 Annual Report; MAC website for 2011 and 2012 operational statistics Katana Consulting

27. 2.3.2 | Reducing airport delays is part of the efficiency goal of RNAV. MSP
has already reduced such delays by 77% in the past few years.
Runway
12/30
closed
New
runway
opens
77% reduction
from 2002-2004
average
SOURCE: MAC 2011 Annual Report to the Legislature Katana Consulting

28. 2.3.2 | MSP has better on-time performance than every major hub airport
except for Dallas.
SOURCE: MAC 2011 Annual Report to the Legislature Katana Consulting

29. 2.3.3 | Emission reductions are negligible.
“An RNAV SID at San Diego is projected to yield
emissions savings of 95 pounds of carbon dioxide
per flight.”
Annual CO2 Emissions from Autos in Minnesota Relative CO2 emissions
RNAV reduction 2,200,000 Cars in MN
= 0.09% of auto
emissions
x 5.1 tons CO2/car/year
11,340,000 CO2 tons/year
220,000 Departures/yr
x 95 pounds CO2/flight
10,450 CO2 tons/year
SOURCE: FAA Fact Sheet; EPA website; US Department of Commerce Katana Consulting

30. 2.3 | The benefits of RNAV at MSP…
“The procedures are being designed to maximize noise
reduction where possible and increase airspace efficiency
and reduce airport delay, fuel burn, and emissions”
1 | Improved capacity 2 | Improved efficiency 3 | Reduced emissions
Not needed Already there Negligible
Katana Consulting

31. Agenda
1. Basics on flight operations from MSP airport
2. RNAV (Area Navigation)
1. Additional facts
1. Runway 17 usage
2. Runway use at other airports
3. Global best practices on noise reduction
2. Summary and action plan
Katana Consulting

32. 3.1 | Runway 17 opened in 2005 and helped reduce delays at MSP.
Runway
12/30
closed
New
runway
opens
77% reduction
from 2002-2004
average
SOURCE: MAC 2011 Annual Report to the Legislature Katana Consulting

33. 3.1 | The $700M the MAC spent to build Runway 17 was also intended to
decrease departures over Minneapolis and push many of them to the south.
Runway 17 use pattern
“Runway 17 will increase
the airport’s capacity by a
projected 25%, handling
approximately 37% of
departures”
SOURCE: MAC publication “Runway 17/35”; Minnesota Public Radio Katana Consulting

34. 3.1 | Instead there are now 53% more flights than forecasted off 30L/R and
over Minneapolis. Runway 17 is used nearly 40% less than expected.
SOURCE: MAC Annual Noise Contour Analysis Katana Consulting

35. 3.1 | Terminal 1 is home to ~75% of flights. The layout of MSP dictates that
planes cross Runway 12R to reach Runway 17.
MSP terminal-runway configuration FAA response on runway use pattern
“The Runway 17 runway use
departure percentage is lower than
forecasted by 21.9%.
T1 FAA ATC personnel have
indicated that this is due to a
desire to avoid departure
sequencing in arrival flows on
Runway 12R, and Runway 12R
12R runway crossing impacts when
17 taxiing aircraft to Runway 17 for
departure.”
SOURCE: Memorandum to the MSP NOC, January 3rd, 2007 Katana Consulting

36. 3.2 | Despite prevailing winds, San Francisco pushes nearly all departures
over the Bay, not the city. Boston’s airport is similar.
39%
4%
4%
6%
34%
8%
7%
SOURCE: Airport websites; windhistory.com; Katana analysis Katana Consulting

37. 3.3 | Heathrow and Narita use aggressive pricing to decrease plane noise. A
2010 US court ruling opened the door to this in the US.
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38. Agenda
1. Basics on flight operations from MSP airport
2. RNAV (Area Navigation)
1. Additional facts
2. Summary and action plan
Katana Consulting

39. We can find a fair solution based on real needs, transparent analysis and
clear communication.
Significant impact Minimal benefits Viable alternatives
RNAV flight The reasons for Best practices
tracks will have and benefits from show there is a
a significant and RNAV at MSP are better way to
negative effect questionable make the airport a
on large parts of friendly neighbor
SW Minneapolis in the Twin Cities
and Edina
Katana Consulting

40. Action plan
1. Contact your elected representatives about your concerns
 Minneapolis Mayor Rybak and Council Member Hodges
 Edina Mayor Hovland and your council member
CONTACT
 US Representative Keith Ellison
 US Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken
 State Rep. Hornstein, Thissen, et al (Minneapolis)
 State Rep. Rosenthal or Erhardt (Edina)
 State Senators Dibble (Minneapolis); Franzen (Edina)
 MAC Commissioners Steve Cramer, Lisa Peilen and Greg Foster
 Met Council Commissioners Gary Cunningham and Adam Duininck
2. Join 4,000 of your fellow residents and sign our petition at
SIGN www.change.org or at www.MSPfairSkies.com
3. Like us on Facebook at MSP Fair Skies
LIKE
4. Be ready and willing to voice your opinion at MAC meetings and
VOICE legislative hearings at the city, regional and state levels
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41. For further information
Contact:
Kevin Terrell
kevin@katanaconsulting.com
612.237.3662
www.katanaconsulting.com
Board Member, Lynnhurst Neighborhood Association
Katana Consulting