New 2013 Quiet Rules for Jets Flying Over Rocky Mountain National Park

In efforts to curb non-natural noise in Rocky Mountain National Park, the Federal Aviation Administration has issued new noise-reducing rules for jets flying over the park. Jets that fly in from the west over the park on their way to Denver International Airport will now be required to follow the path woven by Trail Ridge Road.

While over Rocky Mountain National Park, planes will be required to glide and not rev engines. Authorities hope that these efforts will concentrate noise from cars and the roughly 600 aircraft that fly daily over the park in a central location.

“Hopefully, people miles away from Trail Ridge Road will notice less aircraft noise,” Rocky Mountain National Park Superintendent Vaughn Baker told The Coloradoan.

In the past, planes descended toward DIA in a stair-step flight pattern. This procedure necessitated that the pilot rev the plane’s engines at the start of each step, creating considerable noise. The newly instated gliding method, in which the pilot keeps the engine throttles idle, is expected to be much quieter.

“These procedures allow aircraft to fly a precise, optimized horizontal and vertical trajectory, which helps to lower fuel burn with more precise approaches, reduce diversion due to bad weather conditions and improve airport access in challenging terrain,” Frontier Airlines spokeswoman Kate O’Malley told The Coloradoan.

Source: Coloradoan.com, KDVR.com