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German / Swiss noise-dependent landing charges / noise certificate (merged thread)

Creating a Noise Certificate for an N-reg plane

I am getting fed up with being ripped off an extra €30 in Germany...

The document describing the procedure is here. The PDF is here.

What I am not sure is the Chapter number to use.

I have three noise certificates from when the plane was new:

1) A DGAC one, listing no chapter or anything resembling it

2) A DGAC one, listing Chapter 6

3) A UK CAA one, citing Part 2, Chapter 10, Volume 1 of Annex 16!

I cannot directly use any of the above certificates because the DGAC ones list just the airframe S/N as the identification (which the Germans won't accept is sufficient evidence of my plane!) and the UK CAA one has the old G-reg on it (likewise). I tried all three at Cologne and even though it is obvious that these must apply to this specific airframe, the girl at the desk said NO.

It looks like I can choose Chapter 6 or 10. Which one will produce lower bills in Germany?

I did some googling and e.g. this suggests there is nothing beyond Chapter 4...

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter, I will send you mine on email.

EGTK Oxford

First of all, this is not limited to Germany. Switzerland is at least as obsessed by noise certificates as Germany...

Chapter VI means measurement was taken by flying at a given height over the measuring equipment.

Chapter X means measurement was taken at a given distance from the start of takeoff run.

What you need is a certain dB value. It is written down in § 4 of the Landeplatz-Lärmschutz-Verordnung (airfield noise abatement regulation).

Section (2) is relevant here: propeller airplanes and motor gliders that were built before January 1st, 2000 meet the criteria of increased noise protection requirements ("Erhöhte Schallschutzanforderungen") until December 31st, 2009 if they exceed the noise limits set out in appendix 2 by at least 4 db(A) for chapter 6 and at least 5 db(A) for chapter 10 aircraft.

Given that you are the odd case with a rather new aircraft, section (3) is relevant: propeller airplanes and motor gilders built from the year 2000 on meet the criteria of increased noise protection requirements if they exceed the limits set out in appendix 2 by at least 6 dB(A) for chapter 6 and at least 7 db(A) for chapter 10 aircraft.

"exceed" means "are better than", i.e. lower noise measurement

The formulae in appendix 2 are as as follows:

Chapter 6

MTOW 1500kg or more: 76 db(A) MTOW <1500kg>600kg: 64 db(A) + (M-600) * 4/300 db(A)

Chapter 10

MTOW 1500kg or more: 85 db(A) MTOW <1500>500kg: 68 db(A) + (M-500) * 0.017 db(A)

Now you can do the math. My TR182 got a louder engine and a longer prop but meets the requirements (because it's Chapter 10 and it climbs like a rocket). The C172M I have with a small engine, smaller prop and an extremely nice external muffler no longer meets the requirements because it's chapter 6.

PS: If you want to know everything about measuring aircraft noise, have a look at ICAO Document 9501.

Thanks - both of you.

More googling shows that much depends on whether the plane was certificated before or after 1980.

If before, it is simple. You just put

This aircraft does not have 14 CFR Part 36 noise levels listed for boxes 13-17 above because it was certificated before Part 36 became effective

in Box 18, and Box 11 is Not Applicable.

The TB range certainly pre-dates 1980, just about, thought maybe not the TB20. According to this, the TB20 was certified Dec 1980.

The PA46 is post-1980.

And I am 1400kg MTOW so neither Chapter 6 nor 10 can apply... so both the DGAC and the CAA noise certs were nonsensical all along.

Correct about Switzerland - I got ripped off at Grenchen also for this.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

And I am 1400kg MTOW so neither Chapter 6 nor 10 can apply

Of course they do. GA aircraft are measured according to the rules of either Chapter 6 or 10 and only those are valid measurements for a noise certificate here. The values are from actual measurements.

What N-reg users do is get creative and fill out a noise certificate. All the airport wants to see is a document under which they can waive the high noise fees.

For Germany, you have to comply with the above. Fill in the noise level and make sure the numbers meet the requirements.

But Chapter 6 is 1500kg plus.

Clearly I need to do some digging on the certification date cutoff... I can't find anything on google confirming the exact date in 1980. All I have found is the words "certified after 1980".

Is there any evidence that the airports look for specific db figures on the noise certificate? They just seem to ask for the certificate itself. Also pre-1980 planes won't have the db figures anyway.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Is there any evidence that the airports look for specific db figures on the noise certificate? They just seem to ask for the certificate itself. Also pre-1980 planes won't have the db figures anyway.

In Germany every airplane has db(A) figures. You can at any point have a noise measurement performed and get a new certificate. For German certificates there is a statement at the end that says whether it meets the requirements or not.

For foreign aircraft, they just want to see something which has the word "noise certificate" and the aircraft registration on it. If an employee gives you a lower price without justification (i.e. noise certificate), then this is grounds of firing. This is why airport staff tends to be careful. Imagine the tax officer giving you a lower income tax rate because he likes your face.

The formula Achim used is valid between 600kg and 1500kg. Over 1500 it is 80/88 for chapter 6/10.

United Kingdom

What does that mean for a plane certified Dec 1980?

If I had to actually work out the db figures I wouldn't know how to do it from this information.

Or are you saying that one can just put in 79db in all the boxes?

I recall some German airports looking up the plane in a thick book, and looking up some figure. What would that have been about?

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

There are official noise lists. For all ICAO aircraft, it is maintained by EASA: Your text to link here...

The TB is here: http://easa.europa.eu/certification/type-certificates/docs/noise/EASA-TCDS-A.378SocataTB_series-05-20052011.pdf

This is really not a German thing, all ICAO standard. It's only that very few countries actually do something with the noise levels.

Your aircraft has a Chapter 10 measurement and it does 82.5 db(A) at level. Mine is 74.3 db(A) because of RPM limited to 2400rpm and possibly better climb rate.

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