Washington DC airports provides public with online access to local aircraft noise and flight tracking data
(photo: MWAA)
Tue 1 Dec 2009 – The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) has set up a new online noise and flight tracking tool, called Airscene, on its website. It will provide direct access to archival data in the region around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport. Due to security concerns, live flight tracks will not be available. Noise data is loaded into the system each night and can be viewed the next day, with flight track data generally available within 72 hours after the flight occurs.
The MWAA says its new system will provide better access to information along with the ability to easily send inquiries and concerns to its environmental staff.
By clicking on Airscene, the public are able to pinpoint a local street address, view the movement of flights over the area, view numerical readouts from noise monitors around the region and file noise complaints online with the airports authority.
Airscene has been provided through a contract with Era Systems, which will maintain the equipment and provide the flight data and noise information.
The MWAA has also replaced the 20-year-old noise monitors that were in place around the two airports “as part of the effort to better respond to community noise related concerns.”
The authority says the improvements are as a result of working with the local community and governments to provide the public with timely and useful information.
