Since late 2003, Bordeaux Airport has used a system for measuring aircraft noise and monitoring their flight paths. It allows users to save, view and analyse flight paths and noise generated by commercial aircraft travelling within a 55 km radius of the Airport, at a height of up to 3000 m.
To visualize trajectories that fly over your municipality, you can:
The vast majority of aircraft that land at Bordeaux Airport are commercial flights carrying passengers, freight and mail. However, because ours is a multi-functional airport, other types of aircraft regularly visit. These might be light aircraft or military planes, or they might be used for industrial purposes or by health and emergency services. More rarely, you might spot large Antonov- or Ilyushin-style carriers transporting cargo as part of a humanitarian mission.
French law dated 6 March 2009 defines how measures designed to cut noise pollution are applied at Bordeaux Aerodrome. The French South-West Civil Aviation Authority’s safety department is able to make a statement attesting to any failures to adhere to regulations. If this statement is supported by evidence, the airline could face financial penalties. This penalty is levied by the French Airport Noise Inspection Authority (or Autorité de Contrôle des Nuisances Aéroportuaires). For the purposes of transparency, information about any fines levied is available to the public.
A “go around” is the term used to describe a controlled safety manoeuvre used by pilots when they judge that the conditions are not right for landing. This procedure allows the plane to regain height, so that it can then attempt to land again. There are several reasons why a pilot might opt for a go around:
The noise an aircraft makes mainly depends on what type of plane it is and the engine it uses; whether it is taking off or landing; how far away it is; and weather conditions (such as wind force and direction, temperature, humidity levels and atmospheric pressure). How noisy a plane seems depends on the individual listener, how susceptible they are to hearing it as it goes over, and other sounds around them. As a result, in a single location planes might seem noisier to you some days than others, depending on the type of aircraft in operation, whether it’s landing or taking off, the runway being used, weather conditions and what you’re doing at that moment.
