County Executive Charts Sound, Air Traffic Patterns and Altitude Analysis Study of Jet Noise with new monitors North of County Airport–To Be Finished in a Year. Landing Fees, Final Approach Entry Points to Runway 16 from southwest to be studied as cause of noise intensification | WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER 3,374,995 VISITS IN ONE YEAR---65,000 VISITS A WEEK BY 985,281 VISITORS

Wings Over Latimer: A jet on approach approximately 500 feet over the George Latimer News Conference this afternoon held on Hamilton Drive, Chappaqua, announcing new portable noise monitoring recorders being deployed at 10 locations in Northern Westchester to document recent and ongoing noise patterns to prove air traffic noise has worsened, with an eye to asking the FAA to make changes

New listening post installed at the home of a resident who is right in the traffic pattern. The County Executive had this to say:

County Executive George Latimer began outlining his effort to acquire input from as many parties affected by the airport as possible. He announced the hiring of Harris, Miller, Miller & Hanson for $200,000 (paid out of airport profits), as consultants to prepare a study of past sound data, and data to be collected by new portable sound monitoring machines which cost $15,000 a piece.

After the news conference ended, in a Q & A, Mr. Latimer told WPCNR the consultants would also study if the air traffic control practice of allowing aircraft approaching from the southeast to “cut the line” and join the landing parade into Runway 16 had significantly increased the noise levels complained about by residents.

Here, Mr. Latimer explains the county needs more recent and detailed sound data to make the case to the Federal Aviation Administration that solutions need to be negotiated either in aircraft approach patterns, distributing aircraft more equally to other county areas, or improvement of aircraft noise abatement equipment was necessary. The increased detailed data on noise and air traffic was needed to make the case traffic was causing the increase in noise complaints

Joan McDonald, County Director of Operations gave detailed information on the new machines and why the data from the old county noise monitors was not enough

Asked by WPCNR if the county would consider raising landing fees at Westchester County Airport which are significantly lower than most airports in the area, Latimer said they would consider that, but he did not want to take aviation business away from the county airport, either.